Public Relations Review: Scopus, Scope & Submission Guide

Quick Answer: What Is Public Relations Review?

Public Relations Review is a long-running scholarly journal published by Elsevier for research that examines public relations in depth. The official aims and scope describe empirical work by academics and professionals as a major part of the journal, alongside commentaries, invited research-in-brief material and book reviews.

The journal is indexed in Scopus and the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). Current 2026 ScienceDirect pages display a 7.3 CiteScore and 3.4 Impact Factor. These values are time-sensitive, and Scopus quartiles vary by category and reporting year.

Researchers should consider the journal when public-relations theory, relationships, strategic communication, organizational communication, public opinion, evaluation or practice is central to the research question. A manuscript that is mainly marketing, management, political communication or media research without a substantive public-relations contribution may be less well aligned even if the topic overlaps.

Key Takeaways

• Publisher: Elsevier.
• Scopus: indexed; Source ID 29139.
• ISSNs: 0363-8111 (print) and 1873-4537 (online).
• Current displayed metrics: 7.3 CiteScore and 3.4 Impact Factor on 2026 ScienceDirect pages.
• Review model: double anonymized; suitable manuscripts are typically assessed by at least two independent reviewers.
• Author basics: abstract up to 250 words, 1–7 keywords, highlights, separate title page and anonymized manuscript.
• Access model: hybrid; subscription publication has no author publication fee, while optional open access carries an APC.
• Best-fit test: public-relations concepts or theory should be central, not an incidental label added to a broader communication study.

Public Relations Review Information at a Glance

What This Page Covers

• journal identity, publisher, ISSNs and Scopus record
• aims, scope and subject fit
• current metrics and how to interpret quartiles carefully
• article types and recent research themes
• double-anonymized peer review and editorial screening
• manuscript files, abstract, keywords, highlights and references
• open-access options, subscription publication and APCs
• submission workflow, ethics and publication-readiness checks
• ways Contentxprtz can support authors without promising acceptance

Methodology and Source Note

This journal profile was prepared from the supplied Scopus source record and authoritative publisher information, including Elsevier's Public Relations Review journal page, Journal Insights, Guide for Authors and editorial-board page. Scopus indexing is matched by source title, ISSN and Source ID rather than journal name alone.

Metrics, fees, editorial boards, review-time indicators and database quartiles change. Where a value is time-sensitive, this page states the reporting context or directs authors to verify the live record.

Journal Aims and Scope: What Does Public Relations Review Publish?

Elsevier describes Public Relations Review as a global journal of research and comment and identifies it as the oldest journal devoted to examining public relations in depth. Empirical research by academics and professionals forms a major part of its published work. The scope also accommodates specialist commentary, invited research in brief and book reviews.

The journal's stated subject reach includes public relations, mass communication, organizational communication, public-opinion formation, social-science research and evaluation, marketing, management and public-policy formation. That breadth should not be read as permission for any communication or management paper. For a strong fit, the paper should explain why the research question matters to public-relations scholarship or practice and should engage concepts, theories, publics, relationships, organizations, strategic communication or professional consequences that belong to the field.

Research themes likely to be relevant

• organization–public relationships, engagement, trust and legitimacy
• crisis, risk and reputation communication
• strategic communication, advocacy and public affairs
• digital, social-media, influencer and AI-mediated public relations
• employee communication, internal communication and organizational relationships
• public-relations education, professional practice and ethics
• sustainability, social impact, corporate responsibility and societal expectations
• measurement, evaluation and methodological innovation in public-relations research
• critical, cultural, rhetorical and socio-cultural approaches to public relations

Recent journal collections on artificial intelligence, sustainability, passionate publics, critical public-relations research and methods for theory building illustrate a field that welcomes varied theoretical and methodological traditions when the public-relations contribution is explicit.

Who Should Consider Submitting?

Public Relations Review may suit communication scholars, public-relations researchers, doctoral candidates, management and marketing researchers with a strong PR framing, and professionals producing rigorous empirical work. It can also be relevant to interdisciplinary teams studying relationships between organizations and publics, stakeholder communication, reputation, advocacy, crisis response or strategic communication.

For PhD scholars, the journal's indexing can make it attractive, but institutional requirements vary. Some universities specify a Scopus quartile, Web of Science category, publication date window or accepted article type. Authors should therefore check the latest category-specific database record and their own doctoral regulations before choosing a target.

When the fit may be weak

A manuscript may be less suitable if public relations appears only in the title or keywords while the theory, literature review and implications remain entirely within another discipline. A purely descriptive industry case with limited theoretical contribution, an opinion piece submitted as research, or a methodologically underdeveloped survey may also struggle at editorial screening. The journal's recent calls for papers repeatedly emphasize theory development, methodological rigor and a central public-relations contribution.

Scopus Indexing, CiteScore, Impact Factor and Quartile

Public Relations Review is indexed in Scopus, and the supplied journal record identifies Scopus Source ID 29139. Elsevier also lists the journal in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). Current 2026 ScienceDirect issue pages display a CiteScore of 7.3 and an Impact Factor of 3.4.

A single “quartile” label can be misleading because Scopus ranks journals separately across categories and years. Recent Scopus-derived 2024 data show Q1 placement in Communication and Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, with Q2 in Marketing. Researchers should use the category relevant to their institution and confirm the newest database year. Likewise, SJR and SNIP should be treated as reporting-year values rather than permanent properties of the journal.

Practical interpretation: indexing and metrics indicate visibility and citation performance; they do not predict acceptance. Editorial fit, contribution, evidence quality, transparent methods and clear writing remain manuscript-level issues.

Article Types and Recent Publication Patterns

The official aims and scope names research articles, commentaries, invited research in brief and book reviews. ScienceDirect issues also label content such as research articles and editorials. Authors should select the article type offered in the live submission system and follow any type-specific instructions shown there.

Recent articles and special collections demonstrate that the journal publishes empirical, conceptual and critical work across contemporary public-relations problems. Examples include AI and public relations, workplace well-being, protest language and brands, crisis responsibility, belonging and publics, sustainability, pedagogy and methodological innovation. These examples are useful for evaluating fit because they show how authors connect a topical problem to public-relations theory and implications.

Manuscript Preparation Requirements Authors Should Know

The Guide for Authors requires editable source files. Word submissions should use a single-column layout; LaTeX source is also accepted. A PDF alone is not an acceptable source file for the complete submission.

Double-anonymized submission files

Authors should upload a separate title page and anonymized manuscript. The title page includes the article title, author names, affiliations, acknowledgements, declaration of interest, corresponding-author address and email. The anonymized manuscript contains the main text, references, figures and tables but should not reveal author names or affiliations.

Abstract, keywords and highlights

• Abstract: concise and factual, maximum 250 words.
• Keywords: 1 to 7, in English.
• Highlights: required as a separate editable file and intended to communicate novel results and methods.

Article organization and references

The guide asks authors to divide the article into clearly defined numbered sections and permits numbered subsections. References should be complete and internally consistent. The journal states that in-text citations follow American Psychological Association conventions, Seventh Edition; the reference list is arranged alphabetically and then chronologically. DOI links are encouraged.

Research data

The journal applies Elsevier's Option B research-data guidance. Authors are encouraged to deposit relevant data in a suitable repository, cite and link the dataset, or explain why the data cannot be shared. A data-availability statement is also encouraged.

Peer Review and What Happens After Submission

Public Relations Review uses double-anonymized peer review. The editorial team first assesses whether a submission is suitable for the journal. If it proceeds, it is typically sent to at least two independent reviewers for assessment of scientific quality. Editors make the final decision.

Elsevier's journal-level timeline indicators are useful for planning but should not be treated as promises. A captured official insights page listed 8 days from submission to first decision, 89 days to decision after review, 283 days to acceptance and 13 days from acceptance to online publication. Individual papers can take more or less time depending on editorial screening, reviewer availability, revision rounds and author response time.

After acceptance, authors complete the publishing agreement and, where applicable, open-access licensing and payment steps. Proof corrections are requested quickly; the Guide for Authors states that authors are generally asked to return proof corrections within two days.

