Journal profile · Social Sciences-Law
Forensic Science International: Synergy
ISSN 2589-871X · Elsevier · Netherlands
Forensic Science International: Synergy: impact factor 3.2 (journal website); fully open access; APC about USD 2,710; median 59 days to acceptance (76 articles, last 24 months); 63 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Forensic Science International: Synergy is published by Elsevier. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Forensic and Genetic Research, Digital and Cyber Forensics and Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies, together about 37.3% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
An international open access journal showcasing the most cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and policy and management analysis.Preferred journal of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD).Forensic Science International: Synergy is a gold open access journal - the first ever gold open access journal in forensic science - which welcomes significant and insightful cross-disciplinary research. The journal's aim is to advance and support forensic science while exceeding its expectations for excellence. By being freely available to anyone, we seek to promote and support open discourse across diverse areas of interest, avocation, and geography. Papers are invited from all forensic sciences and influencing disciplines, including but not limited to the humanities, biomedical sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and the law. Cross-disciplinary collaboration promotes innovative approaches, encourages systems-level perspectives, and seeds the literature with insightful opportunities.Because the good management of science can be as important as the science itself, the journal welcomes articles on issues related to forensic science policy and management. Management, human resources, economic studies, policy implications of new methods or technology, and any other work intended to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, quality, and operations of forensic science laboratories as well as to the education and training of forensic scientists. In addition, the journal welcomes manuscripts on the governmental and institutional policies that affect the practice and management of forensic science.Our goal is to publish quality work quickly so that information and results that have the potential to affect the public or a criminal justice system can be distributed, discussed, and incorporated into future research or applications. We will consider the following types of manuscripts:Case ReportsOriginal Research (Regular Articles)Perspective Pieces (Invitation Only)Practitioner/Technical NotesReview ArticlesForensic science is central to modern criminal justice systems. It supports investigations, demonstrates associations between people, places, and things involved in criminal activity, and exonerates the innocent. Forensic services are sciences integral to a just society governed through rule of law, it is unarguably a public good and should be accessible to anyone. Transparency is key to good science, rational governance, and equitable justice.Forensic Science International: Synergy adheres to strict ethical publication guidelines and actively supports a culture of inclusive and representative publication. For any submission enquiries, please contact the Editor-in-Chief.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): Social Sciences-Law
Editor-in-chief Max Houck BuffaloPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 3%); most named United States 11, United Kingdom 6, Australia 4, Italy 3, Switzerland 2 (38 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 Biology19.6%
- Digital and Cyber ForensicsComputer Science9.4%
- Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology StudiesArts and Humanities8.3%
- Ethics in Clinical ResearchMedicine6.1%
- Forensic Fingerprint Detection MethodsSocial Sciences5.5%
- Autopsy Techniques and OutcomesMedicine4.8%
- Forensic Entomology and Diptera StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.1%
- Molecular Biology Techniques and ApplicationsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusDOAJLetPub
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 (publisher)
- 3.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.94LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.77LetPub ·
- h-index
- 33OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 159OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.71OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 12.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 99.39%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 59LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 811 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 104 | 104 | 23 |
| 2025 | 63 | 63 | 145 |
| 2024 | 115 | 115 | 315 |
| 2023 | 139 | 139 | 534 |
| 2022 | 88 | 88 | 844 |
| 2021 | 82 | 82 | 784 |
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
59 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 43 days – 85 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 7 days (76 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 64 days
- Sample
- 76 articles with submission and acceptance dates (155 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 6 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 1 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 35 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 60 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 11 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
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
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 2,710 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 2,310 / EUR 2,160 / GBP 1,850 / JPY 286,510 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 1,890 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 2,980 | — | — |
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
- Optional
Article types accepted20
- case reportOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Review ArticlesCase ReportsPerspectives and Opinions (Invited only)Technical NotesRegistered ReportsOriginal Research…Length not stated
- case reportsCase ReportsLength not stated
- editorialOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Review ArticlesCase ReportsPerspectives and Opinions (Invited only)Technical NotesRegistered ReportsOriginal Research…Length not stated
- narrative reviewOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Review ArticlesCase ReportsPerspectives and Opinions (Invited only)Technical NotesRegistered ReportsOriginal Research…Length not stated
- opinionOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Review ArticlesCase ReportsPerspectives and Opinions (Invited only)Technical NotesRegistered ReportsOriginal Research…Length not stated
- original research articleOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Review ArticlesCase ReportsPerspectives and Opinions (Invited only)Technical NotesRegistered ReportsOriginal Research…Length not stated
- original research articles (regular papers)Original Research Articles (Regular Papers)Length not stated
- perspectiveOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Review ArticlesCase ReportsPerspectives and Opinions (Invited only)Technical NotesRegistered ReportsOriginal Research…Length not stated
- perspectives and opinions (invited only)Perspectives and Opinions (Invited only)Length not stated
- protocolOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Review ArticlesCase ReportsPerspectives and Opinions (Invited only)Technical NotesRegistered ReportsOriginal Research…Length not stated
- registered reportOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Review ArticlesCase ReportsPerspectives and Opinions (Invited only)Technical NotesRegistered ReportsOriginal Research…Length not stated
- registered reportsRegistered ReportsLength not stated
- regular paperOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Review ArticlesCase ReportsPerspectives and Opinions (Invited only)Technical NotesRegistered ReportsOriginal Research…Length not stated
- research articleOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Review ArticlesCase ReportsPerspectives and Opinions (Invited only)Technical NotesRegistered ReportsOriginal Research…Length not stated
- reviewOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Review ArticlesCase ReportsPerspectives and Opinions (Invited only)Technical NotesRegistered ReportsOriginal Research…Length not stated
- review articleOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Review ArticlesCase ReportsPerspectives and Opinions (Invited only)Technical NotesRegistered ReportsOriginal Research…Length not stated
- review articlesReview ArticlesLength not stated
- systematic reviewOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Review ArticlesCase ReportsPerspectives and Opinions (Invited only)Technical NotesRegistered ReportsOriginal Research…Length not stated
- technical noteOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Review ArticlesCase ReportsPerspectives and Opinions (Invited only)Technical NotesRegistered ReportsOriginal Research…Length not stated
- technical notesTechnical NotesLength not stated
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
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
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 sharing allowed. 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.
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
- 2589-871X
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Forensic Science International: Synergy
What is the impact factor of Forensic Science International: Synergy?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 3.2; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 6.3, h-index 33.
How long does peer review take at Forensic Science International: Synergy?
Based on the dates recorded on 76 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 59 days (interquartile range 43–85 days); authors report an average review time of about 6 weeks. 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: Synergy?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Optional; Graphical abstract: 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 Forensic Science International: Synergy based?
Of the 38 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 3%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (11), United Kingdom (6) and Australia (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Forensic Science International: Synergy?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Forensic Science International: Synergy is indexed in ESCI, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Forensic Science International: Synergy open access, and what is the APC?
Forensic Science International: Synergy is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 2,710.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex, DOAJ; 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: .