Journal of Sustainable Finance and Accounting: Scopus, Scope & Submission Guide

Quick Answer: What Is the Journal of Sustainable Finance and Accounting?

JOSFA is a peer-reviewed international journal published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of the Academy of Sustainable Finance, Accounting, Accountability & Governance (ASFAAG). Its stated mission is to provide an outlet for scholarship on sustainable finance, green banking, sustainable corporate governance, accountability and ethics, and sustainability reporting.

The journal is covered by Scopus according to the ISSN Portal, and this page's supplied Scopus Source Record ID is 21101392302. Its online ISSN is 2950-3701. Elsevier currently presents it as a journal that supports open access, offering both an open-access route with an APC and a subscription route without a publication fee charged to authors.

Potential authors should confirm current indexing, metrics, fees and author instructions immediately before submitting, because database status and publisher policies can change.

Key Takeaways

• Publisher: Elsevier Ltd, on behalf of ASFAAG.
• Core focus: sustainable finance, green banking, sustainability accounting/reporting, ESG, governance, accountability and ethics.
• ISSN: 2950-3701 (online).
• Scopus: covered; supplied Source ID 21101392302.
• Peer review: single anonymized; suitable papers are typically reviewed by at least two independent experts.
• Open access: optional; Elsevier currently lists a USD 2,900 APC excluding taxes, while the subscription route has no publication fee charged to authors.
• Author format: editable Word or LaTeX source, abstract up to 250 words, 1–7 English keywords, numbered references in square brackets.
• Timeline: Elsevier currently displays 54 days from submission to acceptance as a journal insight, not a guaranteed manuscript timeline.

Journal Information at a Glance

Table of Contents

1. Journal aims and scope
2. Article types and research themes
3. Manuscript preparation
4. Submission declarations and ethics
5. Peer review and publication process
6. Journal-fit evaluation
7. Common reasons for mismatch
8. Practical author scenarios
9. Publication-readiness checklist
10. Frequently asked questions

Methodology and Sources

This guide prioritizes the journal's official ScienceDirect page, its official Guide for Authors, Elsevier Journal Insights, the editorial-board page, the ISSN Portal record, and the supplied Scopus source profile. Metrics, fees, indexing coverage and editorial details can change, so a researcher should reconfirm time-sensitive values directly before submission.

Journal Aims and Scope: What Research Does JOSFA Seek?

The journal's official scope is anchored in sustainable finance and accounting rather than finance or accounting in isolation. JOSFA says it aims to advance research and scholarship across sustainable finance, green banking, sustainable corporate governance, accountability and ethics, and sustainability reporting, while supporting wider sustainable-development objectives.

The scope aligns with ASFAAG special-interest areas including sustainable finance and green banking, sustainability reporting, sustainable tax systems and auditing, ESG reporting, responsible business and management, and sustainable corporate governance. Elsevier also lists topics such as FinTech and financial innovation for sustainable finance, UN Sustainable Development Goals, responsible banking and UNEP Finance Initiative themes, CSR, public-sector governance, GRI and integrated reporting, IFRS sustainability standards, carbon-emissions disclosure, net-zero productivity, climate finance, microfinance and blue banking, biodiversity and conservation accounting, board sustainability committees, workplace inclusion, gender equality, modern slavery and environmental outsourcing.

What that scope means in practice

A manuscript is likely to be stronger when the sustainability dimension is integral to the research question, theory, data or implications. A conventional corporate-finance paper with only a brief ESG paragraph added at the end may be a weaker fit than a study in which climate risk, sustainability disclosure, green investment, responsible banking, social impact or governance is central to the analysis.

Recent Research Themes and Article Types

Published issues show both research articles and review articles. Recent papers have addressed green banking, AI ethics and sustainability, climate-risk disclosures, the value relevance of climate exposure, impact investing, biodiversity-risk metrics in finance, ESG sentiment and corporate performance, responsible investment preferences, pension-fund climate engagement, carbon emissions, clean-energy stocks and tax-avoidance governance. This mix suggests that the journal accommodates diverse quantitative, conceptual and review-based approaches when they make a clear contribution to sustainable finance, accounting or governance.

This table is publication-fit guidance, not an official acceptance rule. Authors should compare their manuscript with several recent JOSFA papers and the latest aims-and-scope text.

Understanding Its Scopus Coverage and Journal Metrics

The journal is listed as covered by Scopus in the ISSN Portal. The Scopus Source ID supplied for this article is 21101392302. That is relevant for researchers whose university, funder or promotion system recognizes Scopus-indexed journals, but institutional rules may also require specific coverage years, quartiles or subject categories.

For current citation metrics, caution is necessary. The accessible Elsevier Journal Insights page checked while preparing this guide displayed no CiteScore or Impact Factor value. Although other online sources may show emerging metrics for this relatively young title, this page does not treat an unverified third-party figure as authoritative. Verify the latest CiteScore, SJR, SNIP and quartile in the current database record and note the reporting year and subject category.

A quartile should not be treated as a permanent property of a journal. It can vary by year and category. For a PhD requirement, capture the exact database record or institutional evidence required by your university at the relevant date.

Publisher, Editorial Leadership and Scholarly Positioning

JOSFA is published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of ASFAAG. The official editorial-board page lists Eva Liljeblom of Hanken School of Economics and Sabur Mollah of the University of Sheffield as Editors-in-Chief. It also presents a large international editorial structure across multiple countries and regions.

For authors, publisher reputation is only one part of journal selection. The more practical indicators are the match between the paper and the journal's readership, transparent author policies, current indexing, editorial expertise in the manuscript's topic, and the journal's recent publication record.

Preparing a Manuscript for Journal of Sustainable Finance and Accounting

Core formatting requirements

The official Guide for Authors asks for editable source files. Word manuscripts should be supplied as .doc or .docx in a single-column layout; LaTeX submissions should use .tex. A PDF is not accepted as the source file for final production.

The title page should include a concise article title, complete author names in the same order as the submission system, institutional affiliations and a clearly identified corresponding author. The abstract must be concise and factual and must not exceed 250 words. Authors provide 1–7 English keywords.

Highlights, figures and tables

Highlights are encouraged and should contain 3–5 bullets, each no more than 85 characters including spaces, uploaded as a separate editable file. A graphical abstract is also encouraged. Tables must remain editable rather than being submitted as images, while figures should be supplied as separate files in appropriate publication-quality formats and resolutions.

References and research data

JOSFA uses numbered citations in square brackets. References are numbered in order of appearance, and journal names should follow standard abbreviations. The journal applies Elsevier's research-data Option B: authors are encouraged to deposit data in a suitable repository, cite and link the dataset, or explain why the data cannot be shared.

Submission Declarations, Ethics and Responsible AI Use

Elsevier's journal guidance requires original work that is not simultaneously under consideration elsewhere, approval from all authors, appropriate authorship accountability, funding disclosure and a declaration of competing interests. Authors should obtain permissions for copyrighted material and ensure that all references are authentic and correctly linked to claims.

The guide also contains a generative-AI disclosure policy. Authors remain responsible for verifying AI-assisted output, including references, and for ensuring that the final manuscript reflects their authentic contribution and analysis. Where generative AI or AI-assisted technologies have been used in manuscript preparation in a way covered by Elsevier's policy, the journal requires a disclosure statement. Basic grammar, spelling and reference-checking tools are treated differently in the policy. AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

As a practical integrity check, review ethics approval where relevant, consent, data provenance, authorship, conflicts, funding, image permissions, similarity risks, reference accuracy and any AI-use disclosure before submission.

What Happens After You Submit?

The journal follows single-anonymized peer review. Editors first screen a submission for suitability. If it is considered appropriate, it is typically sent to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers who assess scientific quality. Editors make the acceptance or rejection decision.

Authors should be prepared for desk rejection when the manuscript is outside scope, insufficiently original, methodologically weak, poorly presented or not ready for external review. A paper that reaches review may receive requests for revision before a final decision. If accepted, authors complete publishing agreements, address production queries and review proofs; Elsevier asks for proof corrections promptly.

Elsevier's Journal Insights page currently displays 54 days from submission to acceptance. This is a journal-level insight, not a guaranteed turnaround for a particular submission; complex revisions or reviewer availability can make individual cases shorter or longer.

Is This Journal a Good Match for Your Research?

Use a decision test rather than relying on the journal name alone. A convincing fit usually requires affirmative answers to most of these questions:

1. Scope: Is sustainability central to the finance, accounting, governance or management question?
2. Contribution: Does the paper add new evidence, theory, method or synthesis rather than only repeating a familiar ESG association?
3. Audience: Would scholars of sustainable finance/accounting or responsible governance reasonably search for and cite this work?
4. Recent precedent: Can you identify recent JOSFA papers with related themes or methods without your paper duplicating them?
5. Methodological credibility: Are design, data, robustness and limitations strong enough for independent review?
6. Institutional fit: Does the journal's current Scopus status and any required metric meet your university or funder rules?
7. Publishing model: Are you comfortable with either subscription publication or the current open-access APC?

Open Access, APCs and Publication Costs

JOSFA uses a hybrid model. Elsevier currently lists two publishing routes:

• Open access: an article publishing charge of USD 2,900 excluding taxes. Elsevier notes that the amount may be reduced during submission where institutional or other arrangements apply.
• Subscription: no publication fee charged to authors; access is provided to subscribers.

The APC applies to the open-access choice, not simply to submitting a manuscript. Authors should check funder requirements, institutional agreements, license options and the exact amount presented during the submission process. Never rely on an old fee copied from a third-party journal directory.

Common Reasons a Manuscript May Be Unsuitable

1. The manuscript mentions sustainability only superficially and does not make it central to the research question or contribution.
2. The study is primarily a conventional finance or accounting paper without a clear sustainable-finance, ESG, accountability, governance or related policy dimension.
3. The research question falls outside the journal’s interdisciplinary remit or is better suited to a narrowly technical outlet.
4. The paper does not explain its theoretical, empirical, methodological or practical contribution relative to recent literature in the journal’s field.
5. The manuscript is incomplete, poorly organized, or does not follow the current Elsevier submission and declaration requirements.
6. Ethics, conflicts of interest, funding, data availability, AI-assisted writing disclosure or author-contribution information is missing where applicable.
7. The submission relies on unverified claims about indexing, metrics or journal requirements instead of checking current official sources.

Practical Examples: Evaluating JOSFA Fit

Example 1: A PhD scholar studying green banking

Situation: A doctoral researcher examines how green-lending policies affect bank risk and sustainable investment outcomes.

Fit assessment: The topic connects finance, sustainability and banking directly, so the journal’s stated scope appears relevant.

Readiness step: Compare the manuscript with recent JOSFA papers to confirm that the theoretical framing, data and method contribute to the journal’s current conversation.

Decision: Potentially suitable, subject to novelty, methodological quality and full compliance with the journal’s current author guidance.

Example 2: An accounting researcher studying ESG disclosure

Situation: A researcher evaluates whether ESG disclosure quality is associated with firm value, assurance practices or accountability outcomes.

Fit assessment: The sustainability-accounting link is strong and may align with the journal’s interdisciplinary focus.

Readiness step: Make the sustainability contribution explicit, justify the measures used, report limitations transparently and ensure references engage with the relevant literature.

Decision: Potentially suitable if the contribution goes beyond a generic disclosure study and clearly addresses sustainable accounting or accountability.

Example 3: A conventional corporate-finance manuscript

Situation: An author studies capital structure and profitability but includes no sustainability, ESG, climate, accountability or sustainable-development dimension.

Fit assessment: The finance component alone may not establish journal fit because JOSFA’s identity is centered on sustainable finance and accounting.

Readiness step: Do not add superficial sustainability language simply to force alignment; instead identify a journal whose aims naturally match the actual research question.

Decision: Likely a weak fit unless sustainability is genuinely part of the study design, evidence and contribution.

Publication-Readiness Checklist

How Contentxprtz Can Support JOSFA Publication Readiness

Contentxprtz can help authors prepare a clearer, more polished and journal-aligned manuscript while all editorial and publication decisions remain solely with the journal. Support may include scope-alignment review, manuscript assessment, academic editing, proofreading, ESL language polishing, title and abstract refinement, journal formatting, reference consistency, figure/table language review, cover-letter editing and reviewer-response editing.

For researchers moving from thesis work to a journal article, support can also focus on reducing dissertation-style background, sharpening the contribution, restructuring the manuscript around a journal audience and checking whether the paper follows current author instructions. Contentxprtz does not fabricate data or references, manipulate peer review, claim editorial influence or guarantee acceptance.

Summary: Journal of Sustainable Finance and Accounting

JOSFA is an Elsevier journal affiliated with ASFAAG and focused on sustainable finance, accounting, ESG, sustainability reporting, green banking, corporate governance, accountability and related sustainability themes. Its online ISSN is 2950-3701, and the ISSN Portal lists Scopus among its indexing sources; the supplied Scopus Source ID is 21101392302.

The journal supports both open-access and subscription publishing. Elsevier currently lists a USD 2,900 open-access APC excluding taxes and no author publication fee for the subscription route. The peer-review model is single anonymized, with suitable manuscripts typically sent to at least two independent reviewers. Researchers should verify current metrics, coverage, fees and submission instructions immediately before submitting.

Conclusion: Evaluate Fit Before You Submit

The Journal of Sustainable Finance and Accounting can be a relevant venue for research that genuinely connects sustainability with finance, accounting, investment, governance, accountability or related policy questions. Its Elsevier platform, Scopus source record and interdisciplinary positioning make it important for authors to evaluate both scholarly fit and institutional requirements carefully.

Before submitting, verify the current journal page, Scopus profile, author instructions, publication options and editorial policies. Then compare your manuscript with recent articles, strengthen the contribution and methods, complete all required declarations, and ensure that the files are technically ready for editorial assessment and peer review.

Contentxprtz can assist with ethical editing, proofreading, journal formatting, references, cover-letter preparation and publication-readiness review. These services can improve clarity and compliance, but editorial decisions remain entirely with the journal and no acceptance or publication outcome can be guaranteed.