Journal of Critical Realism

Aims & Scope

Journal of Critical Realism ( JCR) is the Journal of the International Association for Critical Realism (IACR), established in 1997 to foster the discussion, propagation and the development of critical realist approaches to understanding and changing the world.

It provides a forum for scholars wishing to promote realist emancipatory philosophy, social theory and science on an interdisciplinary and international basis, and for those who wish to engage with such approaches.

Material should, as a rule, be directed at an audience across different disciplines with a shared interest in critical realism rather than a specialist disciplinary audience.

View Aims & Scope

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Metrics & Ranking

Impact Factor

Year	Value
2025	2.9
2024	3.20

Journal Rank

Year	Value
2024	3862

Journal Citation Indicator

Year	Value
2024	342

SJR (SCImago Journal Rank)

Year	Value
2024	1.144

Quartile

Year	Value
2024	Q1

h-index

Year	Value
2024	21

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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 Arts and Humanities, 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.

• A realist approach to thematic analysis: making sense of qualitative data through experiential, inferential and dispositional themes

  Citation: 234

  Authors: Gareth, Noora

• Retroductive theorizing in Pawson and Tilley's applied scientific realism

  Citation: 158

  Authors: Justin

• A critical realist approach to thematic analysis: producing causal explanations

  Citation: 102

  Authors: Tom

• Developing a Critical Realist Positional Approach to Intersectionality

  Citation: 84

  Authors: Angela, Lee, Susan

• Emergence and the Realist Account of Cause

  Citation: 70

  Authors: Dave

• Applied interdisciplinary research: a critical realist perspective

  Citation: 69

  Authors: Berth

• Analysis of Generative Mechanisms

  Citation: 57

  Authors: Björn, Stefan

• Critical realism and the ontology of persons

  Citation: 56

  Authors: Roy

• Critical Realism as a Meta-Framework for Understanding the Relationships between Complexity and Qualitative Comparative Analysis

  Citation: 53

  Authors: Lasse, Stefan

• Migration Systems, Pioneer Migrants and the Role of Agency

  Citation: 51

  Authors: Oliver, Hein, Agnieszka

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