ACS Journal Metrics
Introduction
A nonprofit society publisher, our journals support you in delivering your exceptional science to the global chemistry community.
ACS Publications encourages authors and readers to consider a wide range of measures to determine the value of both journals and the articles they publish. Each community supported by ACS journals has a unique set of values that determine how research should be evaluated. This means no single metric provides a proper indication of the true value of a piece of work. To demonstrate our support for this approach, ACS has signed the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).
As a DORA signatory, we are dedicated to supporting a variety of tools for assessing research output. Journal metrics, combined with a journal’s scope, readership, and articles published, are useful tools for journal assessment.
In the table below, you’ll find a variety of metrics to support you in making an informed decision about where to submit your next manuscript. Each metric has its limitations; they should not be considered in isolation. Rather, they should be used together to support a holistic assessment of a journal.
Learn more about understanding our journal metrics
Peer Review Metrics*
All measurements are in Median Days
| Journal Title | Year Launched | Submission to First Editorial Decision | Submission to First Decision with Peer Review | Submission to Accept | Accept to ASAP Publication |
|---|
*Data are collected annually for full calendar years; data are current as of 1/13/2026
Journal Metrics*
| Journal Title | Article Downloads | Two-Year Journal Impact Factor | Five-Year Journal Impact Factor | Total Citations | CiteScore |
|---|
*Data are collected annually for full calendar years; data are current as of 1/13/2026
Understanding our Journal Metrics
Peer Review Metrics
Median days from Submission to First Editorial Decision: The median number of days from the initial submission of a manuscript to a first editorial decision without peer review.
Median days from Submission to First Decision with Peer Review: The median number of days from the initial submission of a manuscript to the first decision for manuscripts that received peer review.
Median days from Submission to Accept: The median number of days from the initial submission of a manuscript to the final decision for accepted manuscripts, including the time it takes for the authors to revise the manuscript.
Median days from Accept to ASAP Publication: The median number of days from the time that the manuscript is accepted until the version of record is published to the web, including the time for the authors to review and approve the publication proofs.
Citation Metrics
Two-Year Journal Impact Factor™: The Two-Year Journal Impact Factor is defined as all citations to the journal in the current Journal Citation Reports™ (JCR) year to items published in the previous two years, divided by the total number of scholarly items (these comprise articles, reviews, and proceedings papers) published in the journal in the previous two years. The metric is compiled independently by Clarivate Analytics as part of its JCR. (Courtesy of Clarivate Analytics)
Five-Year Journal Impact Factor™: The Five-year Journal Impact Factor™ is the average number of times articles from the journal published in the past five years have been cited in the Journal Citation Reports™ (JCR) year. It is calculated by dividing the number of citations in the JCR year by the total number of articles published in the five previous years. The metric is compiled independently by Clarivate Analytics as part of its JCR. (Courtesy of Clarivate Analytics)
Total Citations: This figure indicates the total number of times that a journal has been cited by all journals included in Web of Science™ in a year, regardless of what kind of article was cited or when the cited article was published. In this case, data released in 2025 looks at the total number of times that a journal was cited in 2024 by journals indexed in the database. This metric is compiled independently by Clarivate Analytics as part of its Journal Citation Reports™ (JCR).
CiteScore: A journal’s CiteScore for a given year measures the number of citations received in the previous four years, divided by the number of citable articles published by the journal during the same period. The CiteScore released in 2025 looks at citations a journal received in 2021 through 2024, divided by the number of citable articles published in 2021 through 2024. The CiteScore is calculated independently by Elsevier’s abstract and citation database, Scopus®.
Usage Metrics
Total Downloads: Full-text access/downloads/usage is referred to the successful viewing or downloading of the complete text (full-text) of a specific document, like an article, book, or report, without limitations. Full-text access (downloads) can be in various formats, such as PDFs, HTML, and ePub pages on content published within a paid subscription or through open-access models. Data shown for the previous calendar year.