Journal profile · Environmental Science-General Environmental Science
Unconventional Resources
ISSN 2666-5190 · KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. · China
Unconventional Resources: CAS Zone 4 · Earth Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.6 (journal website); fully open access; APC about USD 800; review about 99 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 140 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Unconventional Resources is published by KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. and is in Zone 4 of Earth Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir analysis, Hydraulic Fracturing and Reservoir Analysis and Drilling and Well Engineering, together about 33% of its articles. Its main subfields are Ocean Engineering and Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Unconventional Resources is an open access journal with a particular focus on energy transition and achieving net-zero emission targets. We welcome original research articles, review articles, short communications and policy briefs.Topics covered include:Geoenergy Resourcesgeologic, geophysical, and engineering aspects of unconventional hydrocarbonscarbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS)geothermal energyhydrogen in the subsurfaceheliumcritical mineralsRenewable Energy Resourceshydrogen production, transport, and storagesolar energyphotovoltaics (PV)wind energyassociated grids and microgridsEnergy TransitionApplication of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology in the above fieldsEditorial Board
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Environmental Science-General Environmental Science
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir analysisEngineering17.2%
- Hydraulic Fracturing and Reservoir AnalysisEngineering10.8%
- Drilling and Well EngineeringEngineering5.1%
- Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic SystemsEnergy4.9%
- Reservoir Engineering and Simulation MethodsEngineering4.7%
- Enhanced Oil Recovery TechniquesEngineering4.5%
- Photovoltaic System Optimization TechniquesEnergy4.3%
- Hybrid Renewable Energy SystemsEnergy4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Earth Sciences Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Energy & Fuels | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Engineering Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Energy & Fuels | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Engineering, Petroleum | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Geosciences, Multidisciplinary | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusDOAJLetPub
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 (publisher)
- 4.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.86LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.3LetPub ·
- h-index
- 24OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 69OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.58OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 13%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 113LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 428 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 166 | 166 | 72 |
| 2025 | 140 | 140 | 679 |
| 2024 | 50 | 50 | 524 |
| 2023 | 37 | 37 | 371 |
| 2022 | 31 | 31 | 509 |
| 2021 | 3 | 3 | 123 |
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
99 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 10 weeks
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 10 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 47 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 99 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 10 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
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
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 800 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 0 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 800 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 700 | — | — |
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 websiteArticle types accepted9
- case reportContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: full length articles, research papers, review articles, short communicat…Length not stated
- editorialContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: full length articles, research papers, review articles, short communicat…Length not stated
- full length articlesfull length articles, research papers, review articles, short communications, technical notes, editorials, short reviews, case reports, opinion papers and featu…Length not stated
- opinionContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: full length articles, research papers, review articles, short communicat…Length not stated
- research paperContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: full length articles, research papers, review articles, short communicat…Length not stated
- review articleContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: full length articles, research papers, review articles, short communicat…Length not stated
- short communicationContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: full length articles, research papers, review articles, short communicat…Length not stated
- short reviewContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: full length articles, research papers, review articles, short communicat…Length not stated
- technical noteContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: full length articles, research papers, review articles, short communicat…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI in scientific writing
Authors are encouraged to declare the use of generative AI in scientific writing upon submission of the paper. The following guidance refers only to the writing process, and not to the use of AI tools to analyse and draw insights from data as part of the research process:Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies should only be used in the writing process to improve the readability and language of…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship
All authors should have made substantial contributions to all of the following:(1) The conception and design of the study, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data(2) Drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content.(3) Final approval of the version to be submitted.All authors should agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work to ensur…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interest
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: Employment Consultancies Stock ownership Honoraria Paid expert testimony Patent applications or registrations Grants or any other funding Affiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisor…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
This journal is a peer-reviewed, fully open access journal owned by KeAi Communications Co., Ltd., who retains copyright of the overall compiled journal and the compiled issues. For the single article, Authors will retain copyright alongside scholarly usage rights, and KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. will be granted non-exclusive publishing and distribution rights.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
Please visit our Open Access page from the Journal Homepage for more information.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single blind peer review; minimum two independent expert reviewers; Editor responsible for final decision. Model summary
This journal operates a single blind review process. All contributions are sent to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers to assess the scientific quality of the paper. The Editor is responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles. The Editor's decision is final. For more information on the types of peer review, please visit: https://www.elsevier.com/reviewe…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Please note that preprints can be shared anywhere at any time, in line with Elsevier's sharing policy. Sharing your preprints e.g. on a preprint server will not count as prior publication (see 'Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication' for more information).
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
- KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
- Country or region
- China
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2666-5190
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Unconventional Resources
What CAS zone is Unconventional Resources in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Unconventional Resources is in Zone 4 of Earth Sciences, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Energy & Fuels / Geosciences, Multidisciplinary. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Engineering. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Unconventional Resources?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 4.6; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 6.4, h-index 24.
How long does peer review take at Unconventional Resources?
The publisher reports about 99 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 10 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.
Which databases index Unconventional Resources?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Unconventional Resources is indexed in ESCI, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Unconventional Resources open access, and what is the APC?
Unconventional Resources is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 800.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex, DOAJ; 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: .