This guide gives you an overview of 29 systematically selected English-language peer-reviewed journals in migration studies. Browse the list or use the index below to jump to a specific journal. At the end of the guide you can see journals listed by open-access status and citation frequency, find background information about the construction of the guide, or submit a comment or suggestion. The information is subject to change and could contain errors, so verify with the publisher when necessary (e.g. regarding submissions or open access). The latest edits were made on 11 June 2021. To stay updated subscribe to the PRIO Migration Update.
African and Black Diaspora
African and Black Diaspora seeks to 'broaden and deepen our understanding of the lived experiences of people of African descent across the globe'. It is interdisciplinary in a broader way than many other migration journals and includes, for instance, humanities-based studies of film and literature as well as accounts of historical experiences and representations. African and Black Diaspora also publishes articles on contemporary migration dynamics, similar to those that are published in general migration journals. See African Diaspora regarding the difference between the two journals.
How established is it? African and Black Diaspora is 13 years old (launched in 2008) and is published by Routledge. The journal publishes about 20 articles per year. It is included in 3 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, and Scopus).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in African and Black Diaspora that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is lower than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is much lower than average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? African and Black Diaspora has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? African and Black Diaspora invites articles of up to 6000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in African and Black Diaspora:
African Diaspora
African Diaspora has the subtitle 'A Journal of Transnational Africa in a Global World' and is open to both historical and contemporary perspectives. It resembles African and Black Diaspora in its scope, but is oriented more towards Europe and Africa (as opposed to North America) and has somewhat stronger links with migration studies (as opposed to Black studies and cultural studies). From 2012 to 2014 the Dutch research council NWO provided funding for African Diaspora to be an open-access journal, and citations per article were high. After it reverted to subscription funding, citations have plummeted.
How established is it? African Diaspora is 13 years old (launched in 2008) and is published by Brill. The journal publishes fewer than 20 articles per year. It is included in 3 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Scimago Journal Ranks, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in African Diaspora that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is much lower than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is also much lower than average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? African Diaspora has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? African Diaspora invites articles of up to 9000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in African Diaspora:
Anti-Trafficking Review
Anti-Trafficking Review explores trafficking in the broader context of gender, labour, and migration. It is published by The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW) and seeks to be a space for dialogue between academics, practitioners, trafficked persons and advocates. The journal successfully combines its activist foundation with the academic integrity of other journals in the field. Each issue is devoted to a specific theme and submissions but therefore respond to a call for papers, which is published on the journal web site about six months before the submission deadline.
How established is it? Anti-Trafficking Review is 9 years old (launched in 2012) and is published by Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women. The journal publishes about 20 articles per year (estimated by Google Scholar). It is included in 3 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (DOAJ, Google Scholar Metrics, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Anti-Trafficking Review that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is much higher than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is unknown (because the journal is not covered by "Scimago).
What are the options for open access? Anti-Trafficking Review is a diamond open-access journal, meaning that every article is free for all to read and authors are not required to pay any fee. The publication costs are instead covered by supporting institutions.
How long are the articles? Anti-Trafficking Review invites articles of 5000 to 7000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Anti-Trafficking Review:
Asian and Pacific Migration Journal
Asian and Pacific Migration Journal is published in association with the Scalabrini Migration Center (SMC) in the Philippines and covers migration within and from Asia and the Pacific. The majority of articles are written by authors based in the region. The journal does not have a specific disciplinary orientation but often engages with other thematic fields such as labour relations, gender studies, and education. SMC is one of the migration study centers of the Scalabrinians, a Catholic community devoted to care for migrants and the study of migration.
How established is it? Asian and Pacific Migration Journal is 29 years old (launched in 1992) and is published by Sage. The journal publishes about 20 articles per year. It is included in 4 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Asian and Pacific Migration Journal that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is about average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is lower than average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? Asian and Pacific Migration Journal has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. The journal does not have a Sherpa Romeo page that displays the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access), so that would have to be found out from the publisher.
