Journal profile · Engineering, Multidisciplinary
ISA Transactions
ISSN 0019-0578 · eISSN 1879-2022 · ISA - Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society · UNITED STATES · Quarterly · Founded 1962
ISA Transactions: CAS Zone 2 · Computer Science (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 6.49; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,150; median 166 days to acceptance (117 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: 66%; 580 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
ISA Transactions is published by ISA - Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society and is in Zone 2 of Computer Science in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Adaptive Control of Nonlinear Systems, Fault Detection and Control Systems and Advanced Control Systems Optimization, together about 34.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Control and Systems Engineering. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Published by the ISA, The International Society of Automation.ISA Transactions is a journal of advances and state-of-the-art in the science and engineering of measurement and automation, and is of value to leading-edge industrial practitioners and applied researchers.The topics of measurement include: sensors, perception systems, analyzers, signal processing, filtering, data compression, data rectification, fault detection, inferential measurement, soft sensors, hardware interfacing, etc.; and any of the techniques that support them such as artificial intelligence, fuzzy logic, communication systems, and process analysis. The topics of automation include: statistical and deterministic strategies for discrete event and continuous process control, modelling and simulation, event triggers, scheduling and sequencing, system reliability, quality, maintenance, management, loss prevention, etc.; and any equipment, techniques and best practices that support them such as optimization, learning systems, strategy development, security, and human interfacing and training.The intended audience is research and development personnel from academe and industry in the fields of control systems, process instrumentation, systems, and automation.The journal seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice. This balance of interests requires simplicity of technique, credible demonstration, fundamental grounding, and connectivity to the state of the art in both theory and practice.For more details on The International Society of Automation (ISA), visit their home page.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Editor-in-chief Ahmad RadPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 19 in mainland China (about 38%); most named Mainland China 19, United States 7, Germany 5, Spain 3, Poland 3 (50 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Adaptive Control of Nonlinear SystemsEngineering13.6%
- Fault Detection and Control SystemsEngineering10.8%
- Advanced Control Systems OptimizationEngineering9.7%
- Stability and Control of Uncertain SystemsEngineering7.4%
- Advanced Control Systems DesignEngineering6.2%
- Distributed Control Multi-Agent SystemsComputer Science6.1%
- Iterative Learning Control SystemsEngineering4.9%
- Neural Networks Stability and SynchronizationComputer Science4.7%
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 | Engineering, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Instruments & Instrumentation | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Automation & Control Systems | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Computer Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Automation & Control Systems | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Engineering, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Instruments & Instrumentation | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Computer Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Engineering, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Instruments & Instrumentation | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Automation & Control Systems | Zone 2 |
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
- 6.49LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 6.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 13.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 13.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.46LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.83LetPub ·
- h-index
- 60LetPub ·
- h-index
- 138OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,991OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 5.64OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 10.6%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 8.21%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 551LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 6,739 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 363 | 27 | 269 |
| 2025 | 580 | 46 | 2,216 |
| 2024 | 485 | 92 | 5,562 |
| 2023 | 460 | 58 | 8,448 |
| 2022 | 491 | 50 | 13,105 |
| 2021 | 547 | 58 | 18,053 |
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 PubMed · to
166 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 135 days – 236 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 3 days (117 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 170 days
- Sample
- 117 articles with submission and acceptance dates (1,102 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)
- about 5 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 66%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 1 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 56 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 214 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 8 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 4,150 / EUR 3,880 / GBP 3,320 / JPY 514,720 | — | — |
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 prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 125 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 1
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted13
- editorialISA Transactions publishes Research Articles, Practice Articles & Letters.Letters: Letters to the Editor should be short, one-paragraph or so, affirmations, que…Length not stated
- letterISA Transactions publishes Research Articles, Practice Articles & Letters.Letters: Letters to the Editor should be short, one-paragraph or so, affirmations, que…Length not stated
- lettersISA Transactions publishes Research Articles, Practice Articles & Letters.Length not stated
- letters to the editorISA Transactions publishes Research Articles, Practice Articles & Letters.Letters: Letters to the Editor should be short, one-paragraph or so, affirmations, que…Length not stated
- perspectiveISA Transactions publishes Research Articles, Practice Articles & Letters.Letters: Letters to the Editor should be short, one-paragraph or so, affirmations, que…Length not stated
- practice articlesISA Transactions publishes Research Articles, Practice Articles & Letters.Length not stated
- research articleISA Transactions publishes Research Articles, Practice Articles & Letters.Letters: Letters to the Editor should be short, one-paragraph or so, affirmations, que…Length not stated
- research articlesISA Transactions publishes Research Articles, Practice Articles & Letters.Length not stated
- reviewISA Transactions publishes Research Articles, Practice Articles & Letters.Letters: Letters to the Editor should be short, one-paragraph or so, affirmations, que…Length not stated
- surveyISA Transactions publishes Research Articles, Practice Articles & Letters.Letters: Letters to the Editor should be short, one-paragraph or so, affirmations, que…Length not stated
- technical noteISA Transactions publishes Research Articles, Practice Articles & Letters.Letters: Letters to the Editor should be short, one-paragraph or so, affirmations, que…Length not stated
- technical notesTechnical Notes: Present new concepts or initial proof-of-concept results on innovative approaches.Length not stated
- tutorialISA Transactions publishes Research Articles, Practice Articles & Letters.Letters: Letters to the Editor should be short, one-paragraph or so, affirmations, que…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
Double anonymized peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double 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 allowed 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.
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
- ISA - Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 1962
- ISSN
- 0019-0578
- Electronic ISSN
- 1879-2022
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about ISA Transactions
What CAS zone is ISA Transactions in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, ISA Transactions is in Zone 2 of Computer Science, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Engineering, Multidisciplinary / Instruments & Instrumentation / Automation & Control Systems; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Computer Science. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of ISA Transactions?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 6.49; CiteScore 13.9, h-index 138.
How long does peer review take at ISA Transactions?
Based on the dates recorded on 117 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 166 days (interquartile range 135–236 days); authors report an average review time of about 5 months; the community-reported acceptance is “66%”. 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 ISA Transactions?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 125 words; Keywords: ≥ 1; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; 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 ISA Transactions based?
Of the 50 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 19 (about 38%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (19), United States (7) and Germany (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index ISA Transactions?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, ISA Transactions is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is ISA Transactions open access, and what is the APC?
ISA Transactions is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,150.
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: .