Journal profile · OPERATIONS RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
Operational Research
ISSN 1109-2858 · eISSN 1866-1505 · Springer Berlin Heidelberg · GERMANY · 5 issues per year · Founded 2001
Operational Research: CAS Zone 4 · Management (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.03; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,190; median 399 days to acceptance (100 articles, last 24 months); 117 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Operational Research is published by Springer Berlin Heidelberg and is in Zone 4 of Management in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Supply Chain and Inventory Management, Sustainable Supply Chain Management and Multi-Criteria Decision Making, together about 30% of its articles. Its main subfields are Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Operational Research - An International Journal (ORIJ) publishes high quality scientific papers that contribute significantly to the fields of operational research/management science (OR/MS) and business analytics. ORIJ focuses on papers presenting new theoretical insights and developments as well as real-world case studies illustrating the implementation of OR approaches in practice. Papers exploring the interactions of OR/MS with other relevant disciplines such as information technology, computer science, artificial intelligence, soft computing and electronic services are of particular interest. This is a unique feature of ORIJ compared to other existing OR journals, providing the means to explore new directions in OR/MS research in an interdisciplinary context. Overview papers from eminent scientists in significant fields of OR/MS and business analytics that review the state-of-the-art in these fields are also welcome. Officially cited as: Oper Res Int J
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): OPERATIONS RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
Editor-in-chief Nikolaos F. MatsatsinisPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named Greece 19, United States 7, United Kingdom 4, France 3, Poland 3 (47 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Supply Chain and Inventory ManagementBusiness, Management and Accounting12.2%
- Sustainable Supply Chain ManagementBusiness, Management and Accounting9.5%
- Multi-Criteria Decision MakingDecision Sciences8.3%
- Vehicle Routing Optimization MethodsEngineering7.3%
- Efficiency Analysis Using DEADecision Sciences7%
- Scheduling and Optimization AlgorithmsEngineering6.6%
- Optimization and Mathematical ProgrammingEngineering5.8%
- Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics OptimizationEngineering5.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Management Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Management | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Operations Research & Management Science | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Management Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Management | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Operations Research & Management Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Management Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Management | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Operations Research & Management Science | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
DBLPCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, RePEc
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
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
- 3.03LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 7.3LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.74LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.33LetPub ·
- h-index
- 15LetPub ·
- h-index
- 48OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 526OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.44OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 22.61%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 117LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 236,600Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,276 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 95 | 23 | 22 |
| 2025 | 117 | 26 | 247 |
| 2024 | 76 | 18 | 434 |
| 2023 | 70 | 29 | 682 |
| 2022 | 58 | 21 | 761 |
| 2021 | 67 | 16 | 872 |
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
399 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 241 days – 529 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 34 days (100 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 435 days
- Sample
- 100 articles with submission and acceptance dates (235 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
- Submission to first decision
- 57 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 3,190 / EUR 2,590 / GBP 2,290 | — | — |
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 prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted1
- editorialDouble-blind peer review This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout p…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Generative AI Images
LLMs cannot be authors; LLM use must be documented in Methods; AI-assisted copy editing need not be declared. Model summary
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
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 Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Data and code transparency expected; journals may have individual research data sharing policies. Model summary
All authors are requested to make sure that all data and materials as well as software application or custom code support their published claims and comply with field standards.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
Competing interests disclosure required under Statements and Declarations. Model summary
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 ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Operational Research, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Double-blind peer review
Double-blind peer review; authors must anonymize manuscripts and submit a separate title page. Model summary
This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout peer review. It is the responsibility of the author to anonymize the manuscript and any associated materials. Author names, affiliations and any other potentially identifying information should be removed from the manuscript text and any accompanying files (such as …
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 Berlin Heidelberg
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- 5 issues per year
- Founded
- 2001
- ISSN
- 1109-2858
- Electronic ISSN
- 1866-1505
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Operational Research
What CAS zone is Operational Research in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Operational Research is in Zone 4 of Management, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Operations Research & Management Science. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Management. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Operational Research?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.03; CiteScore 7.3, h-index 48.
How long does peer review take at Operational Research?
Based on the dates recorded on 100 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 399 days (interquartile range 241–529 days). 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 Operational Research?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: 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 Operational Research based?
Of the 47 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Greece (19), United States (7) and United Kingdom (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Operational Research?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Operational Research is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists DBLP and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Operational Research open access, and what is the APC?
Operational Research is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,190.
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: .