Journal of Diversity in Higher Education: A Comprehensive Overview
The Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, published by the American Psychological Association (APA), is a research journal dedicated to advancing scholarship that promotes institutional transformation through diversity, equity, and inclusion (EDI). This article provides a comprehensive overview of the journal, including its aims and scope, key metrics, indexing information, publication practices, and insights into its content.
Aim and Scope
The Journal of Diversity in Higher Education (JDHE) publishes research related to Social Sciences. It largely focuses on empirical research addressing issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in post-secondary environments. The journal is also interested in work that explores issues related to teaching and learning, policy development and implementation, and leadership and organizational change in diverse learning environments. JDHE is committed to publishing work that supports efforts to transform institutions, inspire colleagues, engage campus, governmental, and private sector leaders, and articulate culturally competent outcomes.
JDHE supports equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in its practices. To further this mission, one article from each issue of JDHE is highlighted as an “Editor’s Choice” article, based on recommendations of associate editors, the paper’s potential impact, and its contribution to expanding the science or discussing important future directions. The journal publishes full-length articles sharing empirical research that supports efforts to transform institutions, as well as practice briefs that present conceptually framed recommendations addressing pressing and persistent problems faced by practitioners. These practice briefs foster dialogue and connection among scholarship and practice, serving as an ideal resource for policymakers, practitioners, and institutional leaders.
Key Metrics and Ranking
Understanding a journal's metrics is crucial for assessing its influence and reach. The Journal of Diversity in Higher Education boasts impressive metrics, solidifying its position as a leading publication in its field.
- Publisher: American Psychological Association
- ISSN: 1938-8926
- P-ISSN: 1479-3644
- Journal Scope: Social Sciences
- Country of Publisher: United States
- Scopus CiteScore: 7.9
- Scopus Coverage: 2008-2025
- H-Index: 59
- SJR (SCImago Journal Rank): 1.361
- Quartile: Education (Q1)
- Open Access: No
Impact Factor: According to Clarivate's JCR, journals indexed in SCIE/SSCI have an impact factor. The impact factor (IF) is a measure of the frequency with which the average article in a journal has been cited in a particular year. It is used to measure the importance or rank of a journal by calculating the times its articles are cited. The impact factor was devised by Eugene Garfield. The latest impact factor of Journal of Diversity in Higher Education is 2.4, which was recently updated in June 2025. The 5-Year JIF is 3.7. The Impact IF, also denoted as Journal impact score (JIS), of an academic journal is a measure of the yearly average number of citations to recent articles published in that journal. Impact IF 2024 of Journal of Diversity in Higher Education is 3.03. The highest and the lowest impact IF or impact score of this journal are 3.55 (2021) and 1.00 (2015), respectively, in the last 11 years. Moreover, its average IS is 2.16 in the previous 11 years.
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SCImago Journal Rank (SJR): The SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) of Journal of Diversity in Higher Education is 1.361. SJR acts as an alternative to the Journal Impact Factor (or an average number of citations received in last 2 years). In the past 11 years, this journal has recorded a range of SJR, with the highest being 1.361 in 2024 and the lowest being 0.695 in 2016.
H-Index: Journal of Diversity in Higher Education has an h-index of 59. The h-index is a way of measuring the productivity and citation impact of the publications.
Quartile: The latest Quartile of Journal of Diversity in Higher Education is Q1. Each subject category of journals is divided into four quartiles: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4. Q1 is occupied by the top 25% of journals in the list; Q2 is occupied by journals in the 25 to 50% group; Q3 is occupied by journals in the 50 to 75% group and Q4 is occupied by journals in the 75 to 100% group.
These metrics indicate that the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education is a highly regarded and influential publication within the field of social sciences and education.
Indexing
Journal of Diversity in Higher Education is indexed in the following databases:
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- UGC CARE
- Scopus
- Web of Science (SSCI)
An indexed journal has gone through and passed a review process of certain requirements done by a journal indexer. The Web of Science Core Collection includes the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Arts & Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), and Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI). Indexing ensures that the journal's articles are discoverable by a wide audience, increasing their impact and visibility.
Publication Practices
The Journal of Diversity in Higher Education publishes two types of articles: full length articles and practice briefs. Manuscripts for the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education can vary in length based on the type below. The journal publishes full length articles that share empirical research that supports efforts to transform institutions. We also publish practice briefs that present conceptually framed recommendations addressing pressing and persistent problems faced by practitioners in their daily work. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education will publish two types of articles. The Journal of Diversity in Higher Education publishes practice briefs as a way to accomplish the journal’s mission to advance scholarship that promotes institutional transformation. Their length and specificity make them an ideal resource for policymakers, practitioners, and institutional leaders. As scholarly pieces that translate and advance research, practice briefs are meant to foster dialogue and connection among scholarship and practice.
Submission Guidelines: Prior to submission, authors should carefully read and follow the submission guidelines. Prepare manuscripts according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association using the 7th edition. Manuscripts may be copyedited for bias-free language (see Chapter 5 of the Publication Manual).
Formatting: Double-space all copy. Other formatting instructions, as well as instructions on preparing tables, figures, references, metrics, and abstracts, appear in the Manual. Authors should review the updated APA Style Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS) for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research.
Equations and Code: Authors are encouraged to use MathType (third-party software) or Equation Editor 3.0 (built into pre-2007 versions of Word) to construct equations. Runnable source code should be included as supplemental material to the article. If code is included in the text, it should be submitted in a separate file with Courier New font at 8 points.
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Tables and Figures: Use Word's insert table function when creating tables. Preferred formats for graphics files are TIFF and JPG, and preferred format for vector-based files is EPS. Graphics downloaded or saved from web pages are not acceptable for publication. Multipanel figures should be assembled into one file.
Abstract and References: All manuscripts must include an abstract containing a maximum of 250 words typed on a separate page. List references in alphabetical order according to APA style.
Ethical Guidelines: APA expects authors to adhere to ethical standards.
Peer Review: This journal offers masked peer review (where both the authors’ and reviewers’ identities are not known to the other). Journals typically request reviewers to submit their reviews within 3-4 weeks.
Publication Frequency: Journal of Diversity in Higher Education is published Quarterly.
Publication Time: The publication time may vary depending on factors such as the complexity of the research and the current workload of the editorial team.
Special Issues
The Journal of Diversity in Higher Education has published several special issues focusing on specific themes:
- Student Activism (Vol. 9, No. 3, September 2016): This issue offers insights into diversity-related concerns and how students may serve as agents of campus change as well as broader social change.
- Work-Life Balance in Higher Education (Vol. 8, No. 3, September 2015): This issue includes articles about cultures of work-life balance, work-life satisfaction, career-life balance for women of color, and international faculty.
- Measurement and Assessment in Campus Climate Research (Vol. 1, No. 4, December 2008): This issue focuses on methodologies for assessing campus climate.
These special issues highlight the journal's commitment to addressing timely and relevant topics in the field of diversity in higher education.
Insights from The Journal of Higher Education Publication Process
To gain further insight into the publication process of higher education journals, an analysis of The Journal of Higher Education (JHE) provides valuable context. A study examined manuscripts submitted to JHE between January 1st, 2017, and February 16th, 2022. During this period, the journal received 4,167 unique manuscript submissions.
Editorial Processing: Following submission, each manuscript undergoes editorial processing, which may involve:
- Returning the manuscript to the author to correct technical issues.
- Desk rejection due to improper fit with the journal.
- Forwarding the manuscript to the Editor in Chief or one of the Associate Editors for secondary review.
Peer Review Stage: Manuscripts that pass the initial screening enter the peer review stage. Between 2 and 8 reviewers are invited to review each paper. The average number of reviewers invited per manuscript was four. The average reviewer responded to their invitation in 2.5 days and took 39.9 days to complete their review. Reviewers recommended manuscripts to be accepted 10.6% of the time, to undergo major revisions 34.1% of the time, to undergo minor revisions 17.2% of the time, and to be rejected 38.1% of the time.
Acceptance and Publication: For the five-year sample, The Journal of Higher Education accepted 201 papers, rejected 2,475 papers at the managing editor level, rejected an additional 820 at the Editor in Chief level, rejected 131 at the associate editor level, and rejected 367 manuscripts following the receipt of external peer reviews. Accepted manuscripts were revised between one and four times, with an average number of revisions of 2.2. For the full timeframe in question, the average acceptance rate of The Journal of Higher Education was 5%. The average time to online publication for manuscripts submitted to and accepted by The Journal of Higher Education was 13 months.
Content Analysis: An analysis of the content of manuscripts submitted to JHE revealed the following trends:
- Methodological Approach: 64% of manuscripts submitted utilized a qualitative methodological approach, whereas 36% utilized a quantitative one. The acceptance rate for quantitative studies (5.9%) was significantly higher than that for qualitative studies (4.5%).
- Geographic Distribution: 45% of manuscripts were submitted from authors in the United States. 95% of the papers that were accepted for publication were submitted by authors who resided in the United States, whereas 5% were submitted by authors residing in another country.
Maximizing Scholarly Impact
Selecting the right journal for research is crucial for maximizing its scholarly impact and contribution to the field. Publishing in high-quality journals can significantly affect an academic career, making researchers more competitive for grants, tenure, and other professional opportunities. While it may be tempting to target only high-impact journals, it is important to consider the fit between the research and the journal's scope and audience.
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