Journal profile · Environmental Sciences
Polar Record
ISSN 0032-2474 · eISSN 1475-3057 · Cambridge University Press · ENGLAND · Quarterly · Founded 1931
Polar Record: CAS Zone 4 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.51; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,550; review over 36 weeks (community reports); community-reported acceptance: easy; 33 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Polar Record is published by Cambridge University Press and is in Zone 4 of Environmental Science & Ecology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Polar Research and Ecology, Arctic and Russian Policy Studies and Geology and Paleoclimatology Research, together about 44.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Atmospheric Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Polar Record is a Gold Open Access journal that publishes articles in a wide variety of areas of polar research in both the Arctic and the Antarctic and keeping its readers up to date with an extensive range of topics and concerns. The journal includes original primary research papers in the physical sciences, life sciences, polar technology, humanities, and social sciences, as well as papers concerning current political, economic, legal, and environmental issues. Notes, review papers, book reviews, letters to the editor, guest editorials, obituaries, and ‘In Brief’ items of general interest are also published.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Environmental Sciences
Editor-in-chief Nikolas SellheimPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United Kingdom 5, Germany 3, Canada 3, Norway 3, United States 2 (27 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Polar Research and EcologyEnvironmental Science23.1%
- Arctic and Russian Policy StudiesSocial Sciences13%
- Geology and Paleoclimatology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences8.6%
- Indigenous Studies and EcologyHealth Professions7.7%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.9%
- Cryospheric studies and observationsEarth and Planetary Sciences4.6%
- Legal case studies and regulationsSocial Sciences4.4%
- Methane Hydrates and Related PhenomenaEnvironmental Science3.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | 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
- 1.51LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.2LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.41LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.85LetPub ·
- h-index
- 28LetPub ·
- h-index
- 60OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 657OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.89OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 12.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 84.62%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 27LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 8,382 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 29 | 26 | 8 |
| 2025 | 33 | 29 | 27 |
| 2024 | 23 | 23 | 41 |
| 2023 | 42 | 31 | 177 |
| 2022 | 43 | 30 | 272 |
| 2021 | 48 | 29 | 234 |
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
- Average review time (community reports)
- over 36 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- 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 3,550 / GBP 2,460 | — | — |
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)
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- book reviewPolar Record publishes: Book Review Brief Reviews Commentary Note* Research Article* Research Note* Review Article* Correspondence In Brief* Conference ReportLength not stated
- commentaryPolar Record publishes: Book Review Brief Reviews Commentary Note* Research Article* Research Note* Review Article* Correspondence In Brief* Conference ReportLength not stated
- conference reportPolar Record publishes: Book Review Brief Reviews Commentary Note* Research Article* Research Note* Review Article* Correspondence In Brief* Conference ReportLength not stated
- correspondencePolar Record publishes: Book Review Brief Reviews Commentary Note* Research Article* Research Note* Review Article* Correspondence In Brief* Conference ReportLength not stated
- original research articleOriginal research articles This category is intended for full-scale studies of between 9,000 and 12,000 words in length. Reviews Polar Record will publish schol…main text ≤ 12,000 words
- research articlePolar Record publishes: Book Review Brief Reviews Commentary Note* Research Article* Research Note* Review Article* Correspondence In Brief* Conference ReportLength not stated
- reviewPolar Record publishes: Book Review Brief Reviews Commentary Note* Research Article* Research Note* Review Article* Correspondence In Brief* Conference ReportLength not stated
- review articlePolar Record publishes: Book Review Brief Reviews Commentary Note* Research Article* Research Note* Review Article* Correspondence In Brief* Conference ReportLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access
- Open access
Gold Open Access journal Model summary
Polar Record is a Gold Open Access journal
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
- Cambridge University Press
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 1931
- ISSN
- 0032-2474
- Electronic ISSN
- 1475-3057
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Polar Record
What CAS zone is Polar Record in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Polar Record is in Zone 4 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Ecology / Environmental Sciences. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Environmental Science & Ecology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Polar Record?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.51; CiteScore 3.2, h-index 60.
How long does peer review take at Polar Record?
Authors report an average review time of over 36 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Polar Record based?
Of the 27 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (5), Germany (3) and Canada (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Polar Record?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Polar Record is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Polar Record open access, and what is the APC?
Polar Record is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,550.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .