The Sociological Review Foundation

What The Sociological Review Foundation does

The Sociological Review Foundation is a UK-registered charity (no. 1161961) and private company limited by guarantee, headquartered at Cheam with operational ties to Lancaster, England. It exists to advance public education in sociology and related disciplines and operates as a content publishing platform spanning four primary product lines: a peer-reviewed academic journal and monograph series distributed globally through SAGE Publishing (the journal, ISSN 0038-0261, is the oldest sociology journal in the UK with 100+ years of continuous publication); a Creative Commons-licensed magazine (ISSN 2754-1371) carrying articles, interviews, fiction, visual essays, and reviews; a podcast portfolio led by the flagship Uncommon Sense (fifth season) and Spatial Delight (Volkswagen Foundation-funded, ten episodes in English and Spanish); and event programming including the annual Public Lecture, workshops (Live Methods with Les Back), and the biennial Undisciplining conference.

The foundation runs on a lean 18-person staff supported by a Board of Trustees (Chief Executive Michaela Benson, Deputy Chief Executive Maria Bellocci, Operations Director Attila Szanto). Technology infrastructure is deliberately lightweight and open-source: the website is built on Wagtail CMS with GLightbox for media display, podcasts are hosted via Buzzsprout, ticketing on Tickettailor, donations on DonorBox, and email on Mailchimp. There is no proprietary technology moat — differentiation rests on the journal's century-old brand, editorial curation, and convening power across the sociological community.

Revenue is generated through five streams: SAGE-routed journal and monograph subscription royalties; paid podcast production and distribution services offered to external clients (£2,750/episode production, £1,700-£4,300 sole distribution tiers); ticketed events (Public Lecture 2026 with Angela Saini at SOAS); DonorBox charitable donations; and one-time monograph sales. Customer segments span academic researchers and university libraries globally, A-level and undergraduate students, educators, visual artists via the Image-Maker residency programme, and the general public reached through open-access magazine and podcast content.

Name

The Sociological Review Foundation

Legal name

Sociological Review Foundation Limited

Website

https://thesociologicalreview.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Sociological Review Foundation is a UK-registered charity that publishes the UK's oldest sociology journal (via SAGE), a Creative Commons magazine, two podcast series, monographs, and educational resources, serving academic researchers, university libraries, A-level and undergraduate students, educators, visual artists, and the broader public interested in sociology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Publishing

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarly Society & Association Publishing (EDAGAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Social Sciences Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAD), Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed) (MPAJABAC), Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK), Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Academic journal publishing
• Sociological research
• Charitable foundation
• Educational publishing
• Podcast production services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheam

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Journal Publishing Revenue: Profits from The Sociological Review journal (published by SAGE, ISSN 0038-0261) are used to fund the foundation's charitable work, including postdoctoral fellowships, bursaries, and academic events. The journal is the oldest academic sociology journal in the UK, over 100 years old.
2. Podcast Production Services: The foundation offers two podcast collaboration options: Production and Distribution Collaboration (approximately £16,500 for a six-episode series, £2,750 per episode) and Sole Distribution Collaboration (3-episode: £1,700-£2,400; 6-episode: £2,300-£3,200; 10-episode: £3,000-£4,300). Services include branded webpages, hosting, platform distribution, DOI assignment, and promotional support.
3. Event Ticket Sales: The flagship annual Public Lecture event (e.g., 2026 with Angela Saini at SOAS, London) serves as the primary fundraising event with ticket sales supporting charitable work. Additional workshops and conferences generate supplementary revenue.
4. Donations and Charitable Support: The foundation accepts donations via DonorBox platform to support its charitable mission of advancing public education in sociology. Donations fund fellowships, bursaries, and organisational activities.
5. Monograph and Book Sales: The Monograph Series (published by SAGE) generates revenue through sales. Recent monographs include 'Reimagining Menopause' (ISBN 9781036254919) and 'War Frames: Insights from Eastern Europe and East Asia' (ISBN 9781036251703).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Sociological Review Foundation is a registered UK charity (charity no. 1161961) that publishes and distributes sociological content across multiple formats. Its core offerings include The Sociological Review academic journal (published via SAGE), a Monograph Series, a Creative Commons-licensed magazine, podcasts (Uncommon Sense and Spatial Delight), educational resources, and academic events such as the annual Public Lecture and Undisciplining conferences.

