Journal profile · Computer Science, Theory & Methods
Real-Time Systems
ISSN 0922-6443 · eISSN 1573-1383 · Springer US · NETHERLANDS · Bimonthly · Founded 1989
Real-Time Systems: CAS Zone 4 · Computer Science (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.03; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,990; review about 6 months (community reports); community-reported acceptance: about 5%; 21 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Real-Time Systems is published by Springer US and is in Zone 4 of Computer Science in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Real-Time Systems Scheduling, Embedded Systems Design Techniques and Distributed systems and fault tolerance, together about 58.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Computer Networks and Communications and Hardware and Architecture. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Real-time systems are defined as those systems in which the correctness of the system depends not only on the logical result of computations, but also on the time at which the results are produced. The journal Real-Time Systems publishes papers that concentrate on real-time computing principles and applications, which may be research papers, invited papers, project reports and case studies, standards and corresponding proposals for general discussion, and a partitioned tutorial on real-time systems as a continuing series. RTS also publishes short papers for fast publication of new high-quality ideas and correspondence articles that identify (and correct) significant errors found in published papers. Much of the work in building sophisticated, modern real-time systems is interdisciplinary in nature and is often found scattered throughout the primary literature. Real-Time Systems provides a single-source coverage of the state of the art in this exciting and expanding field. The editorial board, the writers and the readers of the journal are drawn from all parts of the world, from industry, and from academia. Papers published in Real-Time Systems cover, among others, the following topics: requirements engineering, specification and verification techniques, design methods and tools, programming languages, operating systems, scheduling algorithms, architecture, hardware and interfacing, dependability and safety, distributed and other novel architectures, wired and wireless communications, wireless sensor systems, distributed databases, artificial intelligence techniques, expert systems, and application case studies. Applications are found in command and control systems, process control, automated manufacturing, flight control, avionics, space avionics and defense systems, shipborne systems, vision and robotics, pervasive and ubiquitous computing, and in an abundance of embedded systems.The journal will also consider:Short Papers. These articles represent a means for fast publication of new, high-quality ideas in the form of short, critically refereed, technical papers. Submissions are welcomed on any topic in real-time systems, especially, but not limited to: novel techniques for the implementation of standard algorithms; significant improvements to existing well-known approaches; comparative evaluations of existing approaches; well-formed lucid critiques of standards.Correspondence Articles. These articles identify (and correct) significant errors found in pub
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Computer Science, Theory & Methods
Editor-in-chief Enrico BiniPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 9, Italy 7, France 6, Sweden 4, United Kingdom 3 (45 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Real-Time Systems SchedulingComputer Science30.6%
- Embedded Systems Design TechniquesComputer Science15.5%
- Distributed systems and fault toleranceComputer Science12%
- Parallel Computing and Optimization TechniquesComputer Science9.4%
- Petri Nets in System ModelingComputer Science7.8%
- Formal Methods in VerificationComputer Science5%
- Interconnection Networks and SystemsComputer Science3.4%
- Distributed and Parallel Computing SystemsComputer Science3.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Computer Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Theory & Methods | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Computer Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Theory & Methods | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Computer Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Theory & Methods | 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
EI CompendexINSPECzbMATHDBLPCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, ACM Digital Library, Astrophysics Data System, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
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
- 2.03LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.1Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.55LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.19LetPub ·
- h-index
- 49LetPub ·
- h-index
- 88OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 496OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.23OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 52.94%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 18LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 81,400Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 957 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 21 | 15 | 42 |
| 2024 | 18 | 15 | 54 |
| 2023 | 23 | 17 | 165 |
| 2022 | 30 | 7 | 210 |
| 2021 | 20 | 8 | 152 |
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
Too few articlesOnly 4 articles from the last 24 months carry both submission and acceptance dates, too few for a median
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
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 6 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 5%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 21 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 2,990 / EUR 2,390 / GBP 2,190 | — | — |
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
- 100–150 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted3
- correspondenceReal-Time Systems accepts correspondence articles that identify (and correct) significant errors found in published papers. Submission Materials & Manuscript Fo…Length not stated
- 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
- original researchThis journal accepts the following types of articles: Original research manuscriptsShort papersCorrespondence articles For all types, a latex macro package can …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
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 availability statements
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
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 Real-Time Systems, 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 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 US
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1989
- ISSN
- 0922-6443
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-1383
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Real-Time Systems
What CAS zone is Real-Time Systems in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Real-Time Systems is in Zone 4 of Computer Science, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Computer Science, Theory & Methods. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Computer Science. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Real-Time Systems?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.03; CiteScore 4, h-index 88.
How long does peer review take at Real-Time Systems?
Authors report an average review time of about 6 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 5%”. 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 Real-Time Systems?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 100–150 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 Real-Time Systems based?
Of the 45 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 2%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (9), Italy (7) and France (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Real-Time Systems?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Real-Time Systems is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, INSPEC, zbMATH, DBLP and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Real-Time Systems open access, and what is the APC?
Real-Time Systems is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,990.
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: .