This is the definitive list of top STS journals – an annotated list of high-ranking/distinguished technology and society peer-reviewed journals.
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STS Journals
AI & Society: Knowledge, Culture and Communication – Springer
An International Journal publishing refereed scholarly articles, position papers, debates, short communications, and reviews of books and other publications. Established in 1987, the Journal focuses on societal issues including the design, use, management, and policy of information, communications and new media technologies, with a particular emphasis on cultural, social, cognitive, economic, ethical, and philosophical implications.
Editor-in-Chief: Karamjit S. Gill
Publishing model: Hybrid (Transformative Journal)
Digital Society: Ethics, Socio-Legal and Governance of Digital Technology – Springer
Digital Society publishes research focusing on fair, responsible, and sustainable design, governance, and regulation of the digital transformation. Example topics include cybersecurity and digital conflicts; digital sovereignty; e-citizenship, e-democracy, and e-governance; e-commerce; e-health and digital well-being; the environmental impact of digital technologies; ethnographic and anthropological studies about digital cultures; the gig-economy; new forms of mobility; online education and training; the political impact of social platforms; privacy and data protection regulations; and the development of smart cities. Given the rapid pace characterising digital innovation, this list is only indicative.
Editor-in-Chief: Luciano Floridi
Publishing model: Hybrid
The journal publishes research articles, collections edited by topic specialists, commentaries, white papers, and analyses of best practices and policies relevant to its scope.
Ethics and Information Technology – Springer
A peer-reviewed journal dedicated to advancing the dialogue between moral philosophy and the field of information and communication technology (ICT). The journal aims to foster and promote reflection and analysis which is intended to make a constructive contribution to answering the ethical, social and political questions associated with the adoption, use, and development of ICT.
Editor-in-Chief: M.J. van den Hoven; Managing Editor: Noëmi Manders-Huits
Publishing model: Hybrid (Transformative Journal)
Impact factor 4.449 (2020); Five year impact factor 3.925 (2020)
Submission to first decision 91 days; Submission to acceptance 207 days
Article Types: Original Research Paper (5000 – 8000 words), Review articles, and Book Review
IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society (IEEE-TTS) – IEEE SSIT
IEEE-TTS publishes research papers on the interactions among technology, science, and society; on the impact of such interactions on individuals and society; and on the ethical, professional and social responsibility in the practice of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The publication also provides a forum for open discussion of resulting issues.
Editor in Chief: Dr Katina Michael; Co-Editors: Dr Roba Abbas; Prof. Rafael A. Calvo; Prof. George Roussos; Prof. Eusebio Scornavacca; Prof. Samuel Fosso-Wamba
Article submission types: Original Research (regular): 10 pages; Original Research (Open Access): $2000 US dollars per article.
Information, Communication & Society – Taylor & Francis
Publishes the most current work on the social, economic, and cultural impact of the emerging properties of new information and communication technologies.
Editor-in-Chief: Brian D. Loader; Associate Editor: Dan Mercea
Impact Factor: 5.422 (2020)
11 days avg. from submission to first decision; 127 days avg. from submission to online publication; 17% acceptance rate
Information Technology & People- Emerald Publishing
The journal retains an openness to multiple paradigms of research including most forms of mainstream empirical work. It has an ongoing tradition of being an outlet for international, qualitative and critical research in information systems and particularly welcomes cultural and geographic diversity in studies of new and old technologies. It looks for ways to better understand how people collectively conceptualize, invent, adapt, define and use technology, as well as how they are constrained by features of it.
Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication (JCMC) – Oxford University Press (International Communication Association)
A fully open-access scholarly journal. Its focus is social science research on communicating with computer-based media technologies. Within that general purview, the journal is broadly interdisciplinary, publishing work by scholars in communication, business, education, political science, sociology, psychology, media studies, information science, and other disciplines. Acceptable formats for submission include original research articles and meta-analyses of prior research.
Editor: Nicole Ellison
Impact Factor: 5.410; 5 year Impact Factor: 9.953
Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society – Emerald Publishing
Promotes thoughtful dialogue regarding the wider social and ethical issues related to the planning, development, implementation and use of new media and information and communication technologies.
Editor: Prof Simon Rogerson
Minds and Machines: Journal for Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy and Cognitive Science – Springer
Affiliated with the Society for Machines and Mentality, Minds and Machines fosters a tradition of criticism within the AI and philosophical communities on problems and issues of common concern. Its scope explicitly encompasses philosophical aspects of computer science.
Editor-in-Chief: Mariarosaria Taddeo
Publishing model: Hybrid (Transformative Journal)
Impact factor: 4.404 (2020)
Submission to first decision: 47 days; Submission to acceptance: 170 days
New Media & Society – SAGE Journals
Engages in critical discussions of the key issues arising from the scale and speed of new media development, drawing on a wide range of disciplinary perspectives and on both theoretical and empirical research.
Editor: Steve Jones
Impact Factor 8.061; 5-Year Impact Factor 7.736
Philosophical Topics – University of Arkansas Press
A peer-reviewed journal devoted to the publication of new work in the major areas of philosophy. Each issue consists entirely of invited papers that maintain the highest standard of scholarly excellence. Recent issues have been concerned with perception, agency, modern philosophy, identity, and free will. Its consistent commitment to excellence has made it a respected venue for truly original work. The journal is published by the University of Arkansas philosophy department and the University of Arkansas Press.
Co-Editors: Edward Minar and Jack Lyons. Submissions to Philosophical Topics are by invitation only. Contact the editorial team for more information.
Philosophy & Technology – Springer
Addresses the expanding scope and unprecedented impact of technologies, in order to improve the critical understanding of the conceptual nature and practical consequences, and hence provide the conceptual foundations for their fruitful and sustainable developments. The journal welcomes high-quality submissions, regardless of the tradition, school of thought or disciplinary background from which they derive.
Editor-in-Chief: Luciano Floridi
Publishing model: Hybrid (Transformative Journal)
Submission to first decision: 67 days; Submission to acceptance: 188 days
Science and Engineering Ethics – Springer
An international multidisciplinary journal dedicated to exploring ethical issues associated with science and engineering, covering professional education, research and practice as well as the effects of technological innovations and research findings on society.
Editors-in-Chief: Dena Plemmons, Behnam Taebi
Publishing model: Hybrid (Transformative Journal)
Impact factor 3.525 (2020); Five year impact factor 3.132 (2020)
Submission to first decision 38 days; Submission to acceptance 325 days
Article Types: Original Article (6000 words), Commentary and Perspective.
Science, Technology, & Human Values (ST&HV) – Sage Journals
For more than forty years Science, Technology, & Human Values (ST&HV) has provided the forum for cutting-edge research and debate in the field of science and technology studies. ST&HV is a double-blind peer-reviewed, bi-monthly, international, interdisciplinary journal containing research, analyses and commentary on the development and dynamics of science and technology, including their relationship to politics, society and culture.
Science, Technology and Society – Sage Journals
Launched in 1996, it is the first truly international journal devoted to the developing world and published from the region. It takes an interdisciplinary perspective, encouraging analyses whose approaches are drawn from a variety of disciplines such as history, sociology, philosophy, economics, political science and international relations, science policy involving innovation, foresight studies involving science and technology, technology management, environmental studies, energy studies and gender studies.
Editor-in-Chief: V V Krishna
Impact factor: 1.173
Technology in Society – Elsevier
An international journal devoted to the global discourse at the intersection of technological change and the social, economic, business and philosophical transformation of the world around around us. The goal of the journal is to provide scholarship that enables decision-makers to thoughtfully and intentionally engage in the decisions that shape this dynamic. The common thread across these fields is the role of technology in society across economic, political and cultural dynamics. Scholarly work in Technology in Society focuses on the social forces that shape technological decisions and the choices that are open to society with respect to technology uses…
Editor-in-Chief: Charla Griffy-Brown
Publishing options: Open access and subscription
The Impact Factor of this journal is 4.192, ranking it 10 out of 110 in Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary
Technovation (The International Journal of Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology Management) – Elsevier
This interdisciplinary journal encompasses all facets of technological innovation. Innovation is considered from both the perspectives of process and product, social innovations (regulation and policy as well as creation of non-economic benefit), conceptualization of a new technology-based product or process through commercial utilization. Topics include technological trends and breakthroughs…
Editors-in-Chief: S. Matos, W. Vanhaverbeke
The Impact Factor of this journal is 6.606, ranking it 49 out of 226 in Management
TechTrends – Springer (AECT)
A leading journal for professionals in the educational communication and technology field. It provides a vehicle that fosters the exchange of important and current information among professional practitioners. Articles published in the journal contribute to the advancement of knowledge and practice in the field. Among the topics addressed are the management of media and programs, the application of educational technology principles and techniques to instructional programs, and corporate and military training.
Editor-in-Chief: Charles B. Hodges
Publishing model: Hybrid (Transformative Journal)
Submission to first decision: 63 days; Submission to acceptance: 177 days
The Information Society (TIS) – Taylor & Francis
Published since 1981, TIS is a leading multidisciplinary journal that advances our understanding of the relationships between information technology and social and organizational change. It is insistent on a conceptual contribution and open to different theoretical approaches, methodologies, and topics. TIS publishes scholarly articles, position papers, debates, short communications, and book reviews
Editor-in-Chief: Harmeet Sawhney
Impact Factor: 4.571 (2020)
12 days avg. from submission to first decision; 108 days avg. from submission to first post-review decision; 22 days avg. from acceptance to online publication; 6% acceptance rate
The Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology (JASIST) – Wiley-Blackwell
A leading international forum for peer-reviewed research in information science. For more than half a century, JASIST has provided intellectual leadership by publishing original research that focuses on the production, discovery, recording, storage, representation, retrieval, presentation, manipulation, dissemination, use, and evaluation of information and on the tools and techniques associated with these processes.
