Journal profile · Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Soft Computing
ISSN 1432-7643 · eISSN 1433-7479 · Springer Berlin Heidelberg · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1997
Soft Computing: CAS Zone 4 · Computer Science (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.72; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,190; median 357 days to acceptance (39 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: 42%; 447 articles in 2025; indexed in Scopus; flagged on an early-warning list or for an indexing change: check before submitting.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Soft Computing is published by Springer Berlin Heidelberg 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 Multi-Criteria Decision Making, Metaheuristic Optimization Algorithms Research and Rough Sets and Fuzzy Logic, together about 30.6% of its articles. Its main subfields are Artificial Intelligence and Computational Theory and Mathematics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Soft Computing disseminates significant results in the foundations, methodologies, and applications of soft computing. The journal promotes integrating theoretical and practical findings into everyday and advanced applications while connecting soft computing with other disciplines. It focuses on system solutions based on paradigms such as evolutionary algorithms, genetic programming, swarm intelligence, neural networks, fuzzy systems, Bayesian networks, and chaos theory. The journal fosters comparisons, extensions, and new applications across disciplines, offering an international forum for researchers and practitioners in this rapidly evolving field and serving as a unifying platform. Soft Computing - Section Foundation, Algebraic and Analytical Methods in Soft Computing The Section Foundation, Algebraic and Analytical Methods in Soft Computing welcomes original and significant contributions to the mathematical and logical foundations of soft computing and related areas. The Section is a forum that aims at promoting, circulating, and stimulating the research on mathematical foundations of soft computing intended in a broad sense as a method for dealing with non-crisp information, for instance, characterized by the presence of vagueness, imprecisions, high complexity, or uncertainty. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: • Algebra and algebraic logic,• Computational paradigms and computational complexity,• Description logic, temporal logic, dynamic logic, and modal logic,• Domain theory and type theory,• Fuzzy logic, fuzzy set theory, and many-valued logic,• Substructural logic,• Probability logic, belief functions, etc. Soft Computing – Section Application of Soft Computing The Section Application of Soft Computing aims to promote and stimulate research in the field of the development of enhanced computational systems based on innovative or consolidated soft computing methodologies such as fuzzy logic, neural networks, and evolutionary algorithms. Under this perspective, particular attention is given to hybrid and agent-based systems, i.e., computational frameworks that use different soft computing approaches in a synergic way to face the intrinsic complexities characterizing real environments and exploit imprecise and vague information that strongly characterizes real-world scenarios. As a consequence, this journal section seeks original research contributions with a focus on applications belonging but not limited to, the following areas: •
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Editor-in-chief Raffaele CerulliPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 16 in mainland China (about 13%); most named Italy 51, Mainland China 16, India 14, Taiwan, China 4, Spain 4 (122 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Multi-Criteria Decision MakingDecision Sciences12.1%
- Metaheuristic Optimization Algorithms ResearchComputer Science9.9%
- Rough Sets and Fuzzy LogicComputer Science8.5%
- Fuzzy Systems and OptimizationMathematics7.2%
- Advanced Algebra and LogicComputer Science6.8%
- Evolutionary Algorithms and ApplicationsComputer Science6.1%
- Advanced Multi-Objective Optimization AlgorithmsComputer Science5.9%
- Fuzzy Logic and Control SystemsComputer Science5.6%
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, Artificial Intelligence | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications | 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, Artificial Intelligence | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Computer Science Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
ScopusLetPub
Early warning / risk: On hold in SCIE (checked 20 August 2026). CAS Early Warning Journal List: listed in the March 2026 Xinrui edition (Under Review); not listed in the other 5 editions.LetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexSCIEINSPECDBLPCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, ACM Digital Library, 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
- 2.72LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 8.7LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.66LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.05LetPub ·
- h-index
- 64LetPub ·
- h-index
- 148OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 5,453OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.28OpenAlex ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 5.11%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 141LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 1,200,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 11,276 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 427 | 251 | 69 |
| 2025 | 447 | 126 | 811 |
| 2024 | 817 | 377 | 2,973 |
| 2023 | 1,606 | 399 | 15,465 |
| 2022 | 1,070 | 208 | 15,415 |
| 2021 | 943 | 173 | 18,886 |
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
357 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 253 days – 549 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 87 days (76 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 471 days
- Sample
- 39 articles with submission and acceptance dates (1,097 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 4.7 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 42%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 275 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 3,190 / EUR 2,590 / GBP 2,290 | — | — |
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
Article types accepted1
- editorialSingle-blind peer review This journal follows a single-blind reviewing procedure. This journal also publishes special/guest-edited issues. The peer review proce…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
Data Availability Statement required for all original research Model summary
All original research must include a Data Availability Statement. Data Availability Statements should provide information on where data supporting the results reported in the article can be found. Statements should include, where applicable, hyperlinks to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. When it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when in…
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 Soft Computing, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Single-blind peer review
Single-blind peer review Model summary
This journal follows a single-blind reviewing procedure. This journal also publishes special/guest-edited issues. The peer review process for these articles is the same as the peer review process of the journal in general. Additionally, if a guest editor authors an article in their issue/collection, they will not handle the 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
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1997
- ISSN
- 1432-7643
- Electronic ISSN
- 1433-7479
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 30, Issue 8 (August 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Soft Computing
What CAS zone is Soft Computing in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Soft Computing is in Zone 4 of Computer Science, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence / Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications. 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 Soft Computing?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.72; CiteScore 8.7, h-index 148.
How long does peer review take at Soft Computing?
Based on the dates recorded on 39 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 357 days (interquartile range 253–549 days); authors report an average review time of about 4.7 months; the community-reported acceptance is “42%”. 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 Soft Computing?
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 Soft Computing based?
Of the 122 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 16 (about 13%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Italy (51), Mainland China (16) and India (14). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Soft Computing?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Soft Computing is indexed in Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, SCIE, INSPEC, DBLP and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Soft Computing open access, and what is the APC?
Soft Computing is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,190.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .