Reviews of Peer-Reviewed Journals in the Humanities and Social Sciences
We give you the scuttlebutt on academic journals—aiding you in selecting the right journal for publication—in reviews that are sometimes snarky, sometimes lengthy, always helpful. Written by Princeton University graduate students and Wendy Laura Belcher.
American Sociological Review
For those interested in publishing articles that speak to a broad sociological audience and present cutting-edge research.
American Sociological Review, which is the flagship journal of the American Sociological Association, publishes papers that make innovative and cutting-edge theoretical contributions that speak to a broad sociological audience. The journal publishes articles on a variety of themes in sociology. Papers that examine inequality—whether related to gender, class, or race—are particularly popular. However, the journal also publishes papers on culture, education, social networks, labor and occupation, states, and social movements, among other topics.
Papers usually have a very clear research question and present the argument early on, either at the beginning or the end of the introduction. Papers also usually present a compelling framework that clarifies how the research conducted speaks to a broader body or bodies of literature. The theoretical contribution of an article is almost always clear by the end of the introduction, as is the paper’s major intervention (such as identifying a new causal driver, specifying a new mechanism, resolving an open theoretical contestation, amending existing theories, and so on).
The majority of papers published in this journal are quantitative, but the journal also publishes qualitative and mixed-methods papers. Both quantitative and qualitative papers include a thorough section on data and methods, explaining in detail the process of case selection (when applicable), data collection, and data analysis. This is currently one of the most important—if not the most important—journal in sociology, and the acceptance rate of the journal is very low (less than 10%). All papers are submitted online and go through a blind peer-review process.
Review date: January 2020
Word count: 15,000 including text, references, and footnotes, but excluding tables and figures
Issues per year: 6
Current volume number: 86
Articles per year: 27–33
Citation style: ASA
Abstract length (if required): 200 words or fewer
Upcoming special issues (if available): None
Relevant editors: Art Alderson and Dina Okamoto
Open access? No
Online? Yes
Submission method: Online
Submission fee: $25
Bibliography (articles in the journal consulted for this review)
Cerulo KA. Scents and Sensibility: Olfaction, Sense-Making, and Meaning Attribution. American Sociological Review. 2018;83(2):361-389.
Hahl O, Kim M, Zuckerman Sivan EW. The Authentic Appeal of the Lying Demagogue: Proclaiming the Deeper Truth about Political Illegitimacy. American Sociological Review. 2018;83(1):1-33.
McDonnell EM. Patchwork Leviathan: How Pockets of Bureaucratic Governance Flourish within Institutionally Diverse Developing States. American Sociological Review. 2017;82(3):476-510.
McDonnell M-H, King BG. Order in the Court: How Firm Status and Reputation Shape the Outcomes of Employment Discrimination Suits. American Sociological Review. 2018;83(1):61-87.
Simi P, Blee K, DeMichele M, Windisch S. Addicted to Hate: Identity Residual among Former White Supremacists. American Sociological Review. 2017;82(6):1167-1187.
About Wendy Belcher
