Journal profile · Oceanography
Continental Shelf Research
ISSN 0278-4343 · eISSN 1873-6955 · Elsevier Ltd · ENGLAND · Semimonthly · Founded 1982
Continental Shelf Research: CAS Zone 3 · Earth Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.31; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,260; review about 181 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: easy; 154 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Continental Shelf Research is published by Elsevier Ltd and is in Zone 3 of Earth Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes, Marine and coastal ecosystems and Coastal and Marine Dynamics, together about 34% of its articles. Its main subfields are Oceanography. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Continental Shelf Research publishes articles dealing with the biological, chemical, geological and physical oceanography of the shallow marine environment, from coastal and estuarine waters out to the shelf break. The continental shelf is a critical environment within the land-ocean continuum, and many processes, functions and problems in the continental shelf are driven by terrestrial inputs transported through the rivers and estuaries to the coastal and continental shelf areas. Manuscripts that deal with these topics must make a clear link to the continental shelf. Examples of research areas include: Physical sedimentology and geomorphologyGeochemistry of the coastal ocean (inorganic and organic)Marine environment and anthropogenic effectsInteraction of physical dynamics with natural and manmade shoreline featuresBenthic, phytoplankton and zooplankton ecologyCoastal water and sediment quality, and ecosystem healthBenthic-pelagic coupling (physical and biogeochemical)Interactions between physical dynamics (waves, currents, mixing, etc.) and biogeochemical cyclesEstuarine, coastal and shelf sea modelling and process studiesEmphasis is placed on interdisciplinary process-oriented contributions, and encouragement is given to the publication of the results of innovative experimental studies with the potential for upscaling and a broad contribution. Regional descriptions and data summaries are discouraged.Continental Shelf Research publishes research papers, occasional review articles and short communications and technical notes (instruments and methods).Continental Shelf Research also publishes Special Issues dedicated to results of large interdisciplinary studies or topical issues on specific subjects. Contact one of our Editors for more information on Special Issue proposals.Note to Authors: When considering submission of a manuscript to CSR, bear in mind that recent analyses show that published papers are downloaded by scientists from over 90 countries world-wide. This level of usage emphasizes the need for authors to present their research results in a broad context, to be of interest to this international community. Likewise, when suggesting the four reviewers for a manuscript, an international perspective of individual scientists (not necessarily affiliated with CSR) should be considered.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Oceanography
Editor-in-chief Shouye YangPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 5 in mainland China (about 12%); most named United States 11, Spain 7, Mainland China 5, Germany 3, Taiwan, China 2 (42 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Oceanographic and Atmospheric ProcessesEarth and Planetary Sciences14.5%
- Marine and coastal ecosystemsEarth and Planetary Sciences11.9%
- Coastal and Marine DynamicsEarth and Planetary Sciences7.7%
- Marine Biology and Ecology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences6.4%
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamicsEnvironmental Science5.7%
- Geological formations and processesEarth and Planetary Sciences5.6%
- Geology and Paleoclimatology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences5.3%
- Marine and fisheries researchEnvironmental Science4.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Earth Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Oceanography | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Earth Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Oceanography | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Earth Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Oceanography | Zone 3 |
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
- 2.31LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.75LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1LetPub ·
- h-index
- 100LetPub ·
- h-index
- 173OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 4,350OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.02OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 24.6%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 137LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 90Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 6,381 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 123 | 46 | 32 |
| 2025 | 154 | 50 | 253 |
| 2024 | 141 | 63 | 559 |
| 2023 | 135 | 59 | 970 |
| 2022 | 153 | 69 | 1,459 |
| 2021 | 169 | 58 | 2,079 |
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
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
181 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 1 month
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 1 monthLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 23 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 99 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 181 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,260 / EUR 3,050 / GBP 2,610 / JPY 404,340 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,490 | — | — |
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)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare7 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Required, 4
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted4
- research papersContinental Shelf Research publishes research papers, occasional review articles and short communications and technical notes (instruments and methods).Length not stated
- review articlesContinental Shelf Research publishes research papers, occasional review articles and short communications and technical notes (instruments and methods).Length not stated
- short communicationsContinental Shelf Research publishes research papers, occasional review articles and short communications and technical notes (instruments and methods).Length not stated
- technical notesContinental Shelf Research publishes research papers, occasional review articles and short communications and technical notes (instruments and methods).Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
Supports open access Model summary
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of one reviewer for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Rea…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
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
- Elsevier Ltd
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Semimonthly
- Founded
- 1982
- ISSN
- 0278-4343
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-6955
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Continental Shelf Research
What CAS zone is Continental Shelf Research in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Continental Shelf Research is in Zone 3 of Earth Sciences, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Oceanography. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Earth Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Continental Shelf Research?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.31; CiteScore 4.4, h-index 173.
How long does peer review take at Continental Shelf Research?
The publisher reports about 181 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 1 month; 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Continental Shelf Research?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: Required, 4; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Continental Shelf Research based?
Of the 42 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 5 (about 12%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (11), Spain (7) and Mainland China (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Continental Shelf Research?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Continental Shelf Research is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Continental Shelf Research open access, and what is the APC?
Continental Shelf Research is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,260.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .