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  Cluster 4: Social Sciences, Psychology & Humanities

Open Access Communication Studies Journals (2026)

Communication and media studies research on journalism, digital media, health communication, and political communication has enormous public relevance — and this relevance is maximised when the research is freely accessible. Open access communication studies journals ensure your media and communication research reaches practitioners and the public. Keith Publications JCHS is fully open access.

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What to Look for When Choosing a Journal

Before submitting your research, evaluate journals on these key criteria:

  • Fully open access — no reader subscription, paywall, or institutional barrier
  • Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 licence allowing broad sharing and reuse
  • Indexed in Google Scholar, CrossRef, and open access social science directories
  • Wide dissemination to both academic and practitioner audiences
  • DOI (CrossRef) assignment for permanent, citable article identification
  • Affordable APC with waiver options for eligible researchers

Recommended Journals — Cluster 4: Social Sciences, Psychology & Humanities

All journals below are published by Keith Publications — open access, peer-reviewed, and indexed for global discoverability.

  • Journal of Social and Political Sciences Research (JSPSR)

    Social sciences, political science, governance, public policy, international relations, sociology, and interdisciplinary research on social structures and political systems.

    Review: 2–4 weeks Open Access DOI (CrossRef) Google Scholar
    Social Sciences Political Science Public Policy Sociology
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  • Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Studies (JPBS)

    Psychology, behavioural science, cognitive science, social psychology, developmental psychology, clinical psychology, counselling, and applied psychological research.

    Review: 2–4 weeks Open Access DOI (CrossRef) Google Scholar
    Psychology Behavioral Science Cognitive Science Applied Psychology
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  • Journal of Education and Social Sciences Letters (JESSL)

    Education research, pedagogy, curriculum development, educational psychology, social sciences education, teacher training, higher education policy, and learning sciences.

    Review: 2–3 weeks Open Access DOI (CrossRef) Google Scholar
    Education Research Pedagogy Educational Psychology Social Sciences Education
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  • Journal of Culture, Humanities and Society (JCHS)

    Humanities, cultural studies, gender studies, communication studies, media studies, social work, development studies, anthropology, history, and interdisciplinary cultural research.

    Review: 2–4 weeks Open Access DOI (CrossRef) Google Scholar
    Humanities Cultural Studies Gender Studies Communication Studies
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Fast Publication: All Keith Publications journals complete initial review within 2–5 business days and full peer review within 2–4 weeks. Articles are published online within 5–10 days of acceptance — making us one of the fastest open access publishers in the social sciences, psychology, and humanities field.

Why Open Access Publishing Benefits Social Sciences Researchers

Open access publication is especially powerful for social sciences and humanities research. Findings on education, policy, psychology, sociology, and culture should be accessible to practitioners, policymakers, community organisations, and citizens worldwide — not just those at institutions with expensive journal subscriptions. A teacher in Kenya, a social worker in Brazil, or a community development officer in Bangladesh can access and apply your research if it is published open access. Studies consistently show that open access social sciences research articles receive significantly more downloads and citations than subscription-based equivalents.

Understanding the CC BY 4.0 Licence for Social Sciences Research

All Keith Publications journals publish under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. This means anyone — educators, policymakers, NGO workers, journalists, or practitioners — can freely read, share, download, and adapt your research for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as they credit the original authors. This licence is endorsed by major research funders including Wellcome Trust, research councils, and government funding bodies worldwide. It maximises the societal impact of your research and fully complies with open access mandates from social science funding bodies globally.

Tips to Maximise Your Acceptance Chances

  1. Align your topic with the journal's scope — read the aims and scope carefully before submitting.
  2. Write a compelling abstract — clearly state your research question, methodology, key findings, and contribution to the field.
  3. Ensure ethical compliance — include ethics committee approval, participant consent, and positionality statements where applicable.
  4. Follow reporting standards — use APA, PRISMA, COREQ, or other appropriate guidelines for your research design and discipline.
  5. Use current and relevant references — cite recent publications alongside seminal works in your social science or humanities discipline.
  6. Follow formatting guidelines exactly — non-compliant manuscripts are often desk-rejected without peer review.
  7. State theoretical and practical implications — explain how your findings contribute to scholarly debate and/or inform policy and practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best open access communication studies journals?
The Journal of Culture, Humanities and Society (JCHS) from Keith Publications publishes communication and media studies research open access — covering journalism, digital media, health communication, political communication, and intercultural communication.
Can digital media and platform research be published open access?
Yes. Research on social media platforms, digital journalism, online communities, algorithmic communication, and platform governance is published open access at Keith Publications — making findings accessible to the digital industry, regulators, and the public.
Is health communication research accepted in open access communication journals?
Yes. Health communication research — including risk communication, health campaigns, doctor-patient communication, and social media health information — is within scope for Keith Publications JCHS and published fully open access.
Why is open access important for journalism and media research?
Journalism and media research should be accessible to the journalists, editors, media regulators, and news consumers it concerns. Open access media studies research can directly inform journalism practice and media policy without requiring practitioners to have academic library access.

Related Research Guides

Explore other research journal guides in the Social Sciences, Psychology & Humanities cluster:

Ready to Publish Your Research?

Submit your social sciences, psychology, education, or humanities manuscript to Keith Publications today. Fast peer review, open access, and global indexing — get your work published within weeks.

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