Product overview

The Sociological Review Foundation is a registered charity (charity number 1161961) that operates as a platform-plus-modules organization publishing open-access sociological content. The core products include The Sociological Review Journal (academic journal published by SAGE for over 100 years) and its prestigious Monograph Series (50+ years), alongside The Sociological Review Magazine (ISSN 2754-1371) with its creative content including Sociological Fiction and Book Reviews sections. The podcast portfolio features flagship productions Uncommon Sense (now in its fifth season) and Spatial Delight. Supporting offerings include the Image-Maker in Residence visual sociology programme, Lesson Plans tied to podcast episodes, the annual Public Lecture fundraising event, and the Undisciplining Conference series. Content is distributed via the website (built on Wagtail CMS) and major podcast platforms, with donations managed through DonorBox and events via Ticket Tailor.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Sociological Review Journal The oldest academic journal in sociology in the UK, publishing high quality and innovative articles covering all branches of the discipline including criminology, education, gender, medicine, and organization. Published by SAGE Publishing with ISSN: 0038-0261; profits support the foundation's charitable work.
• Monograph Series A prestigious monograph series publishing collections of outstanding and original scholarly articles on issues of general sociological interest, produced by SAGE Publishing. Recent titles include 'Reimagining Menopause' (ISBN 9781036254919) and 'War Frames: Insights from Eastern Europe and East Asia' (ISBN 9781036251703).
• The Sociological Review Magazine Monthly magazine publishing articles, interviews, Q&A pieces, research insights, visual essays, fiction, reviews, and Bedside Books columns. Content is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) and is openly accessible. ISSN: 2754-1371.
• Uncommon Sense Podcast A flagship monthly podcast casting a sociological lens on commonplace notions such as anxiety, desire, burnout, and fat, featuring expert guests and jargon-free discussion. Now in its fifth season with accompanying lesson plans tied to AQA and Cambridge OCR modules for classroom use.
• Spatial Delight Podcast A ten-episode podcast about space, society, and power inspired by the life and work of British geographer Doreen Massey, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation. Covers topics including global sense of place, geometries of power, space invaders, and geographies of responsibility; episodes available in English and Spanish.
• Image-Maker in Residence Programme An online visual publication programme exploring visual sociology through art, showcasing creative practitioners' work via Instagram over six-to-nine-week periods with interviews published on the website. Includes video, audio, painting, photography, collage, illustration, textile printing, and other visual media, with honoraria for participants.
• Sociological Review Foundation Public Lecture Flagship annual fundraising event featuring prominent speakers delivering lectures to academic and public audiences. The 2026 lecture features Angela Saini on 'Anatomy of a myth: Why human classification can't cure health disparities' at SOAS University of London, with ticket sales supporting the foundation's charitable work.
• Undisciplining Conference A major biennial conference series asking 'Who is sociology for?' bringing together academics, educators, artists, activists, and thinkers. The Undisciplining II conference took place 10-12 September 2024 at The Lowry, Salford.
• Podcast Production Collaboration Services Podcast production and distribution services offered to external producers, including Production and Distribution Collaboration (~£16,500 for a six-episode series, ~£2,750 per episode) and Sole Distribution Collaboration (3-episode: £1,700-£2,400; 6-episode: £2,300-£3,200; 10-episode: £3,000-£4,300). Services include branded webpages, hosting across major platforms, DOI assignment, and promotional support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Uncommon Sense podcast now in its fifth season
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration19 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.

• SAGE PublishingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSAGE Publishing distributes The Sociological Review journal (ISSN: 0038-0261) and Monograph Series globally. Journal profits fund the foundation's charitable work including fellowships, bursaries, and events. SAGE is the publishing partner for both the academic journal and monograph series.
• SOAS University of LondonkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOAS Gallery Lecture Theatre serves as the venue for the Sociological Review Foundation Public Lecture 2026 with Angela Saini. This flagship annual event is the foundation's primary fundraising initiative.
• The Lowry (Salford)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lowry in Salford served as the venue for the Undisciplining II conference (10-12 September 2024), a major academic event asking 'Who is sociology for?'

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Cambridge University Press: A leading global academic publisher with a substantial social science and humanities journal list. Comparable as a broad incumbent that publishes peer-reviewed sociology and social science journals, monographs, and educational resources — competing in the same UK academic publishing ecosystem.
• SAGE Publishing: One of the world's largest academic publishers, distributing thousands of journals across the social sciences and humanities. Comparable as the foundation's core publishing and distribution partner, and operates in the same scholarly publishing space with overlapping sociology, education, and social science content — though at vastly greater scale and breadth.
• Oxford University Press: One of the largest university presses globally, with an extensive social science journal portfolio including sociology titles. Comparable as a broad incumbent in academic and scholarly publishing with overlapping content categories and competing for institutional library budgets.
• Wiley: A major global academic publisher with extensive social science and humanities journal portfolio including The British Journal of Sociology (a direct competitor to The Sociological Review). Comparable as a large-scale academic publisher that distributes and monetizes sociology and social science scholarship globally.
• Taylor & Francis: One of the world's largest academic publishers with thousands of journals across social sciences, humanities, and STM. Comparable as a broad incumbent in scholarly journal publishing, distributing numerous sociology and social science titles that compete for institutional subscribers alongside The Sociological Review.

Direct peers

• Annual Reviews: A nonprofit publisher of authoritative scientific and social science review journals including the Annual Review of Sociology. Comparable as a mission-driven scholarly publisher that uses journal revenues to fund editorial excellence and author support — operating a similar non-profit publishing model.
• British Sociological Association: The UK's primary scholarly society for sociologists, publishing Sociology (journal) and organizing the annual BSA conference. Directly comparable as a UK-based sociology scholarly society that publishes journals, hosts events, and supports the academic sociology community — competing for similar authors, readers, and members.
• American Sociological Association: The largest scholarly society for sociologists globally, publishing multiple journals including the American Journal of Sociology and Annual Review of Sociology. Comparable as a sociology-focused scholarly association that publishes journals, organizes major annual conferences, and funds research — though operating at significantly larger scale in the US market.
• British Journal of Sociology: A flagship UK-based peer-reviewed sociology journal published by Wiley/LSE, with a 70+ year history. Most direct peer competitor to The Sociological Review in terms of scope, audience, and scholarly positioning — both serve the UK and international academic sociology community.

Emerging players

• Bristol University Press: A UK-based academic publisher with a strong social science list and a non-profit, open-access-oriented publishing model (including Policy Press). Comparable as a UK-based scholarly publisher with significant social science and sociology content, focused on social impact and public engagement — paralleling the foundation's mission-driven approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thesociologicalreview
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheSociologicalReview
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-sociological-review-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/thesociologicalreview

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Sociological Review Foundation