Social Science · 1,882 journals ranked · top 40 listed
Best open-access journals for Social Science
The top 40 of 1,882 Social Science journals, open-access only, ranked with primary-Social Science journals first, then by Scimago quartile and OpenAlex cites/paper (2-year window), drawn from a 17,782-venue index. Predatory venues are excluded; the FAQ below gives the exact ranking rule. These are field-wide rankings — for a shortlist matched to your specific paper, paste your title and abstract into the Journal Finder (a free account starts with 25 welcome credits).
- 1Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication6.8 cites/paper · Q1 · WileyOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 2The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning6.6 cites/paper · Q1 · Athabasca University PressOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of Science
- 3
- 4Australasian Journal of Educational Technology5.8 cites/paper · Q1 · Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary EducationOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of Science
- 5Humanities and Social Sciences Communications4.8 cites/paper · Q1 · Palgrave MacmillanOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 6Social Media + Society4.7 cites/paper · Q1 · SAGE PublishingOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 7BMC Medical Research Methodology4.6 cites/paper · Q1 · BioMed CentralOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 8International Journal of Qualitative Methods4.4 cites/paper · Q1 · SAGE PublishingOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 9CBE—Life Sciences Education4.4 cites/paper · Q1 · American Society for Cell BiologyOpen AccessScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 10Computers in Human Behavior Reports4.4 cites/paper · Q1 · Elsevier BVOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 11Journal of Global Information Management4.3 cites/paper · Q1 · IGI GlobalOpen AccessScopusWeb of Science
- 12Education Sciences4.3 cites/paper · Q1 · Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing InstituteOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 13Language learning & technology4.2 cites/paper · Q1 · University of Hawaiʻi at MānoaOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of Science
- 14Campbell Systematic Reviews4.0 cites/paper · Q1 · The Campbell CollaborationOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 15Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice3.9 cites/paper · Q1 · University of WollongongOpen AccessScopusWeb of Science
- 16Laboratory Animal Research3.8 cites/paper · Q1 · BioMed CentralOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 17
- 18Physical Review Physics Education Research3.5 cites/paper · Q1 · American Physical SocietyOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 19Online Learning3.5 cites/paper · Q1 · Online Learning ConsortiumOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 20Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation3.4 cites/paper · Q1 · University of SurreyOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 21
- 22Frontiers in Education3.2 cites/paper · Q1 · Frontiers MediaOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 23British Journal of Political Science3.1 cites/paper · Q1 · Cambridge University PressOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 24
- 25
- 26Apunts Educación Física y Deportes2.8 cites/paper · Q1 · Institut National d'Educació Física de CatalunyaOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of Science
- 27
- 28
- 29Heritage2.7 cites/paper · Q1 · Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing InstituteOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of Science
- 30Demographic Research2.5 cites/paper · Q1 · Max Planck Institute for Demographic ResearchOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 31Journal of Public Policy2.4 cites/paper · Q1 · Cambridge University PressOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 32
- 33Socius Sociological Research for a Dynamic World2.3 cites/paper · Q1 · SAGE PublishingOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 34Teoría de la Educación Revista Interuniversitaria2.3 cites/paper · Q1 · Ediciones Universidad de SalamancaOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of Science
- 35Demography2.3 cites/paper · Q1 · Springer Science+Business MediaOpen AccessScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 36
- 37Government and Opposition2.1 cites/paper · Q1 · Cambridge University PressOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of Science
- 38International Journal of Adolescence and Youth2.0 cites/paper · Q1 · Taylor & FrancisOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 39Frontiers in Sociology1.9 cites/paper · Q1 · Frontiers MediaOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of SciencePubMed
- 40Communication & Society1.9 cites/paper · Q1 · University of NavarreOpen AccessDOAJScopusWeb of Science
“Cites/paper” is the OpenAlex 2-year citation rate — a transparent signal, not a licensed Impact Factor. Many regional and open-access journals are strong but aren’t covered by Scimago, so they show “no Scimago quartile”; that’s a coverage gap, not a quality judgement.
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