Journal profile · Materials Science, Characterization & Testing
Materials Characterization
ISSN 1044-5803 · eISSN 1873-4189 · Elsevier Inc. · UNITED STATES · Monthly
Materials Characterization: CAS Zone 2 · Materials Science (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 6.08; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,320; review about 92 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy (Elsevier website: 17%); 1,156 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Materials Characterization is published by Elsevier Inc. and is in Zone 2 of Materials Science in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Aluminum Alloys Composites Properties, Microstructure and mechanical properties and Aluminum Alloy Microstructure Properties, together about 26.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Mechanical Engineering. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Materials Characterization features original articles and state-of-the-art reviews on theoretical and practical aspects of the structure and behaviour of materials. The Journal focuses on all characterization techniques, including all forms of microscopy (light, electron, acoustic, etc.,) and analysis (especially microanalysis and surface analytical techniques), and must include microstructural imaging. Developments in both this wide range of techniques and their application to the quantification of the microstructure of materials are essential facets of the Journal. While X-ray, spectroscopic, and mechanical behaviour measurements are all important aspects of characterization, they are not sufficient on their own to satisfy the scope of the journal. The Journal provides the Materials Scientist/Engineer with up-to-date information on many types of materials with an underlying theme of explaining the behavior of materials from a microstructural standpoint using novel and established characterization approaches. Materials covered by the journal include:1. Metals & Alloys2. Ceramics3. Biomedical materials (only metal or ceramic based)4. Composites (only metal or ceramic based)5. Nanomaterials with structural characterization as the focus of the workPlease note that not all topics or materials fall within the scope of Materials Characterization. Submissions focused on the topics listed below will not be considered for publication, potential alternative journals are indicated in brackets: i) layered bulk materials are included, but thin films are not (Thin Solid Films; Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing) ii) polymers or polymer composites (Elsevier polymer titles; Composites structures) iii) cementitious materials (Cement, Cement and Concrete Composites) iv) mechanical, electrical or other property measurements without any accompanying microstructural characterization (depending on the focus, please consider submitting to Corrosion Science; Wear; Materials Science & Engineering B; Materials & Design)v) computation, theory or analysis papers without an accompanying microstructural characterization component (Computational Materials Science; Materials Science & Engineering A; Materials Science & Engineering B; Materials Science & Engineering C)
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Materials Science, Characterization & Testing
Editor-in-chief David P. FieldPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 7 in mainland China (about 21%); most named United States 11, Mainland China 7, Belgium 5, United Kingdom 3, South Korea 2 (34 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Aluminum Alloys Composites PropertiesEngineering9.9%
- Microstructure and mechanical propertiesMaterials Science8.8%
- Aluminum Alloy Microstructure PropertiesEngineering8%
- Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of SteelsEngineering7.3%
- Additive Manufacturing Materials and ProcessesEngineering5.3%
- High Entropy Alloys StudiesEngineering5.1%
- Intermetallics and Advanced Alloy PropertiesEngineering4.4%
- Advanced materials and compositesEngineering4.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Materials Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Characterization & Testing | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Materials Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Characterization & Testing | Zone 1 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Materials Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Characterization & Testing | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Metallurgy & Metallurgical 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
- 6.08LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 6.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 9.1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 9.1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.29LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.53LetPub ·
- h-index
- 80LetPub ·
- h-index
- 158OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 7,437OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 5.72OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 11.07%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 1,108LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 12,629 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1,098 | 171 | 765 |
| 2025 | 1,156 | 180 | 6,054 |
| 2024 | 984 | 187 | 11,687 |
| 2023 | 890 | 166 | 15,829 |
| 2022 | 839 | 150 | 18,580 |
| 2021 | 752 | 145 | 20,283 |
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
92 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 3.1 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 3.1 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 17%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 7 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 45 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 92 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single-anonymous peer reviewPublisher website · model-extracted
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 3,320 / EUR 3,110 / GBP 2,660 / JPY 411,780 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,250 | — | — |
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
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Required
- Not considered
- thin films; polymers or polymer composites; cementitious materials
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
Open access options available Model summary
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 one reviewer 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.Rea…
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. 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 Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- ISSN
- 1044-5803
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-4189
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Materials Characterization
What CAS zone is Materials Characterization in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Materials Characterization is in Zone 2 of Materials Science, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Materials Science, Characterization & Testing / Materials Science, Multidisciplinary / Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Materials Science. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Materials Characterization?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 6.08; CiteScore 9.1, h-index 158.
How long does peer review take at Materials Characterization?
The publisher reports about 92 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 3.1 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy (Elsevier website: 17%)”. 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 Materials Characterization?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: 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 Materials Characterization based?
Of the 34 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 7 (about 21%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (11), Mainland China (7) and Belgium (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Materials Characterization?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Materials Characterization is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Materials Characterization open access, and what is the APC?
Materials Characterization is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,320.
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: .