Journal profile · MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES
Science Bulletin
ISSN 2095-9273 · eISSN 2095-9281 · Science China Press · PEOPLES R CHINA · Semi-monthly · Founded 2015
Science Bulletin: CAS Zone 1 · Multidisciplinary (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 20.61; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,880; median 133 days to acceptance (115 articles, last 24 months); 657 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Science Bulletin (Sci. Bull., formerly known as Chinese Science Bulletin) is a multidisciplinary academic journal supervised by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and co-sponsored by the CAS and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). Sci. Bull. is a semi-monthly international journal publishing high-caliber peer-reviewed research on a broad range of natural sciences and high-tech fields on the basis of its originality, scientific significance and whether it is of general interest. In addition, we are committed to serving the scientific community with immediate, authoritative news and valuable insights into upcoming trends around the globe.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES
Editor-in-chief George FuPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 301 in mainland China (about 90%); most named Mainland China 301, Hong Kong, China 9, United States 7, United Kingdom 4, Australia 4 (333 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 Sciences10.4%
- Geological and Geochemical AnalysisEarth and Planetary Sciences9%
- Geological and Geophysical StudiesEarth and Planetary Sciences6.6%
- Hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir analysisEngineering4.6%
- earthquake and tectonic studiesEarth and Planetary Sciences4.4%
- Geochemistry and Geologic MappingComputer Science4.3%
- Climate variability and modelsEnvironmental Science4.3%
- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsEarth and Planetary Sciences4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Multidisciplinary Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Multidisciplinary Sciences | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Multidisciplinary Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Multidisciplinary Sciences | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Multidisciplinary Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Multidisciplinary Sciences | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexMEDLINEINSPECCASCAB AbstractsMathSciNetzbMATHCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, Academic Search Alumni Edition, Academic Search Complete, Academic Search Elite, Academic Search Premier, ASFA 1: Biological Sciences and Living Resources, ASFA 2: Ocean Technology, Policy and Non-Living Resources, Biological Sciences, Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS Previews, Current Mathematical Publications, Digital Mathematics Registry, EMBio, Environmental Engineering Abstracts, Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management, Meteorological and Geoastrophysical Abstracts, Pollution Abstracts, Water Resources Abstracts, Zoological Record
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
- 20.61LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 20.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 19.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 19.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 2.57LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.42LetPub ·
- h-index
- 90LetPub ·
- h-index
- 161OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,471OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 9.07OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 29.9%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 252LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 16,819 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 646 | 165 | 695 |
| 2025 | 657 | 248 | 5,254 |
| 2024 | 586 | 235 | 11,186 |
| 2023 | 555 | 160 | 15,343 |
| 2022 | 317 | 91 | 12,100 |
| 2021 | 337 | 107 | 17,690 |
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 PubMed · to
133 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 101 days – 177 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 11 days (115 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 146 days
- Sample
- 115 articles with submission and acceptance dates (1,561 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 2.4 weeksLetPub ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 11 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous 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 3,880 / EUR 3,630 / GBP 3,110 / JPY 481,240 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | CNY 1,000 / USD 150 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Page charges
- RMB 1,000
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 prepare7 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 4–6
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 3,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted10, with length limits
- commentariesCommentaries Comment on a recent scientific publication, a general scientific issue, or a policy of broad interest. While snapshot an issue or problem, commenta…Length not stated
- commentarypected to propose a solution in detail. Commentaries are usually limited to 1 page (~1000 words) with less than 10 references. Correspondences Remark on amain text ≤ 1,000 words · references ≤ 10
- correspondencesCorrespondences Remark on a recent publication in Sci Bull. or a brief introduction of a recent research advance. Correspondences are generally within 1 page ( …Length not stated
- news and viewsNews and Views Introduce or comment on recent scientific advances or issues that have major influence on science or scientific community. News and Views are gen…Length not stated
- perspectiveArticlesOriginally report substantial advances regarding an important scientific problem. Articles normally include a 250-word abstract, 4-6 keywords, up to 6 f…main text ≤ 3,000 words · references ≤ 15
