Journal profile · Polymer Science
Progress in Polymer Science
ISSN 0079-6700 · eISSN 1873-1619 · Elsevier Ltd · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1967
Progress in Polymer Science: CAS Zone 1 · Chemistry (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 32.79; hybrid open access; APC about USD 6,500; review about 163 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: about 75%; 68 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Progress in Polymer Science is published by Elsevier Ltd and is in Zone 1 of Chemistry in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Advanced Polymer Synthesis and Characterization, Diverse Scientific and Economic Studies and Human auditory perception and evaluation, together about 29.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Polymers and Plastics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Progress in Polymer Science publishes state-of-the-art overview articles by internationally recognized authorities in polymer science and engineering, one of the fastest growing disciplines. The journal provides a link between original articles, innovations published in patents, and up-to-date knowledge of technology. It publishes review articles on subjects not only within the traditional fields of polymer science - chemistry, physics and engineering involving polymers - but also within interdisciplinary developing fields such as functional and specialty polymers, biomaterials, polymers and drug delivery, polymers in electronic applications, composites, conducting polymers, liquid crystalline materials and the interphases between polymers and ceramics, and new fabrication techniques, where significant contributions are being made.Contributors are usually invited by the Editor; however, authors wishing to submit a review to the journal may do so by first submitting a Proposal Form for consideration by the Editors. Upon submission, the proposal will be reviewed by the Editors for suitability and fit, and if appropriate, an invitation to submit the full paper will be extended. Proposal forms should be submitted via Editorial Manager, and authors should select "Proposal" as the article type. Unsolicited manuscripts submitted without a proposal form will not be considered.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Polymer Science
Editor-in-chief Jean-Francois LutzPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 8 in mainland China (about 16%); most named United States 20, Mainland China 8, Germany 8, Japan 3, France 2 (50 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Advanced Polymer Synthesis and CharacterizationChemistry11.5%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance9.2%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering9.2%
- Educational Robotics and EngineeringComputer Science8.7%
- biodegradable polymer synthesis and propertiesMaterials Science7.6%
- Conducting polymers and applicationsMaterials Science4.6%
- Polymer crystallization and propertiesMaterials Science4.3%
- Polymer Surface Interaction StudiesMaterials Science4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Chemistry Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Chemistry | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Polymer Science | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: yes
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Chemistry Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Chemistry | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Polymer Science | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Chemistry Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Chemistry | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Polymer Science | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: yes
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
- 32.79LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 32.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 46.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 46.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 6.25LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 5.43LetPub ·
- h-index
- 244LetPub ·
- h-index
- 379OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,551OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 25.1OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 1.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 26.49%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 56LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,121 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 48 | 14 | 114 |
| 2025 | 68 | 27 | 1,255 |
| 2024 | 55 | 32 | 2,923 |
| 2023 | 65 | 26 | 4,717 |
| 2022 | 52 | 19 | 4,778 |
| 2021 | 70 | 22 | 9,014 |
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
163 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 6.5 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 6.5 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 75%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 106 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 163 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 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 6,500 / EUR 6,080 / GBP 5,200 / JPY 806,200 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 6,270 | — | — |
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
- Graphical abstract
- Required
Article types accepted1
- proposalProposal forms should be submitted via Editorial Manager, and authors should select "Proposal" as the article type.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, 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 ·- Data availability
Data statement required Model summary
To foster transparency, you are required to state the availability of any data at submission.
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
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 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 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.
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 Ltd
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1967
- ISSN
- 0079-6700
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-1619
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Progress in Polymer Science
What CAS zone is Progress in Polymer Science in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Progress in Polymer Science is in Zone 1 of Chemistry, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Polymer Science; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Chemistry. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Progress in Polymer Science?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 32.79; CiteScore 46.6, h-index 379.
How long does peer review take at Progress in Polymer Science?
The publisher reports about 163 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 6.5 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 75%”. 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 Progress in Polymer Science?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: 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 Progress in Polymer Science based?
Of the 50 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 8 (about 16%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (20), Mainland China (8) and Germany (8). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Progress in Polymer Science?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Progress in Polymer Science is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Progress in Polymer Science open access, and what is the APC?
Progress in Polymer Science is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 6,500.
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: .