Journal profile · MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
MRS Communications
ISSN 2159-6859 · eISSN 2159-6867 · Springer International Publishing · UNITED STATES · Founded 2012
MRS Communications: CAS Zone 4 · Materials Science (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.65; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,390; median 111 days to acceptance (114 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 222 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus; the journal's website says it has moved to a new publisher.
The journal's website says it has moved to a new publisher: No longer published by Cambridge University Press Source ↗Publisher website ·
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
MRS Communications is published by Springer International Publishing and is in Zone 4 of Materials Science in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Technologies, Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials and Conducting polymers and applications, together about 19% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
MRS Communications is a full-color, high-impact journal focused on rapid publication of completed research with broad appeal to the materials community.MRS Communications offers a rapid but rigorous peer-review process and time to publication. Leveraging its access to the far-reaching technical expertise of MRS members and leading materials researchers from around the world, the journal boasts an experienced and highly respected board of principal editors and reviewers.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing TechnologiesEngineering7.3%
- Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting MaterialsEngineering6%
- Conducting polymers and applicationsMaterials Science5.7%
- Advancements in Battery MaterialsEngineering5.3%
- Advanced Photocatalysis TechniquesEnergy4.5%
- Machine Learning in Materials ScienceMaterials Science4.5%
- Metal and Thin Film MechanicsEngineering4.4%
- Perovskite Materials and ApplicationsEngineering4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Materials Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Materials Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Materials Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
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
- 2.65LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.8LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.51LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.56LetPub ·
- h-index
- 22LetPub ·
- h-index
- 62OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 582OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.29OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 3.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 24.78%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 210LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,947 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 143 | 53 | 31 |
| 2025 | 222 | 82 | 283 |
| 2024 | 177 | 58 | 925 |
| 2023 | 196 | 52 | 1,634 |
| 2022 | 179 | 40 | 1,410 |
| 2021 | 131 | 37 | 1,141 |
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 Crossref · to
111 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 85 days – 153 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 18 days (114 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 132 days
- Sample
- 114 articles with submission and acceptance dates (114 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)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous 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 3,390 / EUR 2,790 / GBP 2,190 | — | — |
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 prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 100 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 6,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Required
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted13, with length limits
- articleArticleLength not stated
- commentariesCommentaries An item whose subject or focus is another article or articles; this article comments on the other article(s).Length not stated
- commentaryMethods Letters A concise presentation of new or improved techniques for characterization, instrumentation, materials preparation, analysis, application of mach…main text ≤ 500 words · references ≤ 15
- editorialMethods Letters A concise presentation of new or improved techniques for characterization, instrumentation, materials preparation, analysis, application of mach…main text ≤ 10,000 words · references ≤ 15
- editorialsEditorials Opinion piece, policy statement or general commentary, typically written by board of the publication or a guest of notable stature.Length not stated
- letterMethods Letters A concise presentation of new or improved techniques for characterization, instrumentation, materials preparation, analysis, application of mach…Length not stated
- letter to the editorTechnical Description: • Flexible format of general interest to readership – policy debates, announcements or matters arising from published material • 500-1000…main text ≤ 500 words · references ≤ 10
- methods lettersMethods Letters A concise presentation of new or improved techniques for characterization, instrumentation, materials preparation, analysis, application of mach…Length not stated
- opinionMethods Letters A concise presentation of new or improved techniques for characterization, instrumentation, materials preparation, analysis, application of mach…Length not stated
- prospectivesProspectives Forward-looking short reviews. Authoritative and balanced but can deal with controversies or new and speculative areas of research for future consi…Length not stated
- research lettersResearch Letters A concise presentation of a study with broad interest, showing novel results.Length not stated
- reviewMethods Letters A concise presentation of new or improved techniques for characterization, instrumentation, materials preparation, analysis, application of mach…Length not stated
- short reviewMethods Letters A concise presentation of new or improved techniques for characterization, instrumentation, materials preparation, analysis, application of mach…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, Open access, Peer review, Preprints, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
LLMs do not satisfy authorship criteria; use of an LLM must be documented in the Methods section or suitable alternative part. Model summary
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. All extraneous machine-generated information in SEM and TEM micrographs must be removed prior to submission and professional quality scale markers placed on the figure.X-ray or neutron powder diffraction data should be presented with the diffraction peaks identified to the fu…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Competing Interests
Authors are requested to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Disclo…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
All MRS journals require graphical abstracts. Model summary
Graphical abstract: All MRS journals require graphical abstracts.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in MRS Communications, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Single-blind peer review
Rapid but rigorous peer-review process and time to publication. Model summary
This journal follows a single-blind reviewing procedure. This journal also publishes special/guest-edited issues. The peer review process for these articles is the same as the peer review process of the journal in general. Additionally, if a guest editor authors an article in their issue/collection, they will not handle the peer review process. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints
Manuscript must not be published before, not under consideration elsewhere, and approved by co-authors and responsible authorities. Model summary
Submission of a manuscript implies: that the work described has not been published before; that it is not under consideration for publication anywhere else; that its publication has been approved by all co-authors, if any, as well as by the responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – at the institute where the work has been carried out.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
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
- Springer International Publishing
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Founded
- 2012
- ISSN
- 2159-6859
- Electronic ISSN
- 2159-6867
- Society / sponsor
- Materials Research Society
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about MRS Communications
What CAS zone is MRS Communications in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, MRS Communications is in Zone 4 of Materials Science, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Materials Science, Multidisciplinary. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Materials Science. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of MRS Communications?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.65; CiteScore 3.8, h-index 62.
How long does peer review take at MRS Communications?
Based on the dates recorded on 114 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 111 days (interquartile range 85–153 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. 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 MRS Communications?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 100 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 6,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Graphical abstract: Required; 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.
Which databases index MRS Communications?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, MRS Communications is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is MRS Communications open access, and what is the APC?
MRS Communications is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,390.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; 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: .