Journal profile · CHEMISTRY, ANALYTICAL
Forensic Chemistry
ISSN 2468-1709 · ELSEVIER · NETHERLANDS
Forensic Chemistry: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.87; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,530; review about 71 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 78 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Forensic Chemistry is published by ELSEVIER and is in Zone 3 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis, Mass Spectrometry Techniques and Applications and Forensic Fingerprint Detection Methods, together about 37.5% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Preferred journal of the American Society of Crime Lab Directors (ASCLD).Forensic Chemistry publishes high quality manuscripts focusing on the theory, research and application of any chemical science to forensic analysis. The scope of the journal includes fundamental advancements that result in a better understanding of the evidentiary significance derived from the physical and chemical analysis of materials. The scope of Forensic Chemistry will also include the application and or development of any molecular and atomic spectrochemical technique, electrochemical techniques, sensors, surface characterization techniques, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, chemometrics and statistics, and separation sciences (e.g. chromatography) that provide insight into the forensic analysis of materials.Evidential topics of interest to the journal include, but are not limited to, fingerprint analysis, drug analysis, ignitable liquid residue analysis, explosives detection and analysis, the characterization and comparison of trace evidence (glass, fibers, paints and polymers, tapes, soils and other materials), ink and paper analysis, gunshot residue analysis, synthetic pathways for drugs, toxicology and the analysis and chemistry associated with the components of fingermarks. The journal is particularly interested in receiving manuscripts that report advances in the forensic interpretation of chemical evidence.Technology Readiness Level: When submitting an article to Forensic Chemistry, all authors will be asked to self-assign a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) to their article. The purpose of the TRL system is to help readers understand the level of maturity of an idea or method, to help track the evolution of readiness of a given technique or method, and to help filter published articles by the expected ease of implementation in an operation setting within a crime lab. Four TRL levels are available:TRL 1: Basic research phenomenon observed or basic theory proposed, which may find application to a proposed area of forensic chemistry. Examples include one-off instruments that make unique measurements, the study of chemical properties of explosives, and the first reporting of some basic measurements or observations from chemical analysis.TRL 2: Development of a theory or research phenomenon that has a demonstrated application to a specified area of forensic chemistry, including supporting data. Examples include the first application of an instrument or technique to a forensic application, or the application of a model or theory to simulated casework. Examples include models that predict weathering of ignitable liquids, new or improved separation or measurement capabilities, or development of chemometric tools with an aim to better describe the significance of chemical evidence.TRL 3: Application of an established technique or instrument to a specified area of forensic chemistry with measured figures of merit, some measurement of uncertainty, and developed aspects of intra-laboratory validation. TRL 3 methods should be practicable on commercially available instruments and results of the first inter-laboratory trials can also be reported as TRL 3 communications.TRL 4: Refinement, enhancement, and inter-laboratory validation of a standardized method ready for implementation in forensic laboratories. New knowledge in this area can be immediately adopted or used in casework. Examples are case reports, fully validated methods or protocols that have undergone or are currently being considered by a standard development organization, measures of error rates and database development and reporting.The assignments of the TRL will be proposed by the authors during initial submission. TRL levels will be reviewed by the editors and peer reviewers and displayed in the final article online. Collections of the four TRLs can be found here.Open Data: Forensic Chemistry encourages authors to deposit their datasets publically available on Mendeley Data (da
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): CHEMISTRY, ANALYTICAL
Editor-in-chief José R. AlmirallPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 19, United Kingdom 5, Australia 5, New Zealand 2, Germany 1 (35 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Forensic Toxicology and Drug AnalysisPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics14.5%
- Mass Spectrometry Techniques and ApplicationsChemistry11.9%
- Forensic Fingerprint Detection MethodsSocial Sciences11%
- Forensic and Genetic ResearchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.9%
- Cultural Heritage Materials AnalysisArts and Humanities5.1%
- Analytical Chemistry and ChromatographyChemistry5%
- Advanced Chemical Sensor TechnologiesEngineering4.5%
- Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry StudiesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Analytical | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Analytical | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Analytical | Zone 2 |
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
- 2.87LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.56LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.97LetPub ·
- h-index
- 39OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 321OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.92OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 10.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 23.83%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 67LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 782 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 51 | 22 | 13 |
| 2025 | 78 | 32 | 141 |
| 2024 | 83 | 41 | 464 |
| 2023 | 75 | 24 | 688 |
| 2022 | 75 | 20 | 650 |
| 2021 | 106 | 32 | 1,231 |
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
71 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
- 39 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 71 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 3 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 4,530 / EUR 4,240 / GBP 3,630 / JPY 561,860 | — | — |
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 prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Required
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
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 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
- ISSN
- 2468-1709
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Forensic Chemistry
What CAS zone is Forensic Chemistry in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Forensic Chemistry is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Chemistry, Analytical. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Forensic Chemistry?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.87; CiteScore 4.5, h-index 39.
How long does peer review take at Forensic Chemistry?
The publisher reports about 71 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 Forensic Chemistry?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Optional; Graphical abstract: 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 Forensic Chemistry based?
Of the 35 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (19), United Kingdom (5) and Australia (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Forensic Chemistry?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Forensic Chemistry is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Forensic Chemistry open access, and what is the APC?
Forensic Chemistry is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,530.
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: .