Edited By: Steven Sawyer
Impact factor: 2.687
Current Major Science and Technology Studies (STS) Journals (University of British Columbia)
A list of major journals, some of which fall more squarely into the field of STS, and some of which overlap more or less with STS (in ways suggested by the topic headings).
Core Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Journals (University of Virginia)
A guide for research support for STS classes.
Other esteemed technology and society peer-reviewed journals
ACM Digital Library (ACM DL)
ACM publishes more than 50 scholarly peer-reviewed journals in dozens of computing and information technology disciplines. Available in print and online, ACM’s high-impact, peer-reviewed journals constitute a vast and comprehensive archive of computing innovation, covering emerging and established computing research for both practical and theoretical applications.
Anthropological Theory – Sage Journals
An international journal seeking to strengthen anthropological theorizing in different areas of the world. The journal encourages work at a high level of conceptual analysis, especially in the following sorts of submissions. Those dealing: 1. With particular concepts important in theory; 2. arguing particular theories; 3. investigating metatheory; 4. exploring theorists and traditions; and 5. examining the history of the development of theoretical positions.
Computers & Education – Elsevier
An international journal that aims to increase knowledge and understanding of ways in which digital technology can enhance education, through the publication of high-quality research, which extends theory and practice. The Editors welcome research papers on the pedagogical uses of digital technology, where the focus is broad enough to be of interest to a wider education community.
Educational Technology Research & Development – Springer (AECT)
The only scholarly journal for the field focusing entirely on research and development in educational technology. The Research Section features well documented articles on the practical aspects of research as well as applied theory in educational practice. The Development Section publishes articles concerned with the design and development of learning systems and educational technology applications.
IBM Systems Journal
Throughout its history, the IBM Systems Journal has been devoted to software, software systems, and services, focusing on concepts, architectures, and the uses of software. Peer-reviewed scholarly technical papers are published on software design, engineering, testing, implementation, and performance.
IEEE Transactions on Computational Social Systems – IEEE Computer Society
This transactions publishes articles on modeling the dynamics of social systems, methodologies for incorporating and representing socio-cultural and behavioral aspects in computational modeling, analysis of social system behavior and structure, and paradigms for social systems modeling and simulation. The transactions also features articles on social network dynamics, social intelligence and cognition, social systems design and architectures, socio-cultural modeling and representation, and computational behavior modeling, and their applications.
IEEE Xplore
The IEEE Xplore digital library is a powerful resource for discovery of scientific and technical content published by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and its publishing partners. IEEE Xplore provides web access to more than five million full-text documents from some of the world’s most highly-cited publications in electrical engineering, computer science, and electronics. Get customized recommendations for your article from the IEEE Publication Recommender tool
Journal of Business Ethics – Springer
Publishes only original articles from a wide variety of methodological and disciplinary perspectives concerning ethical issues related to business that bring something new or unique to the discourse in their field. From its inception the Journal has aimed to improve the human condition by providing a public forum for discussion and debate about ethical issues related to business. In order to promote a dialogue between the various interested groups as much as possible, papers are presented in a style relatively free of specialist jargon.
Journal of Educational Technology & Society (ET&S) – International Forum of Educational Technology & Society
ET&S had Impact Factor of 3.522 and 5-Year impact factor of 3.941 according to Thomson Scientific 2020 Journal Citation Report. It is listed #4 in Google Scholar Top Publications in Educational Technology.
Journal of Responsible Innovation (JRI) – Taylor Francis
JRI provides a forum for discussions of the normative assessment and governance of knowledge-based innovation. JRI offers humanists, social scientists, policy analysts, legal scholars, natural scientists, and engineers an opportunity to articulate, strengthen, and critique the relations among approaches to responsible innovation. These approaches include ethics, technology assessment, governance, sustainability, public engagement, management and strategy, and socio-technical integration.
Journal of Science Communication (JCOM)
An open access peer reviewed journal focused on science communication. The journal covers a broad range of issues pertinent to science communication and public engagement with STEM, including citizen science as well as environmental and health communication, where these relate to communication of research.
Journal of Science Policy and Governance (JSPG)
A 501-c3 non-profit organization based in the United States and an internationally recognized, open-access peer review publication that serves as a vehicle for students, post-docs, policy fellows, early career professionals, and young scholars of all academic backgrounds to publish on topics addressing the widest range of issues at the intersection of science, technology, innovation, public policy and governance.
Social Science Computer Review (SSCR) – Sage Journals
An interdisciplinary journal covering social science instructional and research applications of computing, as well as societal impacts of information technology. Published bi-monthly, topics include: artificial intelligence, business, computational social science theory, computer-assisted survey research, computer-based qualitative analysis, computer simulation, economic modeling, electronic publishing, geographic information systems, instrumentation and research tools, public administration, social impacts of computing and telecommunications, software evaluation, and world-wide web resources for social scientists.
Surveillance & Society (Queen’s University)
The international, interdisciplinary, open access, peer-reviewed journal of Surveillance Studies.
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