RSC Advances Impact Factor
RSC Advances IF 4.6 in 2024. Q2, rank 75/239. 45-55% acceptance. What it means for your submission.
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Quick answer
RSC Advances has a 2026 impact factor of 4.6. The useful interpretation is not that the journal is a chemistry prestige target. It is that RSC Advances is a broad, open-access RSC venue for technically solid chemistry that does not need the selectivity bar of Chemical Science or specialty flagships. If the paper needs stronger prestige signaling, the number will not compensate. If it needs a credible, indexed, broadly accessible chemistry home, the journal can be a practical fit.
RSC Advances Impact Factor at a Glance
Metric | Value |
|---|---|
Impact Factor | 4.6 |
5-Year JIF | 4.3 |
Quartile | Q2 |
Category Rank | 75/239 (Chemistry, Multidisciplinary) |
Total Cites | 208,852 |
What 4.6 Actually Tells You
The impact factor tells you that the average RSC Advances paper is cited at a moderate rate. The five-year JIF (4.3) being slightly below the two-year (4.6) suggests that papers do not accumulate additional citations over time as strongly as papers in more selective journals. This is typical for high-volume journals where the citation distribution is broad: some papers are well-cited while many receive modest attention.
The 208,852 total cites figure is notable. It is one of the highest in all of chemistry, reflecting the sheer volume of published work. RSC Advances publishes over 3,000 papers per year, which makes it one of the largest chemistry journals in the world. That volume means the journal has a very wide footprint even if individual papers vary in impact.
How RSC Advances Compares
Journal | Impact Factor (2024) | 5-Year JIF | What it usually rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
Journal of the American Chemical Society | 15.6 | 15.5 | Flagship chemistry across all subdisciplines |
Chemical Science | 7.4 | 7.8 | RSC's top broad-scope chemistry journal |
RSC Advances | 4.6 | 4.3 | Broad-scope chemistry, open-access, moderate bar |
Chemical Communications | 4.2 | 4.1 | Short-format chemistry communications |
Scientific Reports | 3.9 | 4.3 | Broader multidisciplinary science (Nature Portfolio) |
RSC Advances sits in a clear position within the chemistry journal hierarchy: below Chemical Science (the RSC's more selective broad-scope journal) and above ACS Omega and similar broad-chemistry titles. Think of it as the RSC's equivalent to Scientific Reports in the Nature portfolio: a credible, indexed, open-access venue for work that does not need to target the top tier.
RSC Advances Impact Factor: Year by Year
Year | Impact Factor |
|---|---|
2020 | 3.1 |
2021 | 3.4 |
2022 | 3.6 |
2023 | 3.9 |
2024 | 4.6 |
The steady upward trend from 3.1 in 2020 to 4.6 in 2024 is notable. RSC Advances has been climbing in citation performance, possibly reflecting editorial tightening or improving content quality. The current 4.6 is the highest in the journal's recent history.
RSC Advances' Role in the RSC Portfolio
RSC Advances serves as the broad-scope, open-access tier within the Royal Society of Chemistry's journal family. Papers that are strong but not quite selective enough for Chemical Science (JIF 7.4), Chemical Communications, or the specialty RSC journals often find a home here. The RSC portfolio works as a tiered system:
- Chemical Society Reviews (IF 39.0): invited reviews, very high selectivity
- Chemical Science (IF 7.4): RSC's top broad-scope research journal
- Chemical Communications (IF 4.2): short-format communications
- RSC Advances (IF 4.6): broad-scope, open-access, moderate selectivity
- Specialty journals (e.g., Green Chemistry, Catalysis Science & Technology): field-specific RSC titles
RSC Advances' APC is lower than many competitors, and the RSC brand carries recognition even at the Q2 level. For chemistry research that is technically sound but does not reach the selectivity bar of Chemical Science, RSC Advances provides a legitimate publication option.
What Editors Are Really Screening For
RSC Advances editors evaluate papers primarily on technical soundness and chemistry relevance. The bar is more accessible than Chemical Science or the specialty RSC journals:
- Work must be technically correct and reproducible
- The chemistry must be relevant to the broad chemistry community
- The paper should present original results with adequate characterization
- The contribution does not need to be conceptually novel, but it must advance knowledge
What usually gets rejected: papers with insufficient characterization, work that does not meet basic standards of chemical rigor, and manuscripts outside the journal's chemistry scope.
Should You Submit to RSC Advances?
Submit if:
- you want a credible, indexed, open-access venue for solid chemistry work
- the paper is technically sound but may not reach the bar for Chemical Science or top specialty journals
- RSC brand recognition matters for your field or institution
- you need a journal with reasonable review timelines and predictable publishing
- the APC budget is a consideration (RSC Advances has a competitive APC)
Think twice if:
- Chemical Science or a specialty RSC journal is a realistic target
- an ACS journal (Journal of the American Chemical Society, ACS Catalysis, etc.) would give stronger branding
- the work has enough novelty for a more selective venue
- the paper is really more applied engineering than chemistry
What the Impact Factor Does Not Tell You
- Whether the paper would be better placed in a specialty RSC journal
- How the APC compares to alternative open-access options
- Whether the high volume affects discoverability for your specific paper
- How hiring committees in your field weight RSC Advances publications
- How long the review process will take
How to Use This Information
Use the JIF alongside the RSC portfolio hierarchy and your manuscript's competitive position. For RSC Advances specifically:
- The Q2 ranking places it in the middle tier of chemistry journals
- The upward JIF trend (3.1 to 4.6 over five years) is a positive signal
- Review timelines are typically moderate (4 to 8 weeks)
A pre-submission review can help determine the right tier for your manuscript within the RSC portfolio or across chemistry publishing more broadly.