- research highlightsResearch Highlights Highlight and explain potential scientific significance of a most recent exciting research. Research Highlights should be limited to approxi…Length not stated
- reviewArticlesOriginally report substantial advances regarding an important scientific problem. Articles normally include a 250-word abstract, 4-6 keywords, up to 6 f…abstract ≤ 250 words · references ≤ 100
- short communicationArticlesOriginally report substantial advances regarding an important scientific problem. Articles normally include a 250-word abstract, 4-6 keywords, up to 6 f…references ≤ 15
- short communicationsShort Communications Provide rapid and concise report of a novel finding that is brief in nature but is of general interest to a broad readership. Short Communi…Length not stated
- surveyArticlesOriginally report substantial advances regarding an important scientific problem. Articles normally include a 250-word abstract, 4-6 keywords, up to 6 f…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, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI in scientific writing
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 Authorship
Corresponding author(s)Corresponding author(s) are responsible for clarifying any issues, such as those pertaining to materials and methods, or technical comments. If Sci Bull receives feedback from its readers concerning the published paper, the corresponding author will be contacted.Changes to authorshipThis policy concerns the addition, deletion, or rearrangement of author names in the authorsh…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Conflict of interest
All authors are requested to disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest including any financial, personal or other relationships with other people or organizations within three years of beginning the submitted work that could inappropriately influence, or be perceived to influence their work. See also https://www.elsevier.com/conflictsofinterest.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability p. Data availability
To facilitate reproducibility and data reuse of research, Sci. Bull. encourages authors to share data (including but not limited to software, codes, models, algorithms, protocols, methods, and other materials) that supports publications where appropriate, and enables interlink of the data with the published articles. If you have made your research data available in a data repository, you can link …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
COPE member Model summary
As a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the journal will follow the COPE guidelines on how to deal with potential acts of misconduct.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Upon acceptance of an article, E-mail will be sent to the corresponding author confirming the acceptance of the manuscript together with a "Copyright Transfer Agreement" form or a link to the online version of this agreement.Subscribers may reproduce tables of contents or prepare lists of articles including abstracts for internal circulation within their institutions. Permission of Sci Bull is req…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
Open access options offered Model summary
Sci. Bull. offers authors a choice for Open Access in publishing their research. Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to complete the Exclusive License Agreement. Via this link you can find all the open access options we offer at Elsevier.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Single-blind peer review Model summary
Sci. Bull. uses a single-blind peer-review system.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint references
Where a preprint has subsequently become available as a peer-reviewed publication, the formal publication should be used as the reference. If there are preprints that are central to your work or that cover crucial developments in the topic, but are not yet formally published, these may be referenced. Preprints should be clearly marked as such, for example by including the word preprint, or the nam…
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
- Science China Press
- Country or region
- PEOPLES R CHINA
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Semi-monthly
- Founded
- 2015
- ISSN
- 2095-9273
- Electronic ISSN
- 2095-9281
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Science Bulletin
What CAS zone is Science Bulletin in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Science Bulletin is in Zone 1 of Multidisciplinary, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Multidisciplinary Sciences; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Multidisciplinary. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Science Bulletin?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 20.61; CiteScore 19.4, h-index 161.
How long does peer review take at Science Bulletin?
Based on the dates recorded on 115 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 133 days (interquartile range 101–177 days); authors report an average review time of about 2.4 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 Science Bulletin?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 4–6; Manuscript length: ≤ 3,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; 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 Science Bulletin based?
Of the 333 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 301 (about 90%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (301), Hong Kong, China (9) and United States (7). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Science Bulletin?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Science Bulletin is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, MEDLINE, INSPEC, CAS, CAB Abstracts, MathSciNet, zbMATH and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Science Bulletin open access, and what is the APC?
Science Bulletin is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,880.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .