Journal profile · Physics, Multidisciplinary
Foundations of Physics
ISSN 0015-9018 · eISSN 1572-9516 · Springer US · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1970
Foundations of Physics: CAS Zone 3 · Physics & Astronomy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.07; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,390; median 135 days to acceptance (87 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 89 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Foundations of Physics is published by Springer US and is in Zone 3 of Physics & Astronomy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Quantum Mechanics and Applications, Relativity and Gravitational Theory and Quantum Information and Cryptography, together about 42.4% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The conceptual foundations of physics have been constantly revised since the discipline’s earliest days, and this continues today. Discussion of foundational issues has always been a major tool for progress, on par with observations, experiments, mathematics and theoretical modelling. Today, insightful reflection on the conceptual structures of physics is of particular importance, given the nature of open problems such as understanding the quantum properties of gravity, the nature of measurement in quantum mechanics, the primary cause of irreversibility, or the role of information in physics.Foundations of Physics provides a forum for discussing such fundamental issues at the highest professional level, among scientists, mathematicians and philosophers. The journal welcomes papers on conceptual and foundational aspects of topics including (but not limited to) special and general relativity, quantum theory, classical and quantum field theory, quantum gravity, unified theories, thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, cosmology and information theory.The journal welcomes both research and review-type articles, which may be in the form of perspective papers or essays. Prospective authors of review-type articles are encouraged to first contact the Editor-in-Chief with their proposal. The journal also welcomes proposals for topical collections that review novel developments from different perspectives. The journal may invite shorter contributions that raise valuable discussion points as “Letters-to-the-Editor”. Foundations of Physics also publishes book reviews; prospective authors should contact the journal’s book review editor. Considering the broad appeal of the topics addressed by the journal, and the correspondingly high number of submissions from professionals and non-professionals alike On submission manuscripts will be assessed by a member of the editorial board who will determine if the manuscript will proceed into peer review or be desk-rejected, based on the scope of the paper, potential interest to the community and regular integrity checks. It is entirely at the discretion of the editorial board to desk-reject submitted manuscripts and to not proceed with any further evaluation. Desk-rejections are final and appeals are not possible at this stage. In particular, the journal does not assume any obligation to prove or disprove the correctness or relevance of the manuscripts submitted, and the journal reserves the right to desk-reject contributions with
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Physics, Multidisciplinary
Editor-in-chief Carlo RovelliPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 3%); most named United States 13, Netherlands 6, France 4, Canada 4, Austria 3 (37 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Quantum Mechanics and ApplicationsPhysics and Astronomy25.5%
- Relativity and Gravitational TheoryPhysics and Astronomy8.9%
- Quantum Information and CryptographyComputer Science8%
- Cosmology and Gravitation TheoriesPhysics and Astronomy6.6%
- Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical MechanicsPhysics and Astronomy6.2%
- Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity TheoriesPhysics and Astronomy5.4%
- Philosophy and History of ScienceArts and Humanities4.7%
- Quantum and Classical ElectrodynamicsPhysics and Astronomy4.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Physics & Astronomy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Physics & Astronomy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Physics & Astronomy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Physics & Astronomy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Physics, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
INSPECzbMATHCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Astrophysics Data System, 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
- 1.07LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.1Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.3LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.3LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.87LetPub ·
- h-index
- 46LetPub ·
- h-index
- 102OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,736OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.08OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 18.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 34.88%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 87LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 336,500Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 5,119 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 58 | 36 | 13 |
| 2025 | 89 | 61 | 110 |
| 2024 | 70 | 50 | 328 |
| 2023 | 157 | 63 | 293 |
| 2022 | 130 | 98 | 759 |
| 2021 | 130 | 100 | 1,070 |
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
135 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 87 days – 217 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 14 days (87 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 148 days
- Sample
- 87 articles with submission and acceptance dates (144 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)
- 6–12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 19 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 | — | — |
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
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Plagiarism
- AI use Generative AI Images
LLMs cannot be authors 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 for all original research 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 Foundations of Physics, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism
Plagiarism screening software may be used Model summary
the journal may use software to screen for plagiarism
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
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1970
- ISSN
- 0015-9018
- Electronic ISSN
- 1572-9516
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Foundations of Physics
What CAS zone is Foundations of Physics in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Foundations of Physics is in Zone 3 of Physics & Astronomy, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Physics, Multidisciplinary. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Physics & Astronomy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Foundations of Physics?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.07; CiteScore 2.3, h-index 102.
How long does peer review take at Foundations of Physics?
Based on the dates recorded on 87 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 135 days (interquartile range 87–217 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 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 Foundations of Physics?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; 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 Physics based?
Of the 37 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 (13), Netherlands (6) and France (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Foundations of Physics?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Foundations of Physics is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists INSPEC, zbMATH and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Foundations of Physics open access, and what is the APC?
Foundations of Physics 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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .