African Affairs

Aims & Scope

African Affairs is published on behalf of the Royal African Society and is the top ranked journal in African Studies.

It is an inter-disciplinary journal, with a focus on the politics and international relations of sub-Saharan Africa.

It also includes sociology, anthropology, economics, and to the extent that articles inform debates on contemporary Africa, history, literature, art, music and more.

Each issue of African Affairs contains new original research articles, as well as briefings on contemporary issues, and research notes on ethical and methodological challenges.

There is also a substantial section of book reviews, with occasional review articles.

View Aims & Scope

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Metrics & Ranking

Impact Factor

Year	Value
2025	2.2
2024	1.90

SJR (SCImago Journal Rank)

Year	Value
2024	0.862

Quartile

Year	Value
2024	Q1

Journal Rank

Year	Value
2024	6072

Journal Citation Indicator

Year	Value
2024	242

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Abstracting & Indexing

Journal is indexed in leading academic databases, ensuring global visibility and accessibility of our peer-reviewed research.

• Scopus
• Google Scholar
• Web of Science

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Subjects & Keywords

Journal’s research areas, covering key disciplines and specialized sub-topics in Social Sciences, designed to support cutting-edge academic discovery.

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Most Cited Articles

The Most Cited Articles section features the journal's most impactful research, based on citation counts. These articles have been referenced frequently by other researchers, indicating their significant contribution to their respective fields.

• Africa in the world: a history of extraversion

  Citation: 606

  Authors: J-F

• What is the Concept of Globalization Good for? An African Historian's Perspective

  Citation: 330

  Authors: Frederick

• ETHNICITY, PATRONAGE AND THE AFRICAN STATE: THE POLITICS OF UNCIVIL NATIONALISM

  Citation: 283

  Authors: B. J.

• Dangerous tales: Dominant narratives on the Congo and their unintended consequences

  Citation: 248

  Authors: S.

• Rewriting the African diaspora: Beyond the Black Atlantic

  Citation: 217

  Authors: P. T.

• Negotiating China: Reinserting African agency into China-Africa relations

  Citation: 210

  Authors: G., B.

• Developmental patrimonialism? The case of Rwanda

  Citation: 205

  Authors: D., F.

• Rwanda, ten years on: From genocide to dictatorship

  Citation: 177

  Authors: F.

• Political settlements and the analysis of institutions

  Citation: 157

  Authors: Mushtaq H

• Angola's political economy of war: The role of oil and diamonds, 1975–2000

  Citation: 142

  Authors: Philippe

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