Journal Guide
Publishing in Applied Sciences: Fit, Timeline & Submission Guide
Applied research across engineering, materials, and technology development
Should you submit here?
Submit if present technology or material addressing real application need. Be careful if applied Sciences expects application relevance.
Best fit if
Present technology or material addressing real application need
Not ideal if
Applied Sciences expects application relevance
Also compare
2.5
Impact Factor (2024)
~50-60%
Acceptance Rate
~60-90 days median
Time to First Decision
Submission guide
Applied Sciences-Basel submission guide
Applied Sciences submission guide covering scope, submission setup, editorial fit, and what to tighten before peer review.
Desk rejection
How to Avoid Desk Rejection at Applied Sciences (Basel)
Applied Sciences desk rejections usually happen when the paper claims practical relevance without proving it. This guide shows the editorial screens to fix before submission.
Review timeline
Applied Sciences Review Time: What Authors Can Actually Expect
Applied Sciences moves quickly at the front end, but the real decision is whether a broad MDPI applied-science venue is the right home for the paper.
What Appl. Sci. Publishes
Applied Sciences published by MDPI is an open-access multidisciplinary journal covering applied research across engineering, materials, technology, and related fields. With JIF 2.5 and broad Q2-Q3 coverage, AS emphasizes research with practical application. The journal publishes research on materials engineering, mechanical systems, control, and technology development. Critically: Applied Sciences values work addressing practical problems with functional solutions. Pure theoretical analysis without application context is less competitive. The journal seeks papers showing how research advances real-world technology.
- Materials engineering: polymers, composites, ceramics, coatