Journal profile · Engineering, Geological
International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences
ISSN 1365-1609 · eISSN 1873-4545 · Elsevier BV · ENGLAND · Bimonthly
International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences: CAS Zone 1 · Engineering (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 8.56; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,110; review about 148 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: easy (Elsevier website: 23%); 304 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences is published by Elsevier BV 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 Rock Mechanics and Modeling, Landslides and related hazards and Drilling and Well Engineering, together about 43.7% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Original Research, New Developments and Case Studies in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering for Mining and Civil ApplicationsThis journal is concerned with original research, new developments, site measurements and case studies in rock mechanics and rock engineering. It provides an international forum for the publication of high quality papers on the subject of rock mechanics and the application of rock mechanics principles and techniques to mining and civil engineering projects built on or in rock masses. These projects include slopes, open-pit mines, quarries, shafts, tunnels, caverns, underground mines, metro systems, dams and hydro-electric stations, geothermal energy, petroleum engineering, and radioactive waste disposal. Papers are welcomed on all relevant topics and especially on theoretical developments, analytical methods, numerical methods, rock testing, site investigation, and case studies.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Engineering, Geological
Editor-in-chief Adriana PalusznyPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 14 in mainland China (about 15%); most named United States 17, Mainland China 14, Australia 13, United Kingdom 6, Canada 6 (95 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Rock Mechanics and ModelingEngineering27.3%
- Landslides and related hazardsEnvironmental Science9.9%
- Drilling and Well EngineeringEngineering6.5%
- Geotechnical Engineering and AnalysisEngineering5.6%
- Tunneling and Rock MechanicsEngineering5.6%
- Hydraulic Fracturing and Reservoir AnalysisEngineering5.3%
- Geophysical Methods and ApplicationsEngineering4.9%
- Geotechnical Engineering and Underground StructuresEngineering4.3%
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, Geological | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Mining & Mineral Processing | 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, Geological | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Mining & Mineral Processing | 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, Geological | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Mining & Mineral Processing | 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
- 8.56LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 8.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 13LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 13Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 2.05LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.17LetPub ·
- h-index
- 127LetPub ·
- h-index
- 233OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 4,395OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 8.8OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 22.92%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 278LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 6,072 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 285 | 113 | 353 |
| 2025 | 304 | 88 | 2,451 |
| 2024 | 300 | 101 | 5,022 |
| 2023 | 242 | 67 | 6,203 |
| 2022 | 216 | 50 | 6,993 |
| 2021 | 348 | 71 | 14,468 |
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
148 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 10.5 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 10.5 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 23%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 70 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 148 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 9 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 4,110 / EUR 3,840 / GBP 3,290 / JPY 509,760 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,030 | — | — |
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 prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- AMA
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted5
- case studiesOriginal Research, New Developments and Case Studies in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering for Mining and Civil Applications.Length not stated
- case studyOriginal Research, New Developments and Case Studies in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering for Mining and Civil Applications. Discussions: Any comment on or di…Length not stated
- discussionsDiscussions: Any comment on or discussion of a published paper should be emailed directly to the Editor, NOT submitted via the electronic submission system.Length not stated
- new developmentsOriginal Research, New Developments and Case Studies in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering for Mining and Civil Applications.Length not stated
- original researchOriginal Research, New Developments and Case Studies in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering for Mining and Civil Applications. Discussions: Any comment on or di…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, 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
Authorship requires substantial contributions to conception/design, data acquisition or analysis/interpretation, drafting or critical revision, and final approval. Model summary
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 ·- Publication ethics
Authors must follow Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy. Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
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 sharing permitted; does not count as prior publication. Model summary
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 BV
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- ISSN
- 1365-1609
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-4545
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences
What CAS zone is International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences is in Zone 1 of Engineering, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Engineering, Geological / Mining & Mineral Processing; 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 Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 8.56; CiteScore 13, h-index 233.
How long does peer review take at International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences?
The publisher reports about 148 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 10.5 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy (Elsevier website: 23%)”. 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 Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: AMA; Highlights: Required; 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 International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences based?
Of the 95 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 14 (about 15%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (17), Mainland China (14) and Australia (13). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences open access, and what is the APC?
International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,110.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .