Visual Studies

Aims & Scope

Visual Studies is a major international peer-reviewed journal published on behalf of the International Visual Sociology Association.

The journal publishes visually-oriented articles across a range of disciplines, and represents a long-standing commitment to empirical visual research, studies of visual and material culture, the development of visual research methods and the exploration of visual means of communication about social and cultural worlds.

Visual Studies is a key resource for all disciplines that engage with images, society and culture, and sets the standard for the scholarly use of visual material.

The multidisciplinary character of the journal is reflected in its attention to visually-based research in sociology, anthropology, cultural and media studies, documentary film and photography, information technology, education, communication studies as well as other fields concerned with image-based study.

The aims of Visual Studies are to: -Provide an international forum for the development of visual research. -Promote acceptance and understanding of a wide range of methods, approaches and paradigms that constitute image-based research. -Reduce the disparity in emphasis between visual and written studies in the social sciences. -Promote an interest in developing visual research methodology in all its various forms. -Encourage research that employs a mixture of visual methods and analytical approaches within one study. -Critically reflect and contribute to the dialogue surrounding ‘the visual’ across the social sciences and humanities. -Provide an arena for in-depth exploration of various approaches, particular methods, themes and visual phenomena.

Most articles published in the journal are accompanied by appropriate visual material, and the journal encourages visually-led submissions.

View Aims & Scope

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Metrics & Ranking

Impact Factor

Year	Value
2025	1
2024	0.70

SJR (SCImago Journal Rank)

Year	Value
2024	0.250

Quartile

Year	Value
2024	Q1

h-index

Year	Value
2024	53

Journal Rank

Year	Value
2024	18583

Journal Citation Indicator

Year	Value
2024	151

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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 and 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.

• Talking about pictures: A case for photo elicitation

  Citation: 2394

  Authors: Douglas

• Walking with video

  Citation: 345

  Authors: Sarah

• Walking in rhythms: place, regulation, style and the flow of experience

  Citation: 256

  Authors: Tim

• Questions of process in participant-generated visual methodologies

  Citation: 229

  Authors: Marilys, Sarah

• ‘I'm gonna show you what it's really like out here’: the power and limitation of participatory visual methods

  Citation: 202

  Authors: Josh

• Creative and visual methods for exploring identities

  Citation: 187

  Authors: David, Peter

• Personal photography, digital technologies and the uses of the visual

  Citation: 173

  Authors: Nancy A.

• ‘A camera is a big responsibility’: a lens for analysing children's visual voices

  Citation: 169

  Authors: Wendy

• Interdisciplinary agendas in visual research: re-situating visual anthropology

  Citation: 137

  Authors: Sarah

• Walking across disciplines: from ethnography to arts practice

  Citation: 131

  Authors: Sarah, Phil, Maggie, Alan

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