Journal profile · Medicine, Legal
Forensic Science International
ISSN 0379-0738 · eISSN 1872-6283 · Elsevier Ireland Ltd · IRELAND · Monthly · Founded 1978
Forensic Science International: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.54; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,580; median 122 days to acceptance (110 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy (Elsevier website: 36%); 343 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Forensic Science International is published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd 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 and Genetic Research, Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis and Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies, together about 36.6% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
An international journal dedicated to the applications of medicine and science in the administration of justice.Forensic Science International is the flagship journal in the prestigious Forensic Science International family, publishing the most innovative, cutting-edge, and influential contributions across the forensic sciences. Fields include: forensic pathology and histochemistry, chemistry, biochemistry and toxicology, biology, serology, odontology, psychiatry, anthropology, digital forensics, the physical sciences, firearms, and document examination, as well as investigations of value to public health in its broadest sense, and the important marginal area where science and medicine interact with the law.The journal publishes:Case ReportsCommentariesLetters to the EditorOriginal Research Papers (Regular Papers)Rapid CommunicationsReview ArticlesTechnical NotesForensic Science International adheres to strict ethical publication guidelines and actively supports a culture of inclusive and representative publication. For any submission enquiries, please contact the respective Editor.The Forensic Science International journals offer comprehensive and pioneering coverage within the forensic sciences and beyond, disseminating ground-breaking discoveries, highly specialised research, and foundational science across the family of publications. The FSI portfolio comprises of:Forensic Science InternationalForensic Science International: Animals and EnvironmentsForensic Science International: Digital InvestigationForensic Science International: GeneticsForensic Science International: Genetics Supplement SeriesForensic Science International: Mind and LawForensic Science International: ReportsForensic Science International: Synergy
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Medicine, Legal
Editor-in-chief Cristina CattaneoPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United States 10, Australia 9, Switzerland 9, United Kingdom 6, Germany 6 (73 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Forensic and Genetic ResearchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology14.1%
- Forensic Toxicology and Drug AnalysisPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics12%
- Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology StudiesArts and Humanities10.5%
- Forensic Entomology and Diptera StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.7%
- Autopsy Techniques and OutcomesMedicine5.4%
- Forensic Fingerprint Detection MethodsSocial Sciences5.2%
- Molecular Biology Techniques and ApplicationsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.5%
- Restraint-Related DeathsMedicine3.3%
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 | Medicine, Legal | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Medicine, Legal | 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 | Medicine, Legal | 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
- 2.54LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.68LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.2LetPub ·
- h-index
- 106LetPub ·
- h-index
- 177OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 8,260OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.85OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 15.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 40.44%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 298LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 13,729 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 279 | 127 | 86 |
| 2025 | 343 | 161 | 762 |
| 2024 | 355 | 188 | 1,935 |
| 2023 | 252 | 121 | 2,157 |
| 2022 | 251 | 74 | 2,706 |
| 2021 | 369 | 132 | 4,726 |
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
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
122 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 78 days – 174 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (110 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 126 days
- Sample
- 110 articles with submission and acceptance dates (722 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 36%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 54 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 112 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double 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 4,580 / EUR 4,280 / GBP 3,670 / JPY 568,060 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,160 | — | — |
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
- Required
Article types accepted16, with length limits
- commentaries7. CommentariesLength not stated
- commentary1. Original Research Articles (Regular Papers)2. Review Articles3. Rapid Communications4. Technical Notes5. Preliminary Communications6. Letters to the Editor7.…main text ≤ 1,500 words
- correspondence1. Original Research Articles (Regular Papers)2. Review Articles3. Rapid Communications4. Technical Notes5. Preliminary Communications6. Letters to the Editor7.…Length not stated
- letter1. Original Research Articles (Regular Papers)2. Review Articles3. Rapid Communications4. Technical Notes5. Preliminary Communications6. Letters to the Editor7.…Length not stated
- letters to the editor6. Letters to the EditorLength not stated
- original research article1. Original Research Articles (Regular Papers)2. Review Articles3. Rapid Communications4. Technical Notes5. Preliminary Communications6. Letters to the Editor7.…Length not stated
- original research articles (regular papers)1. Original Research Articles (Regular Papers)Length not stated
- preliminary communications5. Preliminary CommunicationsLength not stated
- rapid communication1. Original Research Articles (Regular Papers)2. Review Articles3. Rapid Communications4. Technical Notes5. Preliminary Communications6. Letters to the Editor7.…Length not stated
- rapid communications3. Rapid CommunicationsLength not stated
- regular paper1. Original Research Articles (Regular Papers)2. Review Articles3. Rapid Communications4. Technical Notes5. Preliminary Communications6. Letters to the Editor7.…Length not stated
- review1. Original Research Articles (Regular Papers)2. Review Articles3. Rapid Communications4. Technical Notes5. Preliminary Communications6. Letters to the Editor7.…Length not stated
- review article1. Original Research Articles (Regular Papers)2. Review Articles3. Rapid Communications4. Technical Notes5. Preliminary Communications6. Letters to the Editor7.…Length not stated
- review articles2. Review ArticlesLength not stated
- technical note1. Original Research Articles (Regular Papers)2. Review Articles3. Rapid Communications4. Technical Notes5. Preliminary Communications6. Letters to the Editor7.…Length not stated
- technical notes4. Technical NotesLength 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
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
Double anonymized peer review process Model summary
This journal follows a double 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.
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 Ireland Ltd
- Country or region
- IRELAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1978
- ISSN
- 0379-0738
- Electronic ISSN
- 1872-6283
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Forensic Science International
What CAS zone is Forensic Science International in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Forensic Science International is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Medicine, Legal. 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 Science International?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.54; CiteScore 4.4, h-index 177.
How long does peer review take at Forensic Science International?
Based on the dates recorded on 110 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 122 days (interquartile range 78–174 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy (Elsevier website: 36%)”. 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 Science International?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: 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 Science International based?
Of the 73 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (10), Australia (9) and Switzerland (9). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Forensic Science International?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Forensic Science International is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Forensic Science International open access, and what is the APC?
Forensic Science International is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,580.
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: .