Open Access, APCs and Publication Fees

Public Relations Review is a hybrid journal. Authors can publish through the subscription route, for which Elsevier states that no publication fee is charged to authors, or choose open access. The captured official page lists an open-access APC of USD 4,380 excluding taxes. Institutional agreements, funder arrangements or discounts may reduce the amount.

Because APCs and agreements change, do not budget solely from an old web page or third-party metric site. Check the amount displayed during the journal's current submission workflow and ask your university library whether an Elsevier agreement applies to the corresponding author.

Publication Ethics and Author Responsibilities

Authors must follow Elsevier's publishing-ethics policies. The submission declaration requires that the work is not simultaneously under consideration elsewhere and has not been previously published except in permitted forms such as a preprint, abstract, lecture, academic thesis or registered report. All authors must approve the submission and satisfy authorship responsibilities.

Competing interests and funding sources must be disclosed. The guide also contains requirements covering authorship changes, inclusive language, sex- and gender-based analysis where relevant, informed consent, copyrighted material and research-data transparency.

Generative AI disclosure

Elsevier allows authors to use AI tools in manuscript preparation with human oversight, but authors remain accountable for accuracy, originality and source verification. If generative AI or AI-assisted technologies are used beyond basic grammar, spelling or reference checks, the guide requires an appropriate disclosure statement in the manuscript. AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

How to Decide Whether Your Manuscript Fits Public Relations Review

As a practical publication-readiness step, read several recent Public Relations Review articles close to your topic. Compare how they frame the problem, build theory, describe methods and state implications. This is not an official acceptance formula; it is a disciplined way to judge fit before investing in submission.

Submission Readiness Checklist

1. Confirm that Public Relations Review is the correct journal by title, ISSNs and Scopus Source ID 29139.
2. Recheck current Scopus, SSCI/JCR and institutional requirements.
3. State the public-relations contribution explicitly in the title, abstract, introduction and discussion.
4. Prepare a separate title page and anonymized manuscript.
5. Keep the abstract within 250 words and provide 1–7 English keywords.
6. Prepare the required highlights file.
7. Check that tables, figures, captions and supplementary files are complete.
8. Ensure all citations appear in the reference list and all reference-list entries are cited in text.
9. Use accurate APA-style citation conventions and verify DOI/bibliographic data.
10. Complete declarations for competing interests, funding and generative AI use where applicable.
11. Review data-sharing expectations and prepare a data-availability statement if appropriate.
12. Check English consistency: British or American English, not a mixture.
13. Confirm the current open-access fee only if choosing OA.
14. Submit through the official journal system and retain copies of every submitted file.

How Contentxprtz Can Support Publication Readiness

Contentxprtz can ethically support authors with journal-selection checks, manuscript assessment, academic editing, proofreading, language polishing, journal formatting, reference consistency, cover-letter editing and reviewer-response editing. For a Public Relations Review submission, support can focus on whether the public-relations contribution is clear, whether the manuscript reads coherently for an international audience, whether anonymization and submission files are consistent, and whether citations and declarations are presented carefully.

Professional support should strengthen communication without fabricating data, citations, authorship or journal claims. The researcher remains responsible for the study, interpretation, ethical approvals, source verification and final submission. Contentxprtz cannot guarantee editorial screening success, peer-review outcomes, acceptance, indexing or citation performance.

Summary

Public Relations Review is an Elsevier journal with established visibility in public-relations and communication research. It is indexed in Scopus under Source ID 29139 and in SSCI, uses double-anonymized peer review, and supports both subscription and open-access publication. Current 2026 ScienceDirect pages display a 7.3 CiteScore and 3.4 Impact Factor, while quartile, SJR and SNIP values should be checked by category and reporting year.

For authors, journal fit depends on more than metrics. Strong submissions make public-relations concepts central, present a clear theoretical or empirical contribution, use defensible methods and follow the journal's submission requirements. Before submitting, verify the live Guide for Authors, current fees and indexing data, then prepare separate anonymized files, a concise abstract, keywords, highlights, complete references and required declarations.

Contentxprtz can assist with ethical manuscript and publication readiness, but acceptance remains solely at the discretion of the journal's editors and peer reviewers. At Contentxprtz, we don’t just edit; we help ideas reach their fullest potential.