Journal profile · HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Foundations of Chemistry
ISSN 1386-4238 · eISSN 1572-8463 · Springer Netherlands · UNITED STATES · 3 issues per year · Founded 1999
Foundations of Chemistry: CAS Zone 3 · Philosophy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 0.8; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,190; median 125 days to acceptance (25 articles, last 24 months); 28 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and AHCI.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Foundations of Chemistry is published by Springer Netherlands and is in Zone 3 of Philosophy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are History and advancements in chemistry, Philosophy and History of Science and Various Chemistry Research Topics, together about 50% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Foundations of Chemistry is an international journal which seeks to provide an interdisciplinary forum where chemists, biochemists, philosophers, historians, educators and sociologists with an interest in foundational issues can discuss conceptual and fundamental issues which relate to the `central science' of chemistry. Such issues include the autonomous role of chemistry between physics and biology and the question of the reduction of chemistry to quantum mechanics.The journal will publish peer-reviewed academic articles on a wide range of subdisciplines, among others: chemical models, chemical language, metaphors, and theoretical terms; chemical evolution and artificial self-replication; industrial application, environmental concern, and the social and ethical aspects of chemistry's professionalism; the nature of modeling and the role of instrumentation in chemistry; institutional studies and the nature of explanation in the chemical sciences; theoretical chemistry, molecular structure and chaos; the issue of realism; molecular biology, bio-inorganic chemistry; historical studies on ancient chemistry, medieval chemistry and alchemy; philosophical and historical articles; and material of a didactic nature relating to all topics in the chemical sciences.Foundations of Chemistry plans to feature special issues devoted to particular themes, and will contain book reviews and discussion notes.Audience: chemists, biochemists, philosophers, historians, chemical educators, sociologists, and other scientists with an interest in the foundational issues of science.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Editor-in-chief Eric R. ScerriPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 9, Germany 3, United Kingdom 2, South Korea 2, Italy 2 (29 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- History and advancements in chemistryChemistry28.5%
- Philosophy and History of ScienceArts and Humanities14.2%
- Various Chemistry Research TopicsChemistry7.3%
- Origins and Evolution of LifePhysics and Astronomy5.2%
- Computational Drug Discovery MethodsComputer Science5%
- Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringEnvironmental Science3.9%
- Chemical Thermodynamics and Molecular StructureChemistry3.6%
- Quantum Mechanics and ApplicationsPhysics and Astronomy3.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Philosophy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | History & Philosophy Of Science | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Philosophy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | History & Philosophy Of Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Chemistry Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Chemistry | Zone 3 |
| Minor | History & Philosophy Of Science | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEAHCILetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
CASERIH PLUSCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, 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
- 0.8LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 0.9Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.2Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 14LetPub ·
- h-index
- 40OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 185OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.1OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 33.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 34.72%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 23LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 160,400Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 723 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 23 | 6 | 3 |
| 2025 | 28 | 14 | 38 |
| 2024 | 31 | 19 | 49 |
| 2023 | 33 | 17 | 89 |
| 2022 | 42 | 16 | 324 |
| 2021 | 21 | 9 | 114 |
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
125 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 63 days – 161 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 21 days (47 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 138 days
- Sample
- 25 articles with submission and acceptance dates (58 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
- Submission to first decision
- 12 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 2,190 / EUR 3,090 | — | — |
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
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted1
- book reviewBook ReviewLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- 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 availability statement required 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
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 Foundations of Chemistry, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review Terminology
Single anonymized review Model summary
Peer Review Terminology: The following summary describes the peer review process for this journal: Identity transparency: Single anonymizedReviewer interacts with: EditorReview information published: None The full terminology is detailed here. 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 Netherlands
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- 3 issues per year
- Founded
- 1999
- ISSN
- 1386-4238
- Electronic ISSN
- 1572-8463
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 28, Issue 1 (April 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Foundations of Chemistry
What CAS zone is Foundations of Chemistry in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Foundations of Chemistry is in Zone 3 of Philosophy, and in Zone 4 of the minor category History & Philosophy Of Science. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Philosophy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Foundations of Chemistry?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 0.8; h-index 40.
How long does peer review take at Foundations of Chemistry?
Based on the dates recorded on 25 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 125 days (interquartile range 63–161 days). 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 Foundations of Chemistry?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: 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 Foundations of Chemistry 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 (9), Germany (3) and United Kingdom (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Foundations of Chemistry?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Foundations of Chemistry is indexed in SCIE and AHCI. The journal's website also lists CAS, ERIH PLUS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Foundations of Chemistry open access, and what is the APC?
Foundations of Chemistry is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,190.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .