Journal profile · Engineering, Mechanical
International Journal of Mechanical Sciences
ISSN 0020-7403 · eISSN 1879-2162 · Elsevier Ltd · ENGLAND · Monthly
International Journal of Mechanical Sciences: CAS Zone 1 · Engineering (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 11.36; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,740; review about 100 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: 33%; 1,056 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
International Journal of Mechanical Sciences is published by Elsevier Ltd and is in Zone 1 of Engineering in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Composite Structure Analysis and Optimization, Metal Forming Simulation Techniques and Metallurgy and Material Forming, together about 25.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Mechanics of Materials. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The International Journal of Mechanical Sciences (IJMS) is an international forum for the publication and dissemination of original work which contributes to greater scientific understanding of the main disciplines underpinning the mechanical, civil and material engineering sciences.Original contributions providing insight into the use of analytical, computational (e.g. FEM, BEM, mesh-free methods and others) modelling methods for rigid-body mechanics (e.g. dynamics, vibration, stability), structural mechanics, metal forming, behaviour and application of advanced materials (metals, composite, cellular, smart etc.), impact mechanics, strain localization and other effects of nonlinearity (e.g. large deflections, plasticity, fracture etc.), fluid mechanics (external and internal flows), tribology, thermodynamics and materials processing generally form the core of the journal contents.The International Journal of Mechanical Sciences does not accept for publication material which quite specifically belongs with other established specialist journals. Papers whose concern is primarily with mathematical or computational techniques, developed within a general framework and not aimed at any specific engineering application, are not requested. Similarly, papers whose content is purely descriptive or empirical and which do not make any scientific contribution, will not be considered. Comparison with experiments/tests conducted by the authors or others to validate the main contribution of the paper are strongly encouraged, however design-based studies, based on established formulae and methods, are outside our scope and should not be submitted to the International Journal of Mechanical Sciences.Only original, innovative and novel papers will be considered for publication in the International Journal of Mechanical Sciences and before considering their work, authors are required to confirm that their paper has not been submitted to any other journal in English or any other language. Occasionally, 'Letters to the Editor' are considered.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Engineering, Mechanical
Editor-in-chief Marian WiercigrochPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 24 in mainland China (about 29%); most named Mainland China 24, United Kingdom 17, United States 6, India 6, Poland 4 (83 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Composite Structure Analysis and OptimizationEngineering9.4%
- Metal Forming Simulation TechniquesEngineering8.9%
- Metallurgy and Material FormingEngineering7.5%
- Vibration and Dynamic AnalysisEngineering6.4%
- Cellular and Composite StructuresEngineering5%
- Structural Analysis and OptimizationEngineering5%
- Structural Load-Bearing AnalysisEngineering4.1%
- Numerical methods in engineeringEngineering4.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Engineering Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Engineering, Mechanical | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Mechanics | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Engineering Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Engineering, Mechanical | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Mechanics | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Engineering Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Engineering, Mechanical | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Mechanics | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview 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
- 11.36LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 11.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 16.1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 16.1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 2.1LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.18LetPub ·
- h-index
- 94LetPub ·
- h-index
- 188OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 9,293OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 11.64OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 21.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 13.79%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 1,014LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 14,192 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 871 | 189 | 1,958 |
| 2025 | 1,056 | 182 | 11,301 |
| 2024 | 815 | 199 | 18,647 |
| 2023 | 687 | 130 | 22,787 |
| 2022 | 836 | 135 | 31,363 |
| 2021 | 593 | 126 | 22,369 |
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
100 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 2.7 months
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)
- about 2.7 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 33%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 1 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 38 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 100 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 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 4,740 / EUR 4,430 / GBP 3,790 / JPY 587,900 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,980 | — | — |
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 papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted5
- invited reviewsContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: Original Research Papers Invited ReviewsLength not stated
- letters to the editorContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: Original Research Papers Invited ReviewsSpecial Issues Letters to the Ed…Length not stated
- original research paperContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: Original Research Papers Invited ReviewsSpecial Issues Letters to the Ed…Length not stated
- original research papersContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: Original Research PapersLength not stated
- reviewContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: Original Research Papers Invited ReviewsSpecial Issues Letters to the Ed…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
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 Ltd
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- ISSN
- 0020-7403
- Electronic ISSN
- 1879-2162
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about International Journal of Mechanical Sciences
What CAS zone is International Journal of Mechanical Sciences in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, International Journal of Mechanical Sciences is in Zone 1 of Engineering, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Engineering, Mechanical / Mechanics; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Engineering. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of International Journal of Mechanical Sciences?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 11.36; CiteScore 16.1, h-index 188.
How long does peer review take at International Journal of Mechanical Sciences?
The publisher reports about 100 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 2.7 months; the community-reported acceptance is “33%”. 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 International Journal of Mechanical Sciences?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Cover letter: Required. 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 International Journal of Mechanical Sciences based?
Of the 83 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 24 (about 29%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (24), United Kingdom (17) and United States (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index International Journal of Mechanical Sciences?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, International Journal of Mechanical Sciences is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is International Journal of Mechanical Sciences open access, and what is the APC?
International Journal of Mechanical Sciences is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,740.
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: .