Journal decision profile

New Scientist

Multidisciplinary

New Scientist's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 0.0, ranking Q4 in Astronomy and Astrophysics and 2 other subfields. Two-year citation average from OpenAlex data, updated August 2026.

Elsevier BVUnited KingdompISSN 0262-4079
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Bookmark this page — track observed submission-to-acceptance timing, FWCI and field-normalized citation data for this journal in one view.

Journal Metrics Score
i
Journal Metrics ScoreThe raw score is citations received in the latest complete year by works from the two previous years, divided by the number of those works. It is calculated from OpenAlex open data (CC0) and is not a percentage grade.
2026
0.0

Journal Metrics Score 2026 · 2021–2024 window citedness 0.05.

Submission-to-acceptance
i
Submission-to-acceptanceCalendar days between the received and accepted dates reported in recent PubMed records. This interval includes editorial handling and author revisions, so it is not time to first decision or pure peer-review time.
PUBMED

Not available — there are not enough recent PubMed records with both received and accepted dates.

Indicative APC
i
Indicative APCThis journal-level estimate comes from the OpenAlex source record. It is not a verified quote and may exclude taxes, waivers, society discounts, or article-type charges. Check the journal's official website before deciding.
OPENALEX · VERIFY
Not available

No journal-level APC is available in the current OpenAlex snapshot. Cost is excluded from scoring.

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At a glance

Journal decision profile

Each spoke is a 0–100 percentile within a comparable journal cohort—not a percentage grade or a single black-box rating.

Relative profile

Metrics ScoreThe raw 2026 Journal Metrics Score is the recent two-year citation average shown above. The radar converts it to a 0–100 cohort percentile: farther out means a higher score than more comparable journals. It is not a percentage grade.iSource outputThe raw rank compares lifetime output inside the journal’s leading-topic source set. The radar then compares that rank position across Decision Profile journals in the same primary OpenAlex field; when that field has too few profiles, it uses the broader profile set. Farther out means relatively more output, not better research quality.iTop 10% shareThe share of recent papers in the global top 10% for citations after comparing papers of the same type, publication year, and subfield. The radar converts that share to a 0–100 cohort percentile; it does not predict how a new paper will perform.iMedian FWCICitation performance of the middle recent paper after field, year, and work type are considered. A raw FWCI of 1.0 is the expected citation level for comparable papers; the radar shows its 0–100 cohort percentile.iOutput volumeAverage works published per year in the recent analysis window, converted to a 0–100 cohort percentile. Farther out means the journal publishes more papers; it does not mean those papers are better.i
Cost is intentionally excluded. Missing APC data is never converted to a zero-dollar fee or a fabricated cost score.

Raw values behind the shape

Always visible
Metrics Score
i
Metrics ScoreThe 2026 raw Journal Metrics Score shown above. The bar is its 0–100 percentile within the radar's comparable journal cohort; it is not a percentage score.
0.02026 · OPENALEX
Source output rank
i
Source output rankThis lifetime journal-wide output rank compares works published by the OpenAlex source with sources associated with the journal’s leading topic. More output does not mean higher quality.
#6 / 557LIFETIME OUTPUT
Highly cited papers
i
Highly cited papersShare of recent works in the global top 10% for citations after comparing papers of the same type, publication year, and subfield.
0.3%FIELD-NORMALIZED TOP 10%
Field-normalized impact
i
Field-normalized impactCitation performance of the middle recent paper after field, year, and work type are considered. A raw FWCI of 1.0 is the expected level for comparable work.
0.00MEDIAN FWCI
Submission-to-acceptance
i
Submission-to-acceptanceReceived-to-accepted calendar days from qualified PubMed records. It includes editorial handling and author revisions; it is not time to first decision or pure peer-review time.
—NOT AVAILABLE
Recent output
i
Recent outputAverage works published per year across the complete analysis window. This is a volume measure, not a quality score.
2312 / yr2021–2024 AVG
Field-normalized top 10% share0.3%

24 of 9,247 works · same type, year & subfield

Field-normalized top 1% share0%

3 works · same type, year & subfield

Median FWCI0.00×

Below field-year expectation

Source output rank#6

of 557 topic-associated OpenAlex sources by lifetime output

What does Median FWCI mean?

FWCI compares papers with the same publication year, type, and field. 1.0 is the world average; above 1.0 is above expectation. This journal's median is 0.00, so its typical recent paper runs about 100% below its field benchmark.

What does Top 10% Share mean?

0.3% of recent papers rank in the global top 10% after field normalization. This is easier to compare across specialties than raw citation totals.

Publishing pattern

Publication volume and article mix

Volume is separated from citation accumulation so newer papers are not presented as weaker simply because they are newer.

Works published by year

OpenAlex source records · 2016–2025

25142016
25702017
23792018
25112019
22142020
23382021
23362022
23342023
22392024
20712025

Recent work-type mix

9,247 OpenAlex works · 2021–2024

Article99.4%
Other0.4%
Conference abstract0.1%
Editorial0.1%
OpenAlex article is broader than “original research.” PubMed Publication Types can add case-report and clinical-study detail.
Fit signals

Topics and research coverage

OpenAlex topics show the research communities this journal serves.

Leading OpenAlex topics

2021–2024 works
Astro and Planetary Science185
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology121
SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research119
Climate Change Policy and Economics118
Planetary Science and Exploration107
Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies103
Cosmology and Gravitation Theories90
Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology87
Primate Behavior and Ecology76
Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life74
Methodology: OpenAlex snapshot 2026-10-26. FWCI, percentile badges, topics, and type mix use 9,247 works published 2021–2024. Radar normalization is versioned in the cached profile, and no cost score is assigned without reliable APC data.

Subject Category Quartiles

Quartiles computed within each OpenAlex subfield
CategoryQuartile
Astronomy and AstrophysicsQ4
Global and Planetary ChangeQ4
EcologyQ4

Is New Scientist a good journal?

A lower-cited Q4 journal by citation data

By citation data, New Scientist is in the lowest quartile in Astronomy and Astrophysics and 2 other subfields and ranks #6,226 of 6,272 Medicine journals by Journal Metrics Score (top 100%). A Q4 placement means its papers are cited less than most in the subfield; on its own it does not mean the journal is predatory or that its peer review is weak. New Scientist's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 0.0. OpenAlex classifies its papers in subfields including Astronomy and Astrophysics, Global and Planetary Change, and Ecology, so check that your topic fits its scope.

Best quartile
Q4
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Rank in Medicine
#6,226 of 6,272
Top 100%
2026 Journal Metrics Score
0.0
Acceptance rate
Not published
By the journal or publisher
Papers published in 2025
2,071
OpenAlex works

Check before you submit

  • Confirm the journal is indexed where your institution or funder requires (for example Scopus or PubMed) before you submit.

Verdict from citation data only: quartile and field rank by Journal Metrics Score (OpenAlex), publisher-reported acceptance rates, and PubMed submission and acceptance dates. See how we rank journals and how to verify indexing.

Q4
Subfield Quartile
N/A
CAS Block

Ranking and source check

#6,226
of 6,272 Medicine field journals
#1,059
among Q4 Medicine journals

Confirm the exact title and ISSNs against the publisher homepage before a high-stakes submission decision.

Journal Details

OpenAlex Works
56,725
H-Index
33
Fully Open Access
No
Recent OA Works
512
Subject Areas
Astronomy and AstrophysicsAnthropologyInfectious DiseasesEconomics and Econometrics

Source: the current OpenAlex source record. OpenAlex works can include multiple work types. Fully Open Access is a source-level flag. Recent OA Works is summed from OpenAlex's counts_by_year series (up to the latest ten years); it is not a lifetime OA percentage. Any APC shown here is an indicative OpenAlex value—verify current charges on the journal's official website.

How to submit to New Scientist

  1. 1

    Check the scope

    OpenAlex classifies New Scientist's papers in subfields including Astronomy and Astrophysics, Global and Planetary Change, and Ecology. Read the aims and scope page and a few recent papers close to your topic before you prepare the manuscript.

  2. 2

    Follow the author guidelines

    Article types, word and figure limits, reference style, and the required statements (data availability, ethics, conflicts of interest, author contributions) are set by the journal. Prepare the cover letter and files to match them.

    New Scientist homepage ↗
  3. 3

    Submit through Editorial Manager

    Most Elsevier and Cell Press journals take submissions through Editorial Manager; each journal has its own site, reached from Submit your article on the journal homepage.

  4. 4

    Plan for costs

    OpenAlex has no article processing charge on record. Check the journal website for page charges or an optional open-access fee.

  5. 5

    Know what to expect

    New Scientist does not publish an acceptance rate.

Submission system from the publisher's author information, checked 2026-10-27. Individual journals can differ, so follow the link in the journal's own author guidelines.

Reviewer Two · coming soon

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Common questions about New Scientist

Is New Scientist a good journal?

By citation data, New Scientist is in the lowest quartile in Astronomy and Astrophysics and 2 other subfields and ranks #6,226 of 6,272 Medicine journals by Journal Metrics Score (top 100%). A Q4 placement means its papers are cited less than most in the subfield; on its own it does not mean the journal is predatory or that its peer review is weak. New Scientist's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 0.0. OpenAlex classifies its papers in subfields including Astronomy and Astrophysics, Global and Planetary Change, and Ecology, so check that your topic fits its scope.

What is New Scientist's Journal Metrics Score in 2026?

New Scientist's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 0.0, from the August 2026 data release. The score is a two-year citation average computed from OpenAlex (CC0) data: citations received in the most recent complete year to works published in the two prior years, divided by the number of those works.

What is the acceptance rate of New Scientist?

We have not found an official acceptance rate published by New Scientist or its publisher, and Journal Metrics does not estimate one because submission counts are not public. To judge selectivity, compare New Scientist's quartile and score with similar journals, or ask the editorial office.

What quartile is New Scientist in?

New Scientist's best quartile is Q4. By OpenAlex subfield: Q4 in Astronomy and Astrophysics; Q4 in Global and Planetary Change; Q4 in Ecology. Quartiles rank journals by Journal Metrics Score within each subfield.

Is the Journal Metrics Score the same as other journal citation metrics?

No. Journal Metrics computes the score independently from OpenAlex open data. Other providers use different citation databases, document types, and counting rules, so their published figures for New Scientist will not match this score exactly. Compare journals using one source at a time.

Which journals are alternatives to New Scientist?

Comparable journals include Astronomy and Astrophysics Review, Space Science Reviews, Nature Astronomy, and Planetary Science Journal. Compare their scores, acceptance times, and costs in the recommended alternatives on this page before choosing where to submit.

How do I submit a paper to New Scientist?

Most Elsevier and Cell Press journals take submissions through Editorial Manager; each journal has its own site, reached from Submit your article on the journal homepage. Before submitting, check the scope, follow the author guidelines for article type, length, and required statements, and prepare a cover letter.

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