Journal profile · Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Quaternary Research
ISSN 0033-5894 · eISSN 1096-0287 · Cambridge University Press · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly
Quaternary Research: CAS Zone 3 · Earth Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.07; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,550; review 4–8 weeks (community reports); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 85 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Quaternary Research is published by Cambridge University Press and is in Zone 3 of Earth Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Geology and Paleoclimatology Research, Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology and Geological formations and processes, together about 49.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Atmospheric Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Quaternary Research ISSN: 0033-5894 (Print), 1096-0287 (Online) Frequency: 6 volumes per year Editors: Dr Derek B. Booth University of Washington, Dr Nicholas Lancaster Desert Research Institute and Dr Lewis A Owen North Carolina State UniversityQuaternary Research is an international journal devoted to the advancement of the interdisciplinary understanding of the Quaternary Period. We aim to publish articles of broad interest with relevance to more than one discipline, and that constitute a significant new contribution to Quaternary science. The journal’s scope is global, building on its 50-year history in advancing the understanding of Earth and human history through interdisciplinary study of the last 2.6 million years. Research areas include geoarcheology, geochemistry and geophysics, geochronology, geomorphology, glaciology, neotectonics, paleobotany and paleoecology, paleoclimatology, paleogeography, paleohydrology, paleontology, paleoceanography, paleopedology, quaternary geology, volcanology and tephrochronology.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Editorial board by country: 5 in mainland China (about 14%); most named United States 21, Mainland China 5, Australia 4, United Kingdom 2, Mexico 2 (37 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Geology and Paleoclimatology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences33.1%
- Pleistocene-Era Hominins and ArchaeologySocial Sciences8.6%
- Geological formations and processesEarth and Planetary Sciences8.2%
- Isotope Analysis in EcologyEnvironmental Science6.1%
- Archaeology and ancient environmental studiesEarth and Planetary Sciences5.6%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance3.7%
- Cryospheric studies and observationsEarth and Planetary Sciences3.5%
- Tree-ring climate responsesEarth and Planetary Sciences3.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Earth Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Geography, Physical | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Earth Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Geography, Physical | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Earth Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Geography, Physical | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Geosciences, 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
- 2.07LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.2LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.74LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.92LetPub ·
- h-index
- 104LetPub ·
- h-index
- 192OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,300OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.51OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 55.49%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 75LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,865 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 60 | 41 | 15 |
| 2025 | 85 | 59 | 111 |
| 2024 | 54 | 33 | 174 |
| 2023 | 73 | 48 | 443 |
| 2022 | 69 | 41 | 461 |
| 2021 | 102 | 50 | 1,070 |
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)
- 4–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- 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 3,550 / 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 accepted6
- announcementsAnnouncementsLength not stated
- articleArticleLength not stated
- comments and repliesComments and RepliesLength not stated
- contributions to the qr forumContributions to the QR Forum*Length not stated
- research articleContributions to the QR Forum* Research Article*Review Article*Comments and RepliesLength not stated
- review articleContributions to the QR Forum* Research Article*Review Article*Comments and RepliesLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websitePeer review
- Peer review
Single blind peer review process. Model summary
these are follows a single blind peer review process
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
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- ISSN
- 0033-5894
- Electronic ISSN
- 1096-0287
- Society / sponsor
- Quaternary Research Center
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Quaternary Research
What CAS zone is Quaternary Research in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Quaternary Research is in Zone 3 of Earth Sciences, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Geography, Physical / Geosciences, Multidisciplinary. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Earth Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Quaternary Research?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.07; CiteScore 4.2, h-index 192.
How long does peer review take at Quaternary Research?
Authors report an average review time of 4–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly 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 Quaternary Research based?
Of the 37 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 5 (about 14%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (21), Mainland China (5) and Australia (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Quaternary Research?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Quaternary Research is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Quaternary Research open access, and what is the APC?
Quaternary Research 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: .