Journal profile · Physics, Multidisciplinary
American Journal of Physics
ISSN 0002-9505 · eISSN 1943-2909 · American Association of Physics Teachers · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1940
American Journal of Physics: CAS Zone 4 · Education (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 0.85; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,000; review about 3 months (community reports); community-reported acceptance: easy; 146 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
American Journal of Physics is published by American Association of Physics Teachers and is in Zone 4 of Education in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Experimental and Theoretical Physics Studies, Quantum Mechanics and Applications and Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics, together about 39.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Statistical and Nonlinear Physics and Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The American Journal of Physics (AJP) publishes papers that will support, inform, and delight a diverse audience of college and university physics teachers. Contents include novel approaches to classroom and laboratory instruction, insightful articles on topics in classical and modern physics, apparatus notes, historical or cultural topics, book reviews, resource letters, and award talks.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Physics, Multidisciplinary
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Experimental and Theoretical Physics StudiesPhysics and Astronomy23.7%
- Quantum Mechanics and ApplicationsPhysics and Astronomy8.2%
- Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical MechanicsPhysics and Astronomy7.6%
- Relativity and Gravitational TheoryPhysics and Astronomy6.7%
- Quantum and Classical ElectrodynamicsPhysics and Astronomy5.1%
- Experimental Learning in EngineeringEngineering5%
- Science Education and PedagogySocial Sciences4.1%
- Mechanical and Optical ResonatorsPhysics and Astronomy3.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Education Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Education | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Education, Scientific Disciplines | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Education Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Education | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Education, Scientific Disciplines | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Education Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Education | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Education, Scientific Disciplines | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 0.85LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 1.7LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.35LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.85LetPub ·
- h-index
- 81LetPub ·
- h-index
- 318OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 6,275OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.89OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 22.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 17.71%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 104LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 26,254 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 136 | 68 | 13 |
| 2025 | 146 | 73 | 107 |
| 2024 | 169 | 98 | 283 |
| 2023 | 155 | 88 | 508 |
| 2022 | 152 | 81 | 549 |
| 2021 | 173 | 86 | 798 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher website | USD 3,000 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship
- Authorship
Author membership status is not a criterion for manuscript acceptance. Model summary
Members and nonmembers are equally welcome to submit manuscripts, and author membership status is not a criterion for manuscript acceptance.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- American Association of Physics Teachers
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1940
- ISSN
- 0002-9505
- Electronic ISSN
- 1943-2909
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about American Journal of Physics
What CAS zone is American Journal of Physics in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, American Journal of Physics is in Zone 4 of Education, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Education, Scientific Disciplines / Physics, Multidisciplinary. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Education. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of American Journal of Physics?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 0.85; CiteScore 1.7, h-index 318.
How long does peer review take at American Journal of Physics?
Authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Which databases index American Journal of Physics?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, American Journal of Physics is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is American Journal of Physics open access, and what is the APC?
American Journal of Physics is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,000.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-24). Last updated: .