Journal profile · Spectroscopy
Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy
ISSN 1386-1425 · eISSN 1873-3557 · Elsevier · ENGLAND · Monthly · Founded 1995
Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy: CAS Zone 2 · Chemistry (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.77; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,750; median 73 days to acceptance (195 articles, last 24 months); 1,571 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Chemistry in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Molecular Sensors and Ion Detection, Nonlinear Optical Materials Research and Luminescence and Fluorescent Materials, together about 22.5% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Spectrochimica Acta, Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy (SAA) is an interdisciplinary journal which spans from basic to applied aspects of optical spectroscopy in chemistry, medicine, biology, and materials science. The journal publishes original scientific papers that feature high-quality spectroscopic data and analysis. From the broad range of optical spectroscopies, the emphasis is on electronic, vibrational or rotational spectra of molecules, rather than on spectroscopy based on magnetic moments. Criteria for publication in SAA are novelty, uniqueness, and outstanding quality. Routine applications of spectroscopic techniques and computational methods are not appropriate. Topics of particular interest of Spectrochimica Acta Part A include, but are not limited to:Spectroscopy and dynamics of bioanalytical, biomedical, environmental, and atmospheric sciences,Novel experimental techniques or instrumentation for molecular spectroscopy,Novel theoretical and computational methods,Novel applications in photochemistry and photobiology,Novel interpretational approaches as well as advances in data analysis based on electronic or vibrational spectroscopy.If you would like to propose yourself as a reviewer for Spectrochimica Acta A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy (SAA) please send an email to the journal mailbox including a description of your expertise and experience.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Spectroscopy
Editor-in-chief Malgorzata BaranskaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 9 in mainland China (about 16%); most named United States 10, Mainland China 9, France 6, United Kingdom 3, India 3 (55 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Molecular Sensors and Ion DetectionChemistry9.9%
- Nonlinear Optical Materials ResearchMaterials Science6.6%
- Luminescence and Fluorescent MaterialsMaterials Science6%
- Photochemistry and Electron Transfer StudiesChemistry5.9%
- Spectroscopy and Chemometric AnalysesChemistry5.9%
- Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniquesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.6%
- Metal complexes synthesis and propertiesMedicine5.2%
- Spectroscopy Techniques in Biomedical and Chemical ResearchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Chemistry Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Chemistry | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Spectroscopy | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Chemistry Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Chemistry | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Spectroscopy | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Chemistry Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Chemistry | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Spectroscopy | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
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
- 4.77LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.8Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2024
- 4.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2024
- 9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.68LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.02LetPub ·
- h-index
- 104LetPub ·
- h-index
- 192OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 16,304OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 5.08OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 9.11%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 1,468LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 27,149 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1,343 | 176 | 696 |
| 2025 | 1,571 | 204 | 6,660 |
| 2024 | 1,712 | 262 | 16,125 |
| 2023 | 1,376 | 159 | 19,144 |
| 2022 | 1,317 | 132 | 23,466 |
| 2021 | 1,286 | 130 | 27,627 |
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
73 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 52 days – 98 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 1 days (195 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 75 days
- Sample
- 195 articles with submission and acceptance dates (3,952 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 4.1 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 80%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 35 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 75 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single 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 3,750 / EUR 3,510 / GBP 3,000 / JPY 465,110 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,260 | — | — |
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 prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
Article types accepted5
- research paperSpectrochimica Acta A considers regular reserach papers, short communications and review articles.Length not stated
- review articleSpectrochimica Acta A considers regular reserach papers, short communications and review articles. The editors will invite selected authors to prepare tutorial …Length not stated
- short communicationSpectrochimica Acta A considers regular reserach papers, short communications and review articles. The editors will invite selected authors to prepare tutorial …Length not stated
- tutorialSpectrochimica Acta A considers regular reserach papers, short communications and review articles. The editors will invite selected authors to prepare tutorial …Length not stated
- tutorial articleThe editors will invite selected authors to prepare tutorial articles that can help readers to improve their spectroscopy.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 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 ·- Data availability
Data statement. Model summary
To foster transparency, you are required to state the availability of any data at submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Ethics in publishing. Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
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. 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
- ENGLAND
- Language
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1995
- ISSN
- 1386-1425
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-3557
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy
What CAS zone is Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy is in Zone 2 of Chemistry, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Spectroscopy. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Chemistry. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.77; CiteScore 9, h-index 192.
How long does peer review take at Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy?
Based on the dates recorded on 195 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 73 days (interquartile range 52–98 days); authors report an average review time of about 4.1 months. 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 Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation. 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 Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy based?
Of the 55 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 9 (about 16%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (10), Mainland China (9) and France (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy open access, and what is the APC?
Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,750.
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: .