Journal profile · Engineering, Mechanical
Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing
ISSN 0888-3270 · eISSN 1096-1216 · Academic Press Inc. · ENGLAND · Bimonthly · Founded 1987
Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing: CAS Zone 1 · Engineering (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 10.19; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,730; review about 138 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy (Elsevier website: 38%); 1,485 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing is published by Academic Press Inc. 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 Structural Health Monitoring Techniques, Machine Fault Diagnosis Techniques and Gear and Bearing Dynamics Analysis, together about 35.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Control and Systems Engineering. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing (MSSP) is an interdisciplinary journal in Mechanical, Aerospace, and Civil Engineering aiming at reporting scientific advancements of the highest quality arising from novel concepts and techniques in signal and information processing and related topics in engineering dynamics and dynamical systems. MSSP papers are expected to make a demonstrable original contribution to engineering knowledge, which should be significant in terms of advancement over established methods. Especially sought are papers that include both theoretical and experimental aspects, or that include theoretical material of high relevance to practical applications. Scope of MSSP The scope of MSSP encompasses original research work on signal and information processing and related topics within engineering dynamics and dynamical systems, as required in Mechanical, Aerospace, and Civil Engineering. The work should focus on one (or more) of the subject areas listed below. Prospective authors must select the single best fitting subject area during manuscript submission. A. Signal processing in machine/system health monitoring B. Non-stationary and random vibration C. Time series methods D. Rotor dynamics E. Signal processing in manufacturing/machining F. Powertrains and drivetrains G. Acoustics, waves, and SEA H. Control of vibration and noise I. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) J. Structural/system identification (including parameter estimation) K. Nonlinear vibration (including energy harvesting) L. Uncertainty quantificationM. Prognostics N. Smart structures and systems The following subject areas are currently outside the MSSP scope:• Multi-body dynamics and robotics, including control of robots • Control of vehicles • Theoretical control - papers better suited to a specialist controls journal • Theoretical nonlinear dynamics without experimental validation • Uncertainty quantification with no clearly defined relevance to engineering dynamics
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Engineering, Mechanical
Editor-in-chief S. D. FassoisPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 8 in mainland China (about 11%); most named United States 12, Italy 10, Mainland China 8, United Kingdom 7, France 6 (73 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Structural Health Monitoring TechniquesEngineering19.7%
- Machine Fault Diagnosis TechniquesEngineering9.7%
- Gear and Bearing Dynamics AnalysisEngineering6.1%
- Ultrasonics and Acoustic Wave PropagationEngineering6%
- Probabilistic and Robust Engineering DesignDecision Sciences5.2%
- Fault Detection and Control SystemsEngineering4.7%
- Vibration Control and Rheological FluidsEngineering4.6%
- Hydraulic and Pneumatic SystemsEngineering4.1%
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 |
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 |
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 |
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
- 10.19LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 10.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 17.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 17.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 2.34LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.88LetPub ·
- h-index
- 134LetPub ·
- h-index
- 253OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 9,511OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 9.81OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 14.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 17.93%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 1,413LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 13,572 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1,111 | 327 | 1,370 |
| 2025 | 1,485 | 358 | 12,197 |
| 2024 | 1,157 | 306 | 23,244 |
| 2023 | 967 | 277 | 29,187 |
| 2022 | 1,045 | 268 | 39,447 |
| 2021 | 1,012 | 273 | 44,853 |
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
138 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 6.7 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 6.7 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 38%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 11 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 62 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 138 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 8 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 4,730 / EUR 4,420 / GBP 3,790 / JPY 586,660 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 5,020 | — | — |
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 papers3, by deadline
- Progress in the Inverse Finite Element Method (iFEM) for Deformation Reconstruction and Structural Health MonitoringDeadline
- Uncertainty-aware Structural Health MonitoringDeadline
- Sensors-to-models for machining of additively manufactured metals: dynamics identification, chatter detection and prognosticsDeadline
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted3
- research articleResearch ArticlesLength not stated
- review articleReview ArticlesLength not stated
- short communicationShort CommunicationsLength 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
- Academic Press Inc.
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1987
- ISSN
- 0888-3270
- Electronic ISSN
- 1096-1216
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing
What CAS zone is Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing is in Zone 1 of Engineering, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Engineering, Mechanical; 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 Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 10.19; CiteScore 17.6, h-index 253.
How long does peer review take at Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing?
The publisher reports about 138 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 6.7 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy (Elsevier website: 38%)”. 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 Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; 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 Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing based?
Of the 73 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 8 (about 11%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (12), Italy (10) and Mainland China (8). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing open access, and what is the APC?
Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,730.
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: .