Academic publishing in education can involve significant publication costs, particularly when researchers choose Open Access routes that require Article Processing Charges. For PhD scholars, early career researchers, and independent academics, these costs can become an additional consideration when deciding where to submit their work.
As part of The Journal Selection Guide series, this week we focus on Diamond Open Access journals in Education. Diamond Open Access journals operate without publication fees for authors and without subscription fees for readers, allowing research to remain accessible without placing publication charges on authors.
For researchers looking for indexed publishing options, we identified nine venues covering areas such as educational theory, language teaching, higher education, curriculum development, mathematics education, physical education, and teaching and learning. The list below presents their indexing information, available metrics, and subject areas for 2026.
Open Access Journals Without Payment: Education
All the venues presented below operate on a Diamond Open Access model, meaning they require no publication fees from authors and no subscription fees from readers, according to the information compiled for this guide.
1. Sophia: Colección de Filosofía de la Educación
Focus Area: Philosophy of Education and Educational Theory
Indexing: Scopus and Web of Science
CiteScore: 1.8
Best Quartile: Q1
Impact Factor JIF: 1.0
Sophia: Colección de Filosofía de la Educación focuses on philosophy of education and educational theory, making it relevant to researchers exploring philosophical and theoretical perspectives in education.
2. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research
Focus Area: Language Teaching, EFL and ESL
Indexing: Scopus and Web of Science
CiteScore: 3.7
Best Quartile: Q1
Impact Factor JIF: 1.4
This journal focuses on language teaching research, particularly English as a Foreign Language and English as a Second Language, making it relevant to researchers in language education.
3. Educar
Focus Area: Education and Educational Research
Indexing: Scopus and Web of Science
CiteScore: 2.1
Best Quartile: Q2
Impact Factor JIF: 1.2
Educar covers broad areas of education and educational research, providing a multidisciplinary option for researchers working across different educational topics.
4. Sportis: Scientific Technical Journal
Focus Area: Physical Education and Sport Sciences
Indexing: Scopus and Web of Science
CiteScore: 0.5
Best Quartile: Q4
Impact Factor JIF: 1.0
Sportis: Scientific Technical Journal focuses on physical education and sport sciences, making it relevant to research involving sports, physical activity, and educational practices in these areas.
5. Studia Paedagogica
Focus Area: Education, Teaching and Learning
Indexing: Scopus
Web of Science: No
CiteScore: 0.8
Best Quartile: Q4
Impact Factor JIF: Not available
Studia Paedagogica focuses on education, teaching, and learning, providing a publishing option for researchers working across these areas.
6. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education
Focus Area: Higher Education and Learning Development
Indexing: Scopus
Web of Science: No
CiteScore: 1.1
Best Quartile: Q3
Impact Factor JIF: Not available
This journal focuses on learning development within higher education and is relevant to research examining teaching, learning, and academic development in higher education settings.
7. Tuning Journal for Higher Education
Focus Area: Higher Education and Curriculum Development
Indexing: Scopus and Web of Science
CiteScore: 2.0
Best Quartile: Q3
Impact Factor JIF: 0.7
Tuning Journal for Higher Education focuses on higher education and curriculum development, making it relevant to researchers examining curriculum design and developments in higher education.
8. Review of Science, Mathematics and ICT Education
Focus Area: Mathematics, Science and ICT Education
Indexing: Scopus
Web of Science: No
CiteScore: 0.8
Best Quartile: Q3
Impact Factor JIF: Not available
This journal focuses on education related to mathematics, science, and information and communication technologies, making it relevant to researchers working in these subject-specific areas.
9. Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Focus Area: Higher Education, Teaching and Learning
Indexing: Web of Science
Scopus: No
CiteScore: Not available
Best Quartile: Not available
Impact Factor JIF: 0.5
The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning focuses on higher education, teaching, and learning, providing a venue for research examining teaching and learning practices in higher education.
Understanding the Practical Differences
The education journals listed in this guide cover a range of research areas. Therefore, researchers should consider the specific subject and scope of their manuscript when evaluating potential publication venues.
Sophia: Colección de Filosofía de la Educación focuses on philosophy of education and educational theory, while the Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research specializes in language teaching, EFL, and ESL research.
For broader educational research, Educar covers education and educational research across different areas. Sportis: Scientific Technical Journal is more specialized in physical education and sport sciences.
Researchers working in education, teaching, and learning may consider Studia Paedagogica, while Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education focuses specifically on learning development within higher education.
Tuning Journal for Higher Education covers higher education and curriculum development, while Review of Science, Mathematics and ICT Education focuses on mathematics, science, and ICT education.
The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning focuses on higher education, teaching, and learning, offering a venue specifically centered on scholarship related to teaching and learning.
These differences highlight why journal selection should be based on research scope and subject relevance, rather than relying on a single metric.
What Researchers Should Check Before Submitting
Even when a journal follows a Diamond Open Access model, researchers should carefully evaluate the publication venue before submitting their manuscript.
1. Verify Current Indexing and Metrics
Indexing status and journal metrics can change over time. Researchers should verify the current information through the relevant Scopus and Web of Science databases before submission.
2. Check the Journal’s Scope
Read the journal’s aims and scope carefully and review recently published articles. Your manuscript should align clearly with the research areas covered by the journal.
3. Confirm Publication Fees
The journals featured in this guide are presented as Diamond Open Access venues with no publication fees. However, authors should confirm the current fee policy directly on the official journal website before submitting.
4. Review Author Guidelines
Check manuscript requirements, article types, formatting instructions, ethical policies, referencing style, and submission procedures before preparing your manuscript.
5. Consider Your Institutional Requirements
If your university, research institution, or funding body requires specific indexing, quartile status, or publication types, verify that the journal meets those requirements before submission.
Final Thoughts
Diamond Open Access provides researchers with a publishing model where authors can publish without publication charges while readers can access the research without subscription fees.
The nine venues featured in this week’s guide cover a broad range of educational research, including educational theory, language teaching, higher education, curriculum development, physical education, mathematics education, science education, ICT education, and teaching and learning.
However, journal metrics alone should not determine where you submit your manuscript. Researchers should consider subject fit, journal scope, indexing status, institutional requirements, publication policies, and the current fee structure before making a submission decision.
Disclaimer
Tholga is not affiliated with any of the journals listed above and does not receive any remuneration from the publications mentioned. This initiative is intended solely to share factual information about indexed Diamond Open Access publishing venues for researchers.
Authors are advised to verify indexing status, impact metrics, publication fees, scope, and submission guidelines directly through Scopus, Web of Science, and the official journal websites before submitting.
