Journal profile · Earth and Planetary Sciences-Earth-Surface Processes
Quaternary Science Advances
ISSN 2666-0334 · Elsevier · United Kingdom
Quaternary Science Advances: CAS Zone 3 · Earth Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.4 (journal website); fully open access; APC about USD 1,800; review about 89 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 46 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Quaternary Science Advances is published by Elsevier 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 Landslides and related hazards, together about 37.3% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Quaternary Science Advances (QSA) is an international and fully Open Access journal supporting the rapid publication of peer-reviewed original research articles, short communications and review papers dealing with all aspects of Quaternary science. A companion title to the respected Quaternary Science Reviews, the journal's vision is to ensure maximum accessibility and it will appeal to a diverse readership in Quaternary sciences. Contributions of an interdisciplinary nature, reflecting the field itself, are especially welcome and authors are encouraged to enhance their article with the addition of supporting material such as videos, datasets and applications uploaded to repositories such as Mendeley Data. The broad scope of QSA will include, but not be limited to, contributions addressing one or more of the following topics:ArchaeologyClimate changeCryosphereGeochronologyGeomorphologyLimnologyOceanographyPalaeobotanyPalaeoclimatePalaeoecologyPalaeontologySea-level changePublication information: Quaternary Science Advances (ISSN 2666-0334) is published quarterly. For 2022, volumes 5 to 8 are scheduled for publication.This journal welcomes contributions that support and advance the UN's sustainable development goals
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Earth and Planetary Sciences-Earth-Surface Processes
Editor-in-chief Neil F. GlasserPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 12 in mainland China (about 41%); most named Mainland China 12, United Kingdom 4, India 4, United States 2, Türkiye 2 (29 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 Sciences18.5%
- Pleistocene-Era Hominins and ArchaeologySocial Sciences9.8%
- Landslides and related hazardsEnvironmental Science9.1%
- Archaeology and ancient environmental studiesEarth and Planetary Sciences7.2%
- Geological formations and processesEarth and Planetary Sciences6.8%
- Cryospheric studies and observationsEarth and Planetary Sciences5.6%
- earthquake and tectonic studiesEarth and Planetary Sciences5.5%
- Flood Risk Assessment and ManagementEnvironmental Science4.6%
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 3 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
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)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusDOAJLetPub
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 (publisher)
- 3.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.76LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.14LetPub ·
- h-index
- 24OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 84OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.28OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 40LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 319 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 32 | 32 | 7 |
| 2025 | 46 | 46 | 97 |
| 2024 | 95 | 95 | 637 |
| 2023 | 87 | 87 | 883 |
| 2022 | 18 | 18 | 222 |
| 2021 | 22 | 22 | 530 |
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
89 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 18 weeks
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 18 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 50 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 89 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 15 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
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
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 1,800 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 1,760 / EUR 1,650 / GBP 1,410 / JPY 218,290 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 1,600 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 2,250 | — | — |
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 papers3, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted3
- original research articlessupporting the rapid publication of peer-reviewed original research articles, short communications and review papersLength not stated
- review paperssupporting the rapid publication of peer-reviewed original research articles, short communications and review papersLength not stated
- short communicationssupporting the rapid publication of peer-reviewed original research articles, short communications and review papersLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, 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 ·- 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. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
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
- Country or region
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2666-0334
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Quaternary Science Advances
What CAS zone is Quaternary Science Advances in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Quaternary Science Advances is in Zone 3 of Earth Sciences, and in Zone 3 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 Science Advances?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 3.4; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 5.3, h-index 24.
How long does peer review take at Quaternary Science Advances?
The publisher reports about 89 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 18 weeks. 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 Quaternary Science Advances?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Highlights: Optional; Graphical abstract: 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 Quaternary Science Advances based?
Of the 29 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 12 (about 41%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (12), United Kingdom (4) and India (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Quaternary Science Advances?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Quaternary Science Advances is indexed in ESCI, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Quaternary Science Advances open access, and what is the APC?
Quaternary Science Advances is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 1,800.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex, DOAJ; 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: .