The decision question this page should answer
For RSC Advances, the core submission question is usually about tier and audience rather than about the metric itself. Authors use the page best when they ask whether the paper is well-served by a broad chemistry journal with moderate selectivity and RSC branding, or whether it should move up to a more selective chemistry title or sideways to a narrower specialty journal.
That is why the impact factor matters only as context. A 4.6 JIF tells you the journal is credible and established, but it does not turn the venue into the right home for every chemistry paper. The page should help authors read RSC Advances as a strategic fit decision, not a shortcut around editorial standards elsewhere.
When the number helps and when it misleads
- It helps when the manuscript is solid chemistry that needs a reputable open-access home without forcing a top-tier selectivity story.
- It helps when you are choosing within the RSC portfolio or against other broad-access chemistry journals.
- It misleads when the paper has enough novelty or field urgency for a more selective target.
- It misleads when authors use the metric to avoid deciding whether a specialty journal would reach the real audience better.
Related RSC Advances decisions
- RSC Advances submission guide
- RSC Advances submission process
- Is RSC Advances a good journal?
When the number helps and when it misleads
- It helps when the manuscript is solid chemistry that needs a reputable open-access home without forcing a top-tier selectivity story.
- It helps when you are choosing within the RSC portfolio or against other broad-access chemistry journals.
- It misleads when the paper has enough novelty or field urgency for a more selective target.
- It misleads when authors use the metric to avoid deciding whether a specialty journal would reach the real audience better.
Related RSC Advances decisions
- RSC Advances submission guide
- RSC Advances submission process
- Is RSC Advances a good journal?
When the number helps and when it misleads
- It helps when the manuscript is solid chemistry that needs a reputable open-access home without forcing a top-tier selectivity story.
- It helps when you are choosing within the RSC portfolio or against other broad-access chemistry journals.
- It misleads when the paper has enough novelty or field urgency for a more selective target.
- It misleads when authors use the metric to avoid deciding whether a specialty journal would reach the real audience better.
Related RSC Advances decisions
- RSC Advances submission guide
- RSC Advances submission process
- Is RSC Advances a good journal?
When the number helps and when it misleads
- It helps when the manuscript is solid chemistry that needs a reputable open-access home without forcing a top-tier selectivity story.
- It helps when you are choosing within the RSC portfolio or against other broad-access chemistry journals.
- It misleads when the paper has enough novelty or field urgency for a more selective target.
- It misleads when authors use the metric to avoid deciding whether a specialty journal would reach the real audience better.
Related RSC Advances decisions
- RSC Advances submission guide
- RSC Advances submission process
- Is RSC Advances a good journal?
When the number helps and when it misleads
- It helps when the manuscript is solid chemistry that needs a reputable open-access home without forcing a top-tier selectivity story.
- It helps when you are choosing within the RSC portfolio or against other broad-access chemistry journals.
- It misleads when the paper has enough novelty or field urgency for a more selective target.
- It misleads when authors use the metric to avoid deciding whether a specialty journal would reach the real audience better.
Related RSC Advances decisions
- RSC Advances submission guide
- RSC Advances submission process
- Is RSC Advances a good journal?
When the number helps and when it misleads
- It helps when the manuscript is solid chemistry that needs a reputable open-access home without forcing a top-tier selectivity story.
- It helps when you are choosing within the RSC portfolio or against other broad-access chemistry journals.
- It misleads when the paper has enough novelty or field urgency for a more selective target.
- It misleads when authors use the metric to avoid deciding whether a specialty journal would reach the real audience better.
Related RSC Advances decisions
- RSC Advances submission guide
- RSC Advances submission process
- Is RSC Advances a good journal?
When the number helps and when it misleads
- It helps when the manuscript is solid chemistry that needs a reputable open-access home without forcing a top-tier selectivity story.
- It helps when you are choosing within the RSC portfolio or against other broad-access chemistry journals.
- It misleads when the paper has enough novelty or field urgency for a more selective target.
- It misleads when authors use the metric to avoid deciding whether a specialty journal would reach the real audience better.
Related RSC Advances decisions
- RSC Advances submission guide
- RSC Advances submission process
- Is RSC Advances a good journal?
When the number helps and when it misleads
- It helps when the manuscript is solid chemistry that needs a reputable open-access home without forcing a top-tier selectivity story.
- It helps when you are choosing within the RSC portfolio or against other broad-access chemistry journals.
- It misleads when the paper has enough novelty or field urgency for a more selective target.
- It misleads when authors use the metric to avoid deciding whether a specialty journal would reach the real audience better.
Related RSC Advances decisions
- RSC Advances submission guide
- RSC Advances submission process
- Is RSC Advances a good journal?
Bottom line
RSC Advances' impact factor of 4.6 confirms its role as a solid, broad-scope RSC chemistry journal. The number reflects the journal's position as an accessible publication venue with RSC branding. Use it when the paper needs a credible indexed home rather than a prestige target, and consider the upward trend as a positive signal for the journal's direction.
Sources
- Clarivate Journal Citation Reports (latest JCR release used for this page)
- RSC Advances journal information
- RSC author resources
Reference library
Use the core publishing datasets alongside this guide
This article answers one part of the publishing decision. The reference library covers the recurring questions that usually come next: how selective journals are, how long review takes, and what the submission requirements look like across journals.
Dataset / reference guide
Peer Review Timelines by Journal
Reference-grade journal timeline data that authors, labs, and writing centers can cite when discussing realistic review timing.
Dataset / benchmark
Biomedical Journal Acceptance Rates
A field-organized acceptance-rate guide that works as a neutral benchmark when authors are deciding how selective to target.
Reference table
Journal Submission Specs
A high-utility submission table covering word limits, figure caps, reference limits, and formatting expectations.
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