Journal profile · Physics, Condensed Matter
Surface Science Reports
ISSN 0167-5729 · eISSN 1879-274X · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Monthly · Founded 1981
Surface Science Reports: CAS Zone 1 · Chemistry (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 10.9; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,440; review about 125 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: hard (Elsevier website: 100%); 7 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Surface Science Reports is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 1 of Chemistry in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Diverse Scientific and Economic Studies, Human auditory perception and evaluation and Educational Robotics and Engineering, together about 41.1% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
A Review JournalSurface Science Reports contains invited review papers on experimental and theoretical studies in the physics, chemistry and pioneering applications of surfaces, interfaces and nanostructures. It covers topics which contribute to a better understanding of basic phenomena occurring on surfaces and interfaces, but also the application of this knowledge to the development of materials, processes and devices. "Surfaces" is defined in this journal to include all interfaces between solids, liquids, polymers, biomaterials, nanostructures, soft matter, gases and/or vacuum. The journal also contains reviews of experimental techniques and methods used to characterize surfaces and surface processes, e.g. those based upon the interactions of photons, electrons and ions with surfaces.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Physics, Condensed Matter
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance13.8%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering13.8%
- Educational Robotics and EngineeringComputer Science13.5%
- Advanced Chemical Physics StudiesPhysics and Astronomy6.2%
- Surface and Thin Film PhenomenaPhysics and Astronomy5.7%
- Electron and X-Ray Spectroscopy TechniquesMaterials Science4.6%
- Semiconductor materials and devicesEngineering4.4%
- Catalytic Processes in Materials ScienceMaterials Science4.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Chemistry Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Chemistry | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Condensed Matter | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: yes
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Chemistry Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Chemistry | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Physical | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Condensed Matter | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Chemistry Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Chemistry | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Physical | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Condensed Matter | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: yes
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
- 10.9LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 11.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 14.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 14.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.71LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.68LetPub ·
- h-index
- 103LetPub ·
- h-index
- 173OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 388OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 5.72OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 64.29%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 4LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 643 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 3 | 35 |
| 2024 | 10 | 8 | 107 |
| 2023 | 9 | 5 | 230 |
| 2022 | 9 | 3 | 113 |
| 2021 | 11 | 5 | 453 |
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
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
125 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 6 months
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 6 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 100%LetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 100%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 90 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 125 daysPublisher 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 4,440 / EUR 4,150 / GBP 3,550 / JPY 550,690 | — | — | |
| 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)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access
- Open access Open Access
Article Publishing Charge (APC): USD 4,260 (excluding taxes). The amount you pay may be reduced during submission if applicable.Review this journal’s open access policy.
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
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1981
- ISSN
- 0167-5729
- Electronic ISSN
- 1879-274X
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Surface Science Reports
What CAS zone is Surface Science Reports in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Surface Science Reports is in Zone 1 of Chemistry, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Physics, Condensed Matter; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Chemistry. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Surface Science Reports?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 10.9; CiteScore 14.2, h-index 173.
How long does peer review take at Surface Science Reports?
The publisher reports about 125 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 6 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Hard (Elsevier website: 100%)”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 100%. 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.
Which databases index Surface Science Reports?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Surface Science Reports is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Surface Science Reports open access, and what is the APC?
Surface Science Reports is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,440.
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: .