Journal profile · BUSINESS, FINANCE
Finance Research Letters
ISSN 1544-6123 · eISSN 1544-6131 · Elsevier
Finance Research Letters: CAS Zone 2 · Economics (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 7.06; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,730; review about 87 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 2,514 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Finance Research Letters is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Economics in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Corporate Finance and Governance, Financial Markets and Investment Strategies and Market Dynamics and Volatility, together about 35% of its articles. Its main subfields are Finance and Economics and Econometrics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Finance Research Letters invites submissions in all areas of finance, broadly defined. Finance Research Letters offers and ensures the rapid publication of important new results in these areas. We aim to provide a rapid response to papers, with all papers undergoing a desk review by one of the Editors in Chief before being sent for review.Papers are especially welcome that shed insight on the replicability or lack thereof of established results, that look at transnational applicability of previous findings, that challenge existing methodological approaches, or which demonstrate the methodological contingency of findings. Single country replications of well-established results are not generally within the scope of the journal.Papers for submission should be concise - less than 2500 words; they should be clearly and lucidly written to convey the essence of the findings and novelty; they should contain new, preliminary or experimental results of interest to the broad finance community.Topics welcomed include, but are not limited to, those below. Authors are welcome to contact any of the Chief Editors to inquire, without prejudice, as to topic suitability.Papers are invited in the following areas:Actuarial studies Alternative investments Asset Pricing Bankruptcy and liquidation Banks and other Depository Institutions Behavioral and experimental finance Bibliometric and Scientometric studies of finance Capital budgeting and corporate investment Capital markets and accounting Capital structure and payout policy Commodities Contagion, crises and interdependence Corporate governance Credit and fixed income markets and instruments Derivatives Emerging markets Energy Finance and Energy Markets Financial Econometrics Financial History Financial intermediation and money markets Financial markets and marketplaces Financial Mathematics and Econophysics Financial Regulation and Law Forecasting Frontier market studies International Finance Market efficiency, event studies Mergers, acquisitions and the market for corporate control Micro Finance Institutions Microstructure Non-bank Financial Institutions Personal Finance Portfolio choice and investing Real estate finance and investing Risk SME, Family and Entrepreneurial Finance
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): BUSINESS, FINANCE
Editor-in-chief Laura BallesterPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 16 in mainland China (about 24%); most named Mainland China 16, United States 12, United Kingdom 9, France 7, Germany 4 (66 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Corporate Finance and GovernanceBusiness, Management and Accounting12.3%
- Financial Markets and Investment StrategiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance11.4%
- Market Dynamics and VolatilityEconomics, Econometrics and Finance11.3%
- Energy, Environment, Economic GrowthEconomics, Econometrics and Finance7%
- Auditing, Earnings Management, GovernanceBusiness, Management and Accounting5.1%
- Banking stability, regulation, efficiencyEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.9%
- Corporate Social Responsibility ReportingBusiness, Management and Accounting4.3%
- Financial Risk and Volatility ModelingEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Economics Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Business, Finance | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Economics Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Business, Finance | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Economics Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Business, Finance | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
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
- 7.06LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 7.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 10.1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 10.1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.67LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.8LetPub ·
- h-index
- 177OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,831OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 6.31OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 19.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 12.94%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 2,410LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 9,799 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1,216 | 269 | 608 |
| 2025 | 2,514 | 345 | 11,104 |
| 2024 | 1,646 | 296 | 22,202 |
| 2023 | 1,233 | 252 | 28,796 |
| 2022 | 732 | 193 | 28,271 |
| 2021 | 550 | 233 | 21,717 |
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
87 dayssubmission to acceptance
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
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 31 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 87 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 1 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single-anonymous peer reviewPublisher website · model-extracted
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 3,730 / EUR 3,490 / GBP 2,990 / JPY 462,630 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,540 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Submission fee
- USD 200
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 prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 2,500 words
- Not considered
- Single country replications of well-established results
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, 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
1 to 7 keywords required, in English, avoiding multi-word keywords where possible. Model summary
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 ·- Publication ethics
Authors must follow Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy. Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
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
Non-refundable submission fee of USD $200.00 required before consideration; fee supports journal-related activities; no additional fee if transferred via article transfer service. 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; submissions initially assessed by editors; if suitable, sent to a minimum of one reviewer; editors make the accept/reject decision. 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 sharing allowed per Elsevier policy and does not count as prior publication; free preprint posting service on SSRN offered, posted after passing initial desk review. Model summary
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
- ISSN
- 1544-6123
- Electronic ISSN
- 1544-6131
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Finance Research Letters
What CAS zone is Finance Research Letters in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Finance Research Letters is in Zone 2 of Economics, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Business, Finance. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Economics. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Finance Research Letters?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 7.06; CiteScore 10.1, h-index 177.
How long does peer review take at Finance Research Letters?
The publisher reports about 87 days (submission to acceptance). 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 Finance Research Letters?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 2,500 words. 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 Finance Research Letters based?
Of the 66 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 16 (about 24%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (16), United States (12) and United Kingdom (9). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Finance Research Letters?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Finance Research Letters is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is Finance Research Letters open access, and what is the APC?
Finance Research Letters is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,730.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .