Journal of Planning Education and Research: Scope and Overview

The Journal of Planning Education and Research (JPER) serves as a vital platform for the dissemination of knowledge and the advancement of planning scholarship. This article provides a comprehensive overview of JPER, including its aims and scope, key metrics, and its significance within the broader field of urban planning.

About the Journal

The Journal of Planning Education and Research is a peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to the field of planning. Established in 1981, JPER is published by Sage Publications in association with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP). Clinton J. Andrews and Frank Popper currently serve as the editors-in-chief. As the official journal of the ACSP, JPER holds a distinguished position as the journal of record for North American planning scholarship.

Focus Areas

JPER serves as a forum for planning educators and scholars, encompassing those from both academia and practice. The journal aims to advance the planning profession and improve planning practice by presenting results from teaching and research. JPER covers a broad spectrum of topics, including:

Planning theory
Planning practice
Planning pedagogy

JPER also encompasses disciplines drawn upon by planners such as urban geography, welfare economics, interest-group politics, and policy analysis, as well as other subjects used in the planning classroom. The journal publishes original research, commentaries, and book reviews.

Publication Details

JPER is published quarterly. The journal has been in publication since 1982.

ISSN

The Journal of Planning Education and Research is assigned the following International Standard Serial Numbers (ISSN): 0739-456X and 1552-6577.

Indexing

The journal is indexed in several databases, including:

UGC CARE
Scopus
Web of Science (SSCI)

Indexing signifies that the journal has undergone a review process and meets the requirements set by the 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).

Journal Metrics and Ranking

Journal metrics are crucial for assessing the influence and quality of a publication. These metrics provide valuable insights for researchers seeking to publish their work in impactful journals.

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.

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Current Impact Factor: The latest impact factor of Journal of Planning Education and Research is 2.5. This value was recently updated in June 2025.
5-Year Impact Factor: The 5-year JIF is 4.1.
Historical Impact Factors: In the past 11 years, the highest impact factor was 2.91 in 2020, and the lowest was 1.51 in 2015. The average impact factor over these 11 years is 2.28.

The impact factor was devised by Eugene Garfield, the founder of the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) in Philadelphia. Impact factors began to be calculated yearly starting from 1975 for journals listed in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR). ISI was acquired by Thomson Scientific & Healthcare in 1992, and became known as Thomson ISI. In 2018, Thomson-Reuters spun off and sold ISI to Onex Corporation and Baring Private Equity Asia.

SCImago Journal Rank (SJR)

SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) is an indicator that measures the scientific influence of journals. It considers the number of citations received by a journal and the importance of the journals from which these citations come. SJR acts as an alternative to the Journal Impact Factor.

Current SJR: According to SCImago Journal Rank (SJR), JPER's SJR is 0.933.
Historical SJR: Over the past 11 years, the highest SJR was 1.415 in 2015, and the lowest was 0.797 in 2023.

H-Index

The h-index is a way of measuring the productivity and citation impact of the publications. The h-index of Journal of Planning Education and Research is 91.

Quartile

Each subject category of journals is divided into four quartiles: Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4. Q1 is occupied by the top 25% of journals in the list. The latest quartile for Journal of Planning Education and Research is Q1. Specifically, it holds a Q1 ranking in the following categories:

Development
Geography, Planning and Development
Urban Studies

CiteScore

The Scopus CiteScore for JPER is 6.8.

Read also: Key metrics of JHEPM

Journal Ranking

The ranking of the Journal of Planning Education and Research has varied over the past 11 years, reaching its highest position of 2641 in 2015 and its lowest position of 6255 in 2023.

Article Processing Charges (APCs)

It estimates the article processing charges (APCs) a journal might charge, based on its visibility, prestige, and impact as measured by the SJR. YearEst. It represents the potential financial worth of a journal. It is obtained by multiplying the journal's Estimated APC by the total number of citable documents published over the past five years. YearEst.

Editorial Information

Editors-in-Chief: Clinton J. Andrews and Frank Popper

Publisher

SAGE is proud to publish the Journal of Planning Education and Research (JPER) on behalf of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning.

Navigating Publication

Selecting the right journal is a critical step for researchers aiming to maximize the impact of their work. JPER is particularly well-suited for research that advances the planning profession and improves planning practice.

Why Choose the Right Journal?

Finding the right journal is important, thereby maximizing its scholarly impact and contribution to the field. The choice of journal can affect academic career, making you more competitive for grants, tenure, and other professional opportunities. While it may be tempting to target high-impact journals only, it's essential to consider the specific focus and scope of each journal to ensure the best fit for your research.

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. Journals typically request reviewers to submit their reviews within 3-4 weeks.

Acceptance Rate

The acceptance rate/percentage of any academic journal/conference depends upon many parameters. Peer review complexity and timeline. It is essential to understand that the acceptance rate/rejection rate of papers varies among journals. Some Journals considers all the manuscripts submissions as a basis of acceptance rate computation. On the other hand, few consider the only manuscripts sent for peer review or few even not bother about the accurate maintenance of total submissions.

Other Relevant Journals

Several other journals contribute significantly to the field of urban planning and related disciplines. These include:

Cities: Publishes articles on many aspects of urban planning and policy.
City & Community: Advances urban sociological theory and promotes empirical research on communities and urban social life.
Economic Development Quarterly (EDQ): Focuses on high-quality research in economic and workforce development policy and practice within the United States.
Environment and Planning: Interdisciplinary journals with a spatial focus, primarily of interest to human geographers and city planners.
Housing Policy Debate: Provides an outlet for original research that evaluates and informs housing and community development policy.
International Journal of Urban and Regional Research (IJURR): A forum for intellectual debate at the forefront of urban and regional research.
Journal of Planning History: Publishes peer-reviewed articles in the field of planning history, especially dealing with the Americas.
Journal of Planning Literature: Aims to give the reader an understanding of the state of knowledge of the field for use in research or professional practice in planning and design.
Journal of the American Planning Association (JAPA): Publishes original research and analysis.
Journal of Transport Geography: Focuses on the geographical dimensions of transport, travel, and mobility.
Journal of Urban Affairs: Focuses on urban research and policy analysis.
Journal of Urban History: Presents original research from various fields concerned with urban history.
Planning Perspectives: Welcomes papers that increase understanding of the historical development of urban and regional planning.
Berkeley Planning Journal (BPJ): A peer-reviewed scholarly publication produced by UC Berkeleyâs City & Regional Planning PhD cohort.
Town Planning Review: Provides a forum for communication between researchers, students, policy analysts, and practitioners.
Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board: Offers coverage of transportation-related topics.
Urban Affairs Review (UAR): A scholarly journal on urban issues and themes.
Urban Studies: An international journal for urban scholarship.

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