Journal profile · Computer Science, Theory & Methods
Formal Methods in System Design
ISSN 0925-9856 · eISSN 1572-8102 · Springer US · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 1992
Formal Methods in System Design: CAS Zone 4 · Computer Science (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 0.96; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,390; median 484 days to acceptance (30 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 27 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Formal Methods in System Design is published by Springer US and is in Zone 4 of Computer Science in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Formal Methods in Verification, Logic, programming, and type systems and Software Testing and Debugging Techniques, together about 51.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Software. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The focus of this journal is on formal methods for designing, implementing, and validating the correctness of hardware (VLSI) and software systems. The stimulus for starting a journal with this goal came from both academia and industry. In both areas, interest in the use of formal methods has increased rapidly during the past few years. The enormous cost and time required to validate new designs has led to the realization that more powerful techniques must be developed. A number of techniques and tools are currently being devised for improving the reliability, and robustness of complex hardware and software systems. While the boundary between the (sub)components of a system that are cast in hardware, firmware, or software continues to blur, the relevant design disciplines and formal methods are maturing rapidly. Consequently, an important (and useful) collection of commonly applicable formal methods are expected to emerge that will strongly influence future design environments and design methods. The journal is an international forum for the dissemination of research related to the application and development of formal methods in both hardware (VLSI) and software system design. Papers describing original work in all aspects of formal methods as they relate to this general area are invited.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Computer Science, Theory & Methods
Editor-in-chief Nir PitermanPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 12, Austria 4, France 3, United Kingdom 2, Germany 2 (29 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Formal Methods in VerificationComputer Science29.9%
- Logic, programming, and type systemsComputer Science12.3%
- Software Testing and Debugging TechniquesComputer Science9.4%
- Embedded Systems Design TechniquesComputer Science5.9%
- Petri Nets in System ModelingComputer Science5%
- Software Reliability and Analysis ResearchComputer Science4.8%
- Model-Driven Software Engineering TechniquesComputer Science3.8%
- Distributed systems and fault toleranceComputer Science3.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Computer Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Theory & Methods | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Computer Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Theory & Methods | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Computer Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Theory & Methods | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexINSPECzbMATHDBLPPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, ACM Digital Library, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
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
- 0.96LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.1LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.29LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.33LetPub ·
- h-index
- 47LetPub ·
- h-index
- 78OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 412OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.13OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 55.41%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 20LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 95,500Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 832 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 11 | 9 | 1 |
| 2025 | 27 | 20 | 7 |
| 2024 | 23 | 19 | 61 |
| 2023 | 16 | 13 | 50 |
| 2022 | 31 | 21 | 109 |
| 2021 | 43 | 29 | 240 |
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 Crossref · to
484 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 367 days – 685 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 47 days (35 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 553 days
- Sample
- 30 articles with submission and acceptance dates (37 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)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 14 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 2,390 / EUR 3,590 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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)
Open calls for papers3, by deadline
- By Invite Only - CAV 2025Deadline
- By Invite Only - FMCAD 2025Deadline
- By Invite Only - FASE 2026Deadline
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access
- AI use Generative AI Images
LLM use policy Model summary
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
Competing interests disclosure required Model summary
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Data transparency policy Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
COPE member Model summary
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Formal Methods in System Design, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
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
- Springer US
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1992
- ISSN
- 0925-9856
- Electronic ISSN
- 1572-8102
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Formal Methods in System Design
What CAS zone is Formal Methods in System Design in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Formal Methods in System Design is in Zone 4 of Computer Science, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Computer Science, Theory & Methods. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Computer Science. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Formal Methods in System Design?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 0.96; CiteScore 2.1, h-index 78.
How long does peer review take at Formal Methods in System Design?
Based on the dates recorded on 30 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 484 days (interquartile range 367–685 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. 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 Formal Methods in System Design?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Templates: LaTeX and Word. 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 Formal Methods in System Design based?
Of the 29 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (12), Austria (4) and France (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Formal Methods in System Design?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Formal Methods in System Design is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, INSPEC, zbMATH and DBLP; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Formal Methods in System Design open access, and what is the APC?
Formal Methods in System Design is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,390.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; 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: .