Journal profile · Computer Science, Software Engineering
Information and Software Technology
ISSN 0950-5849 · eISSN 1873-6025 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Monthly
Information and Software Technology: CAS Zone 2 · Computer Science (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.65; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,830; review about 202 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 270 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Information and Software Technology is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Computer Science in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Software Engineering Research, Software Engineering Techniques and Practices and Software Reliability and Analysis Research, together about 40.6% of its articles. Its main subfields are Information Systems. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Information and Software Technology is the international archival journal focusing on research and experience that contributes to the improvement of software development practices. The journal's scope includes methods and techniques to better engineer software and manage its development. Articles submitted for review should have a clear component of software engineering or address ways to improve the engineering and management of software development. Areas covered by the journal include: • Software management, quality and metrics, • Software processes, • Software architecture, modelling, specification, design and programming • Functional and non-functional software requirements • Software testing and verification & validation • Empirical studies of all aspects of engineering and managing software development Short Communications is a new section dedicated to short papers addressing new ideas, controversial opinions, "Negative" results and much more. Read the Guide for authors for more information.The journal encourages and welcomes submissions of systematic literature studies (reviews and maps) within the scope of the journal. Information and Software Technology is the premiere outlet for systematic literature studies in software engineering. Guidelines for conducting systematic reviews are provided here.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Computer Science, Software Engineering
Editor-in-chief Miroslaw StaronPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 5%); most named United States 11, Italy 9, Brazil 6, Canada 5, Sweden 5 (62 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Software Engineering ResearchComputer Science19.7%
- Software Engineering Techniques and PracticesComputer Science11.7%
- Software Reliability and Analysis ResearchComputer Science9.3%
- Advanced Software Engineering MethodologiesComputer Science8.2%
- Software Testing and Debugging TechniquesComputer Science7.3%
- Software System Performance and ReliabilityComputer Science6.3%
- Service-Oriented Architecture and Web ServicesComputer Science4.6%
- Advanced Database Systems and QueriesComputer Science3.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Computer Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Information Systems | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Software Engineering | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Computer Science Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Information Systems | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Software Engineering | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Computer Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Information Systems | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Software Engineering | 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
- 4.65LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 10.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 10.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.05LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.04LetPub ·
- h-index
- 88LetPub ·
- h-index
- 167OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,630OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.21OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 40.14%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 249LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 5,669 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 282 | 138 | 114 |
| 2025 | 270 | 132 | 982 |
| 2024 | 191 | 96 | 2,033 |
| 2023 | 180 | 86 | 3,474 |
| 2022 | 182 | 80 | 4,766 |
| 2021 | 159 | 65 | 4,602 |
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
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
202 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports 6–12 weeks
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- 6–12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 7 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 85 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 202 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 10 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single 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 3,830 / EUR 3,580 / GBP 3,070 / JPY 475,030 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,820 | — | — |
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 papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare7 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 300 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 15,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted9, with length limits
- literature reviewResearch Papers, Short Communications and Review Articles. We also actively encourage the submission of Systematic Review Articles. A research paper's maximum l…main text ≤ 20,000 words
- research paperResearch Papers, Short Communications and Review Articles. We also actively encourage the submission of Systematic Review Articles. A research paper's maximum l…main text ≤ 15,000 words
- research papersResearch Papers, Short Communications and Review Articles.Length not stated
- review articleResearch Papers, Short Communications and Review Articles. We also actively encourage the submission of Systematic Review Articles. A research paper's maximum l…Length not stated
- review articlesResearch Papers, Short Communications and Review Articles.Length not stated
- short communicationResearch Papers, Short Communications and Review Articles. We also actively encourage the submission of Systematic Review Articles. A research paper's maximum l…main text ≤ 2,500 words
- short communicationsResearch Papers, Short Communications and Review Articles.Length not stated
- systematic reviewResearch Papers, Short Communications and Review Articles. We also actively encourage the submission of Systematic Review Articles. A research paper's maximum l…Length not stated
- systematic review articlesWe also actively encourage the submission of Systematic Review Articles.Length 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
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single 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. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
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
- Frequency
- Monthly
- ISSN
- 0950-5849
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-6025
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Information and Software Technology
What CAS zone is Information and Software Technology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Information and Software Technology is in Zone 2 of Computer Science, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Computer Science, Information Systems / Computer Science, Software Engineering. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Computer Science. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Information and Software Technology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.65; CiteScore 10.8, h-index 167.
How long does peer review take at Information and Software Technology?
The publisher reports about 202 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly 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 Information and Software Technology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 300 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 15,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Templates: LaTeX and Word; 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 Information and Software Technology based?
Of the 62 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 5%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (11), Italy (9) and Brazil (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Information and Software Technology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Information and Software Technology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Information and Software Technology open access, and what is the APC?
Information and Software Technology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,830.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .