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  Cluster 4: Social Sciences, Psychology & Humanities

Open Access Psychology Journals (2026)

Open access psychology journals remove the paywall barriers between psychological research and the clinicians, educators, policymakers, and the public who can benefit from it. Keith Publications JPBS provides fully open access psychology publication — with CC BY 4.0 licensing, CrossRef DOI assignment, and Google Scholar indexing — ensuring your psychology research reaches the widest possible global audience.

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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 psychology journals in 2026?
The Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Studies (JPBS) from Keith Publications is a leading open access psychology journal in 2026 — fully free to read, CC BY 4.0 licensed, CrossRef DOI assigned, and indexed in Google Scholar for maximum discoverability.
Do open access psychology journals have peer review?
Yes. All Keith Publications open access psychology journals use rigorous double-blind peer review — the same standard as subscription journals. Open access refers to the reading model, not the review standard. Quality is maintained through expert peer evaluation regardless of the access model.
How does open access help psychology research reach practitioners?
Clinical psychologists, school counsellors, HR professionals, and mental health practitioners often cannot access subscription psychology journals. Open access removes this barrier — meaning evidence-based psychology findings reach the practitioners who can implement them and the clients who benefit.
What APC is charged for open access psychology publication?
Keith Publications charges a transparent, competitive APC for open access psychology publication — with no hidden fees and waiver programmes available for eligible researchers. Contact the editorial team for current APC details and waiver eligibility.

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.

Submit Your Manuscript Now Contact the Editorial Team