How long are the articles? Asian and Pacific Migration Journal invites articles of 7000 to 8000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Asian and Pacific Migration Journal:
Central and Eastern European Migration Review
Central and Eastern European Migration Review is a general migration journal focused on migration within, in to and out of Central and Eastern Europe. It is published by the Centre of Migration Research (Univeraity of Warsaw) and and the Polish Academy of Sciences and a large part of the articles relate to Polish migration. Authors and editorial board members come from across Eastern, Central and Western Europe.
How established is it? Central and Eastern European Migration Review is 9 years old (launched in 2012) and is published by Centre of Migration Research, University of Warsaw. The journal publishes fewer than 20 articles per year (estimated by Google Scholar). It is included in 3 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (DOAJ, Google Scholar Metrics, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Central and Eastern European Migration Review that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is much higher than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is unknown (because the journal is not covered by "Scimago).
What are the options for open access? Central and Eastern European Migration Review is a diamond open-access journal, meaning that every article is free for all to read and authors are not required to pay any fee. The publication costs are instead covered by supporting institutions.
How long are the articles? Central and Eastern European Migration Review invites articles of up to 10000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Central and Eastern European Migration Review:
Comparative Migration Studies
Comparative Migration Studies is a general migration journal with a particular emphasis on comparative research. Within this common frame, articles vary greatly in the nature and prominence of comparison. The journal is published in association with IMISCOE, Europe's largest network of scholars in the area of migration and integration. The article processing charge is waived for authors based at an IMISCOE member institute.
How established is it? Comparative Migration Studies is 8 years old (launched in 2013) and is published by SpringerOpen. The journal publishes about 30 articles per year. It is included in 4 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (DOAJ, Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, and Scopus).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Comparative Migration Studies that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is much higher than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is higher than average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? Comparative Migration Studies is a gold open-access journal, meaning that every article is free for all to read but requires an article processing charge paid by authors or their institutions.
How long are the articles? Comparative Migration Studiesinvites papers of 8000 to 9000 words but has, in fact, published articles that are more than twice as long (de Haas 2021).
Examples of articles in Comparative Migration Studies:
Crossings: Journal of Migration & Culture
Crossings: Journal of Migration & Culture situates itself at the interface of migration studies and cultural studies. Most articles can be said to take a cultural-studies approach to a migration-related theme, for instance by analyzing representations of migration in film or literature, or the intersections of migration with digital media or identity politics. The journal also includes poetry, interviews and other non-traditional formats. A detail attesting to the journal's unusual profile is that submissions are not uploaded to an online portal but emailed to the editor.
How established is it? Crossings: Journal of Migration & Culture is 11 years old (launched in 2010) and is published by Intellect. The journal publishes fewer than 20 articles per year. It is included in 2 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Scimago Journal Ranks and Scopus).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Crossings: Journal of Migration & Culture that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is much lower than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is also much lower than average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? Crossings: Journal of Migration & Culture has no option for open-access publishing of articles. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? Crossings: Journal of Migration & Culture invites articles of 6000 to 8000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Crossings: Journal of Migration & Culture:
Ethnic and Racial Studies
Ethnic and Racial Studies aims to be 'the leading journal for the analysis of the role of race, racism, ethnicity, migration and forms of ethno-nationalism'. In other words, the journal's coverage overlaps with that of other general migration journals, but also extends into themes such as race relations or national identity regardless of whether a migration context is part of the analysis.
How established is it? Ethnic and Racial Studies is 43 years old (launched in 1978) and is published by Routledge. The journal publishes about 180 articles per year. It is included in 4 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Ethnic and Racial Studies that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is about average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is higher than average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? Ethnic and Racial Studies has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? Ethnic and Racial Studies invites articles of 5000 to 8000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Ethnic and Racial Studies:
Ethnicities
Ethnicities covers ethnicity, nationalism and identity politics, with or without a migration component. The closest neighbours of Ethnicities in terms of cross-citations are Ethnic and Racial Studies and the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. It is an interdisciplinary journal, though with strongest affinities with sociology and politics.
How established is it? Ethnicities is 20 years old (launched in 2001) and is published by Sage. The journal publishes about 50 articles per year. It is included in 4 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Ethnicities that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is higher than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is about average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? Ethnicities has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? Ethnicities invites articles of 7000 to 8000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Ethnicities:
European Journal of Migration and Law
European Journal of Migration and Law addresses migration law and policy with an emphasis on European countries and institutions. It is based in the Netherlands, where there has long been fertile interaction between legal and social-scientific scholarship on migration. The editorial introduction to the first issue of the journal, in 1999, explicitly stated that the journal should contribute to bridging this gap.
How established is it? European Journal of Migration and Law is 22 years old (launched in 1999) and is published by Brill. The journal publishes fewer than 20 articles per year. It is included in 4 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in European Journal of Migration and Law that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is about average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is lower than average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? European Journal of Migration and Law has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? European Journal of Migration and Law invites articles of up to 10000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in European Journal of Migration and Law:
Global Networks
Global Networks has the subtitle a journal of transnational affairs and covers a range of topics within and beyond migration studies, from global value chains to transnational families. The journal's aims and scope no not mention migration, but roughly half the articles have migration-related words in the title or abstract. Many of the articles deal specifically with migrant transnationalism.
How established is it? Global Networks is 20 years old (launched in 2001) and is published by Wiley. The journal publishes about 30 articles per year. It is included in 4 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Global Networks that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is higher than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is much higher than average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? Global Networks has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? Global Networks does not have a stated maximum length for articles and has published contributions of nearly 15,000 words (Kumar 2019).
Examples of articles in Global Networks:
International Journal of Migration and Border Studies
International Journal of Migration and Border Studies is a migration journal with a broad scope, but with a concentration of articles on migration control, migrant trajectories, and border management. The journal's publisher Inderscience has been the object of online discussions about quality and legitimacy, but several of their other journals are indexed in Web of Science.
How established is it? International Journal of Migration and Border Studies is 7 years old (launched in 2014) and is published by Inderscience. The journal publishes about 20 articles per year (estimated by Google Scholar). It is not included in any of the five databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals.
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in International Journal of Migration and Border Studies that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is much higher than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is unknown (because the journal is not covered by "Scimago).
What are the options for open access? International Journal of Migration and Border Studies has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? International Journal of Migration and Border Studies invites articles of 5000 to 7000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in International Journal of Migration and Border Studies:
International Migration
International Migration is owned by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and edited independently by an editorial team based at academic institutions. The current editors, based in Istanbul and Amsterdam, took over in 2020. The journal has traditionally had a focus on empirical research and policy implications, and maintains a commitment to bridge-building between research and policy.
How established is it? International Migration is 60 years old (launched in 1961) and is published by Wiley. The journal publishes about 100 articles per year. It is included in 4 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in International Migration that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is about average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is also about average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? International Migration has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? International Migration invites articles of up to 8000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in International Migration:
International Migration Review
International Migration Review, generally known as IMR, has perhaps been regarded as the most prestigious of all migration journals, though others are now also in position to vie for that role. The journal is owned by the Centre for Migration Studies in New York and the editors have been professors at universities in the US and Canada. The IMR's 50-year history and profile was reviewed in an introductory article) to the anniversary special issue in 2014.
How established is it? International Migration Review is 57 years old (launched in 1964) and is published by Sage. The journal publishes about 40 articles per year. It is included in 4 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in International Migration Review that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is higher than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is also higher than average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? International Migration Review has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? International Migration Review invites articles of up to 10000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in International Migration Review:
IZA Journal of Development and Migration
IZA Journal of Development and Migration is published in association with IZA Institute of Labor Economics in Germany, hence the name. It was originally launched in 2012 as 'IZA Journal of Migration'. In 2017 the journal merged with 'IZA Journal of Labor' to form the IZA Journal of Development and Migration. The journal does not focus specifically on the migration-development nexus, but covers all aspects on the economics of development and the economics of migration. There is no stated maximum length for articles.
How established is it? IZA Journal of Development and Migration is 9 years old (launched in 2012) and is published by Sciendo. The journal publishes fewer than 20 articles per year. It is included in 3 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, and Scopus).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in IZA Journal of Development and Migration that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is lower than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is much lower than average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? IZA Journal of Development and Migration is a gold open-access journal, meaning that every article is free for all to read but requires an article processing charge paid by authors or their institutions.
How long are the articles? IZA Journal of Development and Migration does not have a stated maximum length for articles.
Examples of articles in IZA Journal of Development and Migration:
Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, generally known as JEMS, is a well-established general migration journal. It started out as 'Community' and later 'New Community' in the 1970s before being given its current name in 1998. The journal rose to international prominence under the 2000-2013 editorship of Russell King (University of Sussex) and has thereafter continued its rise in volume and influence. In recent years, JEMS has published over 300 articles and been cited more than 5000 times.
How established is it? Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies is 50 years old (launched in 1971) and is published by Routledge. The journal publishes about 170 articles per year. It is included in 4 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is higher than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is much higher than average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies invites articles of up to 10000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies:
Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies
Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies began as Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Services with an emphasis on issues affecting the lives of newcomers, especially in the United States. It is today more similar in scope to other general migration journals. The journal's aims and scope state that it 'is unique in its character as it covers both migration and refugee studies'. This is somewhat misleading since all the general migration journals consider refugee issues integral to migration studies. However, the proportion of articles specifically about refugees is higher in Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies. The journal has had a remarkable growth in the number of citations over the past few years.
How established is it? Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies is 19 years old (launched in 2002) and is published by Routledge. The journal publishes about 30 articles per year. It is included in 4 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is higher than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is also higher than average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies invites articles of 7000 to 8000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies:
Journal of International Migration and Integration
Journal of International Migration and Integration, often referred to as JIMI, is a general migration journal with a primary focus on arrival, settlement and integration in high-income countries, including policy aspects of these processes. The journal grew out of the International Metropolis Project, a partnership of policy-makers, researchers and civil-society representatives. Canada has played a key role in this initiative and about a quarter of JIMI articles are written by Canada-based authors.
How established is it? Journal of International Migration and Integration is 21 years old (launched in 2000) and is published by Springer. The journal publishes about 60 articles per year. It is included in 4 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Journal of International Migration and Integration that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is higher than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is about average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? Journal of International Migration and Integration has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. This journal has committed to a transformative plan, meaning that after at transition period, every article will be subject to a processing charge and the entire journal will be open access. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? Journal of International Migration and Integration invites articles of up to 7500 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Journal of International Migration and Integration:
Journal of Migration History
Journal of Migration History is a relatively new journal that serves a field that was already well established but lacked a scholarly arena of its own. Previously, articles on migration history were scattered across more general history journals, area studies journals, or migration journals that were open to historical contributions. Many articles cover 20th-century issues that are direct precursors to migration processes that are still unfolding.
How established is it? Journal of Migration History is 6 years old (launched in 2015) and is published by Brill. The journal publishes fewer than 20 articles per year. It is included in 2 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Scimago Journal Ranks and Scopus).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Journal of Migration History that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is much lower than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is also much lower than average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? Journal of Migration History has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. The journal does not have a Sherpa Romeo page that displays the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access), so that would have to be found out from the publisher.
How long are the articles? Journal of Migration History invites articles of up to 10000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Journal of Migration History:
Journal of Refugee Studies
Journal of Refugee Studies presents itself as 'a forum for exploration of the complex problems of forced migration and national, regional and international responses', within and beyond the legal category of refugees. It is the leading journal in its field, published in association with the Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford. Articles in the Journal of Refugee Studies often cite, and are cited by, articles in general migration journals such as JEMS and IMR.
How established is it? Journal of Refugee Studies is 33 years old (launched in 1988) and is published by Oxford University Press. The journal publishes about 40 articles per year. It is included in 4 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Journal of Refugee Studies that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is about average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is higher than average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? Journal of Refugee Studies has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? Journal of Refugee Studies invites articles of up to 8000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Journal of Refugee Studies:
Journal on Migration and Human Security
Journal on Migration and Human Security is a policy-oriented journal committed to 'widely shared goals' in the field of migration management and immigrant integration. It is owned by the Center for Migration Studies, which also owns the IMR but is edited by the centre's director and has an almost entirely US-based editorial board. A subtle indicator of the journal's profile is that the articles have an 'executive summary' rather than an abstract.
How established is it? Journal on Migration and Human Security is 8 years old (launched in 2013) and is published by Sage. The journal publishes fewer than 20 articles per year (estimated by Google Scholar). It is not included in any of the five databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals.
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Journal on Migration and Human Security that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is much higher than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is unknown (because the journal is not covered by "Scimago).
What are the options for open access? Journal on Migration and Human Security has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. The journal does not have a Sherpa Romeo page that displays the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access), so that would have to be found out from the publisher.
How long are the articles? Journal on Migration and Human Security invites articles of up to 10000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Journal on Migration and Human Security:
Mashriq & Mahjar: Journal of Middle East and North African Migration Studies
Mashriq & Mahjar: Journal of Middle East and North African Migration Studiescovers research on migration from, to, and within the Middle East and North Africa. The journal is one of the few that are not published by a major publisher. And although the editorial and technical production might be just as good, this might be part of the explanation why the journal does not have wider reach.
How established is it? Mashriq & Mahjar: Journal of Middle East and North African Migration Studies is 8 years old (launched in 2013) and is published by The Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies, North Carolina State University. The journal publishes about 20 articles per year (estimated by Google Scholar). It is included in 1 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (DOAJ).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Mashriq & Mahjar: Journal of Middle East and North African Migration Studies that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is much higher than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is unknown (because the journal is not covered by "Scimago).
What are the options for open access? Mashriq & Mahjar: Journal of Middle East and North African Migration Studies is a diamond open-access journal, meaning that every article is free for all to read and authors are not required to pay any fee. The publication costs are instead covered by supporting institutions.
How long are the articles? Mashriq & Mahjar: Journal of Middle East and North African Migration Studies invites articles of 7000 to 10000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Mashriq & Mahjar: Journal of Middle East and North African Migration Studies:
Migration and Development
Migration and Development is a relatively new journal, launched on the back of surging interest in the links between migration and development. It was hosted initially by the Centre for Development Studies, Kerala, and currently has its editorial base at the International Institute of Migration and Development. Over half the editorial board is based in Asia.
How established is it? Migration and Development is 9 years old (launched in 2012) and is published by Routledge. The journal publishes about 50 articles per year (estimated by Google Scholar). It is included in 1 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Migration and Development that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is much higher than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is unknown (because the journal is not covered by "Scimago).
What are the options for open access? Migration and Development has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? Migration and Development invites articles of up to 10000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Migration and Development:
Migration and Society
Migration and Society is a newly launched general migration journal which, like some others, welcomes contributions from artists and practitioners as well as from academics. It is published alongside its sister journals Conflict and society, Environment and society and Religion and society which are all anthropology-based, yet interdisciplinary journals.
How established is it? Migration and Society is 3 years old (launched in 2018) and is published by Berhahn Journals. The journal publishes fewer than 20 articles per year (estimated by Google Scholar). It is included in 2 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (DOAJ and Scopus).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Migration and Society that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is much higher than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is unknown (because the journal is not covered by "Scimago).
What are the options for open access? Migration and Society is part of a subscribe-to-open plan in which libraries keep paying the equivalent of their subscription fees while the journal makes its content fully open access. In practical terms, it is therefore a diamond open-access journal, meaning that every article is free for all to read and authors are not required to pay any fee.
