Journal profile · Engineering, Industrial
Research in Engineering Design
ISSN 0934-9839 · eISSN 1435-6066 · Springer London · ENGLAND · Quarterly · Founded 1989
Research in Engineering Design: CAS Zone 3 · Engineering (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.46; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,090; median 177 days to acceptance (62 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 27 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Research in Engineering Design is published by Springer London and is in Zone 3 of Engineering in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Design Education and Practice, Product Development and Customization and Manufacturing Process and Optimization, together about 63.4% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Research in Engineering Design is a leading international journal dedicated to publishing high-quality research on design theory and methodology across all branches of engineering, including mechanical, aerospace, electrical, materials, civil, architectural, industrial, software, data, and computational engineering. The journal particularly welcomes contributions from emerging and cross-disciplinary domains such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and cyber-physical systems, reflecting the expanding frontiers of engineering design. Its readership spans academics, practitioners, and policymakers seeking rigorous scholarship that advances the science of design and drives innovation across industries.The journal prioritizes original research that develops fundamental theories, principles, frameworks, and methods with broad applicability across disciplines. Areas of interest include theories of design, models of design processes, foundations of design environments, design representations and languages, and approaches to bridging design and implementation. Representative topics include, but are not limited to, functional modeling, parametric design, design for manufacturing, systems design, data-driven and AI-enabled design, human-centered design, and creativity and innovation. The journal also publishes state-of-the-art reviews and visionary position papers. Papers that primarily present case studies of individual design efforts or focus solely on applying existing tools or methods fall outside the journal’s scope and will be desk-rejected. Similarly, submissions that introduce new design methods but focus only on specific applications—without offering broadly generalizable insights or contributions to design knowledge—will also be desk-rejected.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Engineering, Industrial
Editor-in-chief Jianxi LuoPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 19, United Kingdom 5, France 3, Italy 3, Hong Kong, China 2 (43 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Design Education and PracticeEngineering26.1%
- Product Development and CustomizationBusiness, Management and Accounting21%
- Manufacturing Process and OptimizationEngineering16.3%
- Technology Assessment and ManagementEngineering4%
- Creativity in Education and NeurosciencePsychology3.4%
- Quality Function Deployment in Product DesignBusiness, Management and Accounting3.4%
- Color perception and designPsychology2.8%
- BIM and Construction IntegrationEngineering2.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Engineering Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Engineering, Manufacturing | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Engineering, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Engineering, Industrial | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Engineering Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Engineering, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Engineering, Industrial | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Engineering, Manufacturing | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Engineering Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Engineering, Manufacturing | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Engineering, Multidisciplinary | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Engineering, Industrial | 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 CompendexINSPECCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, 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
- 3.46LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.5Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.2LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.65LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.71LetPub ·
- h-index
- 61LetPub ·
- h-index
- 93OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 547OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.35OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 59.02%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 26LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 201,400Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 797 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 36 | 20 | 12 |
| 2025 | 27 | 15 | 92 |
| 2024 | 14 | 12 | 154 |
| 2023 | 22 | 14 | 279 |
| 2022 | 26 | 18 | 315 |
| 2021 | 24 | 13 | 479 |
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
177 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 126 days – 371 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 23 days (62 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 214 days
- Sample
- 62 articles with submission and acceptance dates (63 in the window); the latest was accepted on
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)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 5 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 4,090 / EUR 3,090 / GBP 2,690 | — | — |
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
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access
- 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 Research in Engineering Design, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
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 London
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 1989
- ISSN
- 0934-9839
- Electronic ISSN
- 1435-6066
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Research in Engineering Design
What CAS zone is Research in Engineering Design in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Research in Engineering Design is in Zone 3 of Engineering, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Engineering, Manufacturing / Engineering, Multidisciplinary / Engineering, Industrial. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Engineering. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Research in Engineering Design?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.46; CiteScore 6.2, h-index 93.
How long does peer review take at Research in Engineering Design?
Based on the dates recorded on 62 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 177 days (interquartile range 126–371 days); authors report an average review time of about 6 months; 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Research in Engineering Design?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 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 Research in Engineering Design based?
Of the 43 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 (19), United Kingdom (5) and France (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Research in Engineering Design?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Research in Engineering Design is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, INSPEC and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Research in Engineering Design open access, and what is the APC?
Research in Engineering Design is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,090.
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: .