Journal profile · Mechanics
Finite Elements in Analysis and Design
ISSN 0168-874X · eISSN 1872-6925 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Monthly · Founded 1985
Finite Elements in Analysis and Design: CAS Zone 3 · Engineering (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.32; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,990; review about 91 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 141 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Finite Elements in Analysis and Design is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 3 of Engineering in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Composite Structure Analysis and Optimization, Numerical methods in engineering and Advanced Numerical Methods in Computational Mathematics, together about 30.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Civil and Structural Engineering. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
An International Journal for Innovations in Computational MethodologiesThe aim of this journal is to provide a platform discussing the development and advanced use of computational models involving the finite element method in science and engineering. The emphasis of the journal is put on mathematical and theoretical foundations, computer implementation of numerical methods, and use of numerical procedures to solve practical but challenging problems. Works demonstrating synergistic methodological or technical developments between emerging fields, such as data science and probabilistic modeling, and more traditional computational approaches are encouraged. Review articles presenting unbiased and comprehensive reviews of state-of-the-art topics will also be considered. All submissions to FINEL will be peer reviewed, and must have archival value to be suitable for publication. Reflecting the aforementioned emphasis on solution of practical problems, numerical demonstration of proposed methodologies will generally be considered a necessary ingredient for papers appearing in FINEL. Conversely, applications of existing finite element techniques to widely studied problems, or restricted to dataset generation, will typically not be favorably considered for publication.The journal encompasses any field where numerical solution procedures for initial/boundary value problems are needed to meet design and analysis needs. Although the following list is not exhaustive, contributions are sought in structural mechanics, geomechanics, mechanical engineering, mechanics of materials, fluid mechanics, thermal sciences, hydrology, chemical engineering, biomechanics, electrical engineering, aero/astro engineering, and environmental engineering and science. In addition to contributions focused directly on numerical methodologies, submissions dealing with computer-aided engineering methods, parallel computing, optimal design strategies, mesh generation and post processing, code validation, experimental verification, and visualization are also solicited.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Mechanics
Editor-in-chief Johann GuilleminotPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 20, Germany 7, Belgium 4, United Kingdom 2, Japan 2 (48 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Composite Structure Analysis and OptimizationEngineering12.3%
- Numerical methods in engineeringEngineering11.1%
- Advanced Numerical Methods in Computational MathematicsEngineering7.3%
- Structural Analysis and OptimizationEngineering5.6%
- Topology Optimization in EngineeringEngineering4.8%
- Structural Load-Bearing AnalysisEngineering4.7%
- Vibration and Dynamic AnalysisEngineering4.5%
- Structural Health Monitoring TechniquesEngineering4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Engineering Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Mathematics, Applied | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Mechanics | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Engineering Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Mathematics, Applied | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Mechanics | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Engineering Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Mathematics, Applied | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Mechanics | 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
- 3.32LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.76LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.25LetPub ·
- h-index
- 67LetPub ·
- h-index
- 108OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,912OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.87OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 35.39%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 125LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,639 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 97 | 55 | 50 |
| 2025 | 141 | 60 | 359 |
| 2024 | 107 | 62 | 581 |
| 2023 | 104 | 50 | 977 |
| 2022 | 93 | 40 | 972 |
| 2021 | 82 | 34 | 1,539 |
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
91 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 6 months
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 6 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 95%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 1 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 37 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 91 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 14 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 2,990 / EUR 2,800 / GBP 2,390 / JPY 370,850 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,180 | — | — |
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)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Optional
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
Submission declaration 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
Ethics in publishing 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
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
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 two reviewers 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.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing 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
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1985
- ISSN
- 0168-874X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1872-6925
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Finite Elements in Analysis and Design
What CAS zone is Finite Elements in Analysis and Design in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Finite Elements in Analysis and Design is in Zone 3 of Engineering, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Mathematics, Applied / Mechanics. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Engineering. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Finite Elements in Analysis and Design?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.32; CiteScore 5.3, h-index 108.
How long does peer review take at Finite Elements in Analysis and Design?
The publisher reports about 91 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 6 months. 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 Finite Elements in Analysis and Design?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Optional. 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 Finite Elements in Analysis and Design based?
Of the 48 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (20), Germany (7) and Belgium (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Finite Elements in Analysis and Design?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Finite Elements in Analysis and Design is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Finite Elements in Analysis and Design open access, and what is the APC?
Finite Elements in Analysis and Design is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,990.
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: .