Impacted journals for architecture

If one is aiming for an academic career, then publishing in impacted journals is quite necessary. It is often said, that architecture does not have journals that are indexed and impacted. Although architecture cannot compete with other "heavy science" fields, it is not true that there is no choice at all.

The Scimago Scientific Journal Rankings (find here: https://www.scimagojr.com/journalrank.php) lists 16460 journal titles (Note: per 20 October 2023 it had 27955 journal titles). I went through the whole list, and came up with the following journals that I think are relevant for architecture, urban planning, structural & technical design, history & theory, landscape architecture, and industrial design. In total this list contains 276 titles.

I will not update this list, since it is quite a challenge to filter through the large amount of titles. However, such lists are quite stable, and will probably stay relevant for a couple of years. More info on each journal can be easily found by selecting title and ISSN number, and then search for that journal on the Internet. All publishers have concise information about the goal and target of their journals.

Just a few observations I made while establishing this list:

• Although the 274 titles are published by 74 different publishers, 167 titles (61%) are published by only 6 publishers (Carfax, Elsevier, Emerald, Sage, Springer including Kluwer, and Taylor & Francis).
• The technical sciences, urban planning, and areas dealing with computer applications have the widest selection of journals. The humanities and arts-based areas are not well represented - yet, they also have a journals in the list.
• By far the widest choice and potential available to publish in a scientific impacted journal are those dealing with education. I think this is an often neglected application area where there is a lot of potential to contribute from the side of architecture.

It is possible that some journals are not included that should have been. I tried to check all journals of which I was not sure of their target to find information via their webpages, but some may have slipped through.

The list contains only journals that publish articles in English language. Some journals are bilingual, for example Architektura a Urbanizmus publishes articles in Czech/Slovak, and English language; and METU Journal of the Faculty of Architecture publishes articles in Turkish and English.

The list presented here is alphabetical. Most journals describe their target area very well in the journal name. There are only a few exceptions, these are: ASHRAE Journal (aimed at HVAC), Convergence (aimed at education), Daedalus (aimed at arts, sciences, humanities and social sciences), Discourse (aimed at cultural politics of education), Futures (aimed at policy, planning, and future studies), Leonardo (aimed at electronic arts), Plos One (aimed at natural sciences, medical research, engineering, as well as the related social sciences and humanities), and Theory into Practice (aimed at education).

In which journal to publish is highly dependent on the actual matter that you wish to submit. Do not let your choice be influenced by your own "discipline" but see if the specific content of your work fits within the scope of a particular journal. Sometimes this can be a journal completely out of your regular field.

Although I have tried to be as comprehensive as possible for the field of architecture, this surely does not mean that this list is exhaustive or authoritative. It may well be that your research fits another of the many other journals out there. Also, many more journals are not included in the Scimago Scientific Journal Rankings, which does not make them less worthwhile to publish in. Keep in mind to build up your output step by step.

Journals are roughly ranked in so-called Q1-Q4 ranking, with Q1 being the most important and most influential journals. In my view, this ranking is not so important - it is more important to start publishing in the journals listed here, than to worry about Q1, Q2, Q3, or Q4 ranking. These rankings fluctuate anyway, and once you start publishing successfully, chances are you'll end up in a Q1 journal title at some point.

Having said all that, here is the list. Enjoy and use to your own advantage. Feel free to spread along.

Title (ISSN number)

1. 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing (23297662, 23297670)
2. A + U-Architecture and Urbanism (03899160)
3. Acta Polytechnica (12102709, 18052363)
4. Active Learning in Higher Education (14697874, 17412625)
5. Advanced Engineering Informatics (14740346)
6. Advanced Materials (09359648)
7. Advances in Building Energy Research (17562201, 17512549)
8. Advances in Cement Research (09517197)
9. Advances in Concrete Construction (22875301, 2287531X)
10. Advances in Engineering Education (19411766)
11. Alberta Journal of Educational Research (00024805)
12. American Educational Research Journal (00028312)
13. Annual Review of Materials Research (15454118, 15317331)
14. Architectural Design (00038504)
15. Architectural Engineering and Design Management (17452007, 17527589)
16. Architectural History (0066622X)
17. Architectural Record (0003858X)
18. Architectural Research Quarterly (13591355)
19. Architectural Review (0003861X)
20. Architectural Science Review (00038628)
21. Architectural Theory Review (17550475, 13264826)
22. Architecture and Culture (20507828, 20507836)
23. Architecture, City and Environment (18864805, 18877052)
24. Architektura a Urbanizmus (00448680)
25. Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering (11343060)
26. Art and Perception (22134905, 22134913)
27. Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education (1474273X)
28. Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing: AIEDAM (08900604, 14691760)
29. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education (14740222)
30. ASHRAE Journal (00012491, 03649962)
31. Australian Planner (07293682, 21506841)
32. Automation in Construction (09265805)
33. Bauingenieur (00056650)
34. Bautechnik (14370999, 09328351)
35. British Journal of Educational Studies (00071005, 14678527)
36. British Journal of Educational Technology (00071013, 14678535)
37. Building Acoustics (1351010X)
38. Building and Environment (03601323)
39. Building Research and Information (09613218, 14664321)
40. Building Simulation (19963599, 19968744)
41. Buildings (00073725)
42. Buildings & Landscapes (19346832, 19360886)
43. CAD Computer Aided Design (00104485)
44. Cement and Concrete Composites (09589465)
45. Cement and Concrete Research (00088846)
46. Central Europe (14790963)
47. Central European History (00089389)
48. Cities (02642751)
49. City and Society (08930465)
50. CoDesign (15710882, 17453755)
51. Cognition and Instruction (07370008, 1532690X)
52. Composites Part B: Engineering (13598368)
53. Computer Aided Geometric Design (01678396)
54. Computer Applications in Engineering Education (10990542, 10613773)
55. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering (00457825)
56. Computer Supported Cooperative Work (15737551, 09259724)
57. Computers and Education (03601315)
58. Computers in Human Behavior (07475632)
59. Computers in the Schools (07380569, 15287033)
60. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems (01989715)
61. Computing in Science and Engineering (15219615)
62. Construction and Building Materials (09500618)
63. Construction Innovation (14770857, 14714175)
64. Convergence (17487382, 13548565)
65. Creativity Research Journal (15326934, 10400419)
66. Critical Studies in Education (17508487, 17508495)
67. Daedalus (00115266, 15486192)
68. Decision Support Systems (01679236)
69. Design and Culture (17547083, 17547075)
70. Design Issues (07479360)
71. Design Journal (14606925)
72. Design Studies (0142694X)
73. Digital Creativity (14626268)
74. Digital Education Review (20139144)
75. Discourse (01596306, 14693739)
76. Educational Research Review (1747938X)
77. Educational Technology and Society (14364522)
78. Emotion, Space and Society (18780040, 17554586)
79. Empirical Studies of the Arts (02762374)
80. Energy and Buildings (03787788)
81. Energy and Environmental Sciences (17545692)
82. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence (09521976)
83. Engineering Science and Technology, an International Journal (22150986)
84. Engineering Structures (01410296)
85. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management (09699988, 1365232X)
86. Environment (00139157)
87. Environment and Behavior (00139165)
88. Environment and History (09673407)
89. Environment and Planning A (0308518X)
90. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space (23996544, 23996552)
91. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space (02637758)
92. Environment and Urbanization (09562478)
93. Environmental Practice (14660466)
94. Environmental Sciences Europe (21904707, 21904715)
95. Environmental Values (09632719)
96. Ergonomics (13665847, 00140139)
97. Ergonomics in Design (10648046)
98. Estetika : The Central European Journal of Aesthetics (00141291)
99. European Journal of Engineering Education (03043797, 14695898)
100. European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering (21167214, 19648189)
101. European Journal of Housing Policy (14616718, 14733269)
102. European Planning Studies (09654313, 14695944)
103. European Spatial Research and Policy (18961525, 12311952)
104. European Urban and Regional Studies (09697764)
105. Frontiers of Architectural Research (20952635)
106. Frontiers of Structural and Civil Engineering (20952449, 20952430)
107. Futures (00163287)
108. Habitat International (01973975)
109. Health and Place (13538292)
110. Higher Education (00181560, 1573174X)
111. Higher Education Research and Development (07294360)
112. History and Theory (00182656)
113. Home Cultures (17406315)
114. Housing Policy Debate (10511482)
115. Housing Studies (14661810, 02673037)
116. Housing, Theory and Society (14036096, 16512278)
117. Human Factors (00187208, 15478181)
118. Indoor and Built Environment (1420326X)
119. Innovative Higher Education (07425627)
120. Intelligent Buildings International (17566932, 17508975)
121. Interactive Learning Environments (10494820)
122. Interiors: Design, Architecture, Culture (20419112, 20419120)
123. International Development Planning Review (14746743)
124. International Journal of Architectural Computing (14780771)
125. International Journal of Architectural Heritage (15583058)
126. International Journal of Art and Design Education (14768062)
127. International Journal of Arts and Technology (17548853)
128. International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation (23984708)
129. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (15561607, 15561615)
130. International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials (22341315, 19760485)
131. International Journal of Construction Management (15623599)
132. International Journal of Design (19913761, 1994036X)
133. International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation (21650357, 21650349)
134. International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment (17595908)
135. International Journal of Educational Research (08830355)
136. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education (23659440)
137. International Journal of Engineering Education (0949149X)
138. International Journal of Geographical Information Science (13658816, 13658824)
139. International Journal of Heritage Studies (14703610, 13527258)
140. International Journal of Law in the Built Environment (17561450)
141. International Journal of Learning Technology (14778386, 17418119)
142. International Journal of Mechanics and Materials in Design (15691713)
143. International Journal of Research and Method in Education (1743727X)
144. International Journal of Social Robotics (18754791, 18754805)
145. International Journal of Steel Structures (15982351, 20936311)
146. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education (14676370)
147. International Journal of Technology and Design Education (15731804, 09577572)
148. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research (14682427, 03091317)
149. International Journal of Urban Sciences (12265934, 21616779)
150. International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development (19463146, 19463138)
151. International Planning Studies (13563475, 14699265)
152. International Review for Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development (21873666)
153. Internet and Higher Education (10967516)
154. Italian Journal of Planning Practice (2239267X)
155. Journal of Advanced Concrete Technology (13468014)
156. Journal of Aesthetic Education (00218510, 15437809)
157. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education (20507003, 17581184)
158. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research (07380895)
159. Journal of Architectural Conservation (13556207)
160. Journal of Architectural Education (10464883, 1531314X)
161. Journal of Architectural Engineering (10760431)
162. Journal of Architecture (14664410, 13602365)
163. Journal of Architecture and Urbanism (20297947, 20297955)
164. Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering (13467581)
165. Journal of Building Engineering (23527102)
166. Journal of Building Performance Simulation (19401493)
167. Journal of Building Physics (17442591)
168. Journal of Cleaner Production (09596526)
169. Journal of Composites for Construction (10900268)
170. Journal of Computational Design and Engineering (22885048, 22884300)
171. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (02664909, 13652729)
172. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management - ASCE (07339364)
173. Journal of Design History (09524649, 17417279)
174. Journal of Educational Change (13892843)
175. Journal of Engineering Design (14661837, 09544828)
176. Journal of Engineering Education (21689830, 10694730)
177. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology (17260531)
178. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management (13600559, 09640568)
179. Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning (15227200, 1523908X)
180. Journal of Experimental Education (00220973)
181. Journal of Green Building (19434618, 15526100)
182. Journal of Higher Education (00221546, 15384640)
183. Journal of Housing and the Built Environment (15664910, 15737772)
184. Journal of Housing Economics (10511377, 10960791)
185. Journal of Housing for the Elderly (02763893)
186. Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures (1045389X)
187. Journal of Landscape Architecture (18626033, 2164604X)
188. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies (19397089, 15480518)
189. Journal of Planning Education and Research (0739456X)
190. Journal of Planning Literature (08854122)
191. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice (10523928)
192. Journal of Research on Technology in Education (19450818, 15391523)
193. Journal of Rural Studies (07430167)
194. Journal of Structural Engineering (07339445)
195. Journal of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials (21650381, 21650373)
196. Journal of the American Planning Association (01944363)
197. Journal of the Urban Planning and Development Division, ASCE (07339488)
198. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice (14499789)
199. Journal of Urban Affairs (07352166)
200. Journal of Urban Design (13574809, 14699664)
201. Journal of Urban Economics (00941190, 10959068)
202. Journal of Urban History (00961442)
203. Journal of Urban Technology (10630732, 14661853)
204. Knowledge-Based Systems (09507051)
205. Land Use Policy (02648377)
206. Landscape and Ecological Engineering (18601871, 1860188X)
207. Landscape and Urban Planning (01692046)
208. Landscape Architecture (00238031)
209. Landscape Architecture and Art (22558632, 22558640)
210. Landscape Journal (15532704, 02772426)
211. Landscape Research (14699710, 01426397)
212. Leadership (17427150, 17427169)
213. Leadership Quarterly (10489843)
214. Learning and Teaching (17552281, 17552273)
215. Leonardo (0024094X)
216. Magazine of Concrete Research (00249831)
217. Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports (0927796X)
218. Materials Today (18734103, 13697021)
219. Metacognition and Learning (15561631, 15561623)
220. METU Journal of the Faculty of Architecture (02585316)
221. Modernism/Modernity (10716068)
222. Open House International (01682601)
223. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences (14712962, 1364503X)
224. Planning Perspectives (02665433, 14664518)
225. Planning Practice and Research (13600583, 02697459)
226. Planning Theory (14730952)
227. Planning Theory and Practice (14649357, 1470000X)
228. PLoS ONE (19326203)
229. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Urban Design and Planning (17550793, 17550807)
230. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences (13645021, 14712946)
231. Progress in Materials Science (00796425)
232. Progress in Planning (03059006)
233. Rapid Prototyping Journal (13552546)
234. Reflective Practice (14623943)
235. Regional Studies (13600591, 00343404)
236. Research in Engineering Design - Theory, Applications, and Concurrent Engineering (14356066, 09349839)
237. Research in Higher Education (03610365, 1573188X)
238. Research Papers in Education (02671522)
239. Review of Educational Research (00346543)
240. Review of Higher Education (10907009, 01625748)
241. Science and Technology for the Built Environment (23744731, 2374474X)
242. Slavonic and East European Review (00376795)
243. Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (20466102, 20466099)
244. Smart Materials and Structures (09641726, 1361665X)
245. Soft Robotics (21695172)
246. Space and Culture (12063312)
247. Space and Polity (13562576, 14701235)
248. Steel and Composite Structures (12299367)
249. Steel Construction (18670520, 18670539)
250. Structural Concrete (14644177)
251. Structural Design of Tall and Special Buildings (15417794, 15417808)
252. Structures (23520124)
253. Studies in Higher Education (03075079, 1470174X)
254. Sustainable Cities and Society (22106707)
255. Sustainable Materials and Technologies (22149929, 22149937)
256. Teaching in Higher Education (14701294, 13562517)
257. Theory into Practice (15430421, 00405841)
258. Thinking Skills and Creativity (18711871)
259. Town Planning Review (00410020)
260. Transportation Research, Part C: Emerging Technologies (0968090X)
261. Trends in Cognitive Sciences (13646613)
262. Urban Affairs Review (10780874)
263. Urban Climate (22120955)
264. Urban Design International (14684519, 13575317)
265. Urban Ecosystems (10838155)
266. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening (16188667)
267. Urban Geography (02723638)
268. Urban History (14698706, 09639268)
269. Urban Morphology (10274278)
270. Urban Research and Practice (17535077, 17535069)
271. Urban Studies (00420980, 1360063X)
272. User Modelling and User-Adapted Interaction (09241868, 15731391)
273. Vernacular Architecture (03055477, 17496292)
274. Virtual and Physical Prototyping (17452767, 17452759)
275. Visual Cognition (14640716, 13506285)
276. Visual Resources (01973762)