How long are the articles? Migration and Society invites articles of up to 8000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Migration and Society:
Migration Letters
Migration Letters is a general migration journal that stands out primarily by virtue of its short articles. It was established on the model of other 'letters' journals that offer rapid publication of concise papers, though with a word limit that is much lower than that of Migration Letters.
How established is it? Migration Letters is 17 years old (launched in 2004) and is published by Transnational Press London. The journal publishes about 40 articles per year. It is included in 4 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Migration Letters that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is lower than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is also lower than average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? Migration Letters has no option for open-access publishing of articles. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? Migration Letters invites articles of 3500 to 4000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Migration Letters:
Migration Studies
Migration Studies was launched in 2013 by a team of early-career scholars at the University of Oxford and has been an unquestionable success. The journal prioritizes 'methodological, comparative and theoretical advances' rather than empirical case studies of the type that dominate most other migration journals. Migration Studies has recently loosened its Oxford affiliation by disbanding its locally based advisory board and establishing a new new Global Editorial Board.
How established is it? Migration Studies is 8 years old (launched in 2013) and is published by Oxford University Press. The journal publishes fewer than 20 articles per year. It is included in 4 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Migration Studies that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is higher than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is about average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? Migration Studies has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? Migration Studies invites articles of 7000 to 9000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Migration Studies:
Nordic Journal of Migration Research
Nordic Journal of Migration Research is a general migration journal that gives priority to 'Nordic issues', but is open to submissions from other geographical contexts. About two thirds of authors are based in the Nordic region. The journal was created as a continuation of Norwegian and Finnish migration journals. The Nordic Journal of Migration Research has attracted submissions from leading migration researchers from other parts of the world.
How established is it? Nordic Journal of Migration Research is 10 years old (launched in 2011) and is published by Helsinki University Press. The journal publishes about 40 articles per year (estimated by Google Scholar). It is included in 3 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (DOAJ, Google Scholar Metrics, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Nordic Journal of Migration Research that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is much higher than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is unknown (because the journal is not covered by "Scimago).
What are the options for open access? Nordic Journal of Migration Research is a diamond open-access journal, meaning that every article is free for all to read and authors are not required to pay any fee. The publication costs are instead covered by supporting institutions.
How long are the articles? Nordic Journal of Migration Research invites articles of up to 8000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Nordic Journal of Migration Research:
Population, Space and Place
Population, Space and Place was originally launched as the International Journal of Population Geography and later became Population, Space and Place. It aims to be ' the leading English-language research journal in the field of population geography and in geographical population studies'. The vast majority of articles are migration-related. The remaining minority cover issues such as housing dynamics, spatial differences in fertility, and geographies of health.
How established is it? Population, Space and Place is 26 years old (launched in 1995) and is published by Wiley. The journal publishes about 80 articles per year. It is included in 4 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Population, Space and Place that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is much higher than average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is also much higher than average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? Population, Space and Place has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? Population, Space and Place invites articles of up to 9000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Population, Space and Place:
Refugee Survey Quarterly
Refugee Survey Quarterly began as a journal with thematic issues only (like the Anti-Trafficking Review) but now publishes three regular issues and one special issue in every volume. The journal's thematic scope resembles that of the Journal of Refugee Studies and the two journals have very similar geographical distribution of authorship (almost two thirds European with the remaining third split between North America and the rest of the world).
How established is it? Refugee Survey Quarterly is 39 years old (launched in 1982) and is published by Oxford University Press. The journal publishes about 20 articles per year. It is included in 3 of the databases used for compiling the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals (Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago Journal Ranks, and Scopus).
How much are the articles cited? The proportion of articles in Refugee Survey Quarterly that are cited at least once within a few years of publication is about average for journals included in the guide. The average number of citations to each article is also about average. See Scimago for additional information on citations.
What are the options for open access? Refugee Survey Quarterly has a hybrid publication model, meaning that only subscribers have access to all articles, but that individual articles can be made open access on the basis of paying a fee. See the journal's Sherpa Romeo page about the conditions for sharing the accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access).
How long are the articles? Refugee Survey Quarterly invites articles of 9000 to 15000 words. For more information about submissions and access to past articles, see the journal's web site.
Examples of articles in Refugee Survey Quarterly:
Overview of open-access status
Diamond | All articles are free to read and there is never a publishing charge for authors.
Gold | All articles are free to read but authors must pay a publishing charge. There may be exceptions for authors from low-income countries or at institutions that have an agreement with the publisher.
Hybrid/Green | Articles are available to subscribers only, unless authors pay a publishing charge to make individual articles openly accessible. There may be exceptions for authors at institutions that have an agreement with the publisher. Authors can generally post their accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access) but the conditions for doing so differ from journal to journal.
None/Green | Articles are available to subscribers only and there is no mechanism for making individual articles openly accessible. Authors can generally post their accepted manuscript online (Green Open Access) but the conditions for doing so differ from journal to journal.
Overview of citation frequency
This is a comparative overview of the number of citations to each article in the journal, considering both the likelihood that an article is cited at all, and the average number of citations. (See Citation data below for details.)
Much higher than average
Higher than average
About average
Lower than average
Much lower than average
Unknown (Not indexed by Scimago)
Background information
Selection of journals
A list of potentially relevant journals was compiled on the basis of our own familiarity with the field, searches for journals with relevant words in the title, and a review of other lists of migration journals, including background material from the CrossMigration project. We then selected journals that meet the following six criteria: (1) Academic profile: the journal must contain research articles and be peer reviewed. (2) Migration focus: the journal must be dominated by articles that relate to migration. This excludes journals that mainly cover ethnicity and race without a clear migration component (e.g. Journal of Black Studies, Race & Class) and includes journals that have a broader thematic scope, but primarily contain migration-related articles (e.g. Global Networks, Population, Space and Place). (3) Integration with migration studies: articles in the journal must cite, and be cited by, other migration-studies journals. This excludes journals such as Journal of Migration and Health, and International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care which interact primarily with other health-sciences journals. (4) English language: the journal must be a consistently English-language journal. Many other mixed-language journals also accept articles in English. This criterion is partly a pragmatic one, since comparable documentation is less readily available for journals in other languages. With future expansion in mind, we would welcome suggestions for journals that fulfil all the other criteria, but are not exclusively in English. (5) Regularity and track record: the journal must have existed for some years still appear regularly. (6) Technical standards and recognition: the journal must publish articles with DOIs and either be included in at least one five selected indexes (DOAJ, Google Scholar Metrics, Scimago, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection) or be published by an established publisher.
Citation data
Data on citations are based on Scimago Journal Rankings. We calculate the proportion of citable items published in the three years preceding the last year with citation data that are cited at least once in that year. This is a measure that is not affected by individual highly-cited articles. We also use the average number of citations to each article, using the same period of publication and citation. The overview of journals by citation frequency gives equal weight to the two measures, which are highly correlated. Throughout the guide we deliberately use only broad categories rather than exact numbers. This is partly because of ambiguities and inconsistencies in the data (e.g. regarding the classification of items as citeable) and partly to discourage an exaggerated attention to metrics. The number of citations is affected by many factors, including the number quality of submissions, the way in which the journal selects manuscripts, the improvement of articles through peer review, and the visibility and accessibility of published articles.
About the PRIO Guide to Migration Journals
We previously kept an overview of migration journals for in-house use. In connection with the establishment of the PRIO Migration Centre, we wished to expand and improve it and create a public resource. The overview is updated on an annual basis based with new data, and edited on a rolling basis if there are needs for correction or additional information. Responsibility for the guide lies with the Co-Directors of the centre, Jørgen Carling and Marta Bivand Erdal.
We welcome comments, corrections, and suggestions for additional journals that meet the criteria listed above. Contact us at pmc@prio.org. If you have questions about specific journals, visit the journal web sites. The description of each journal contains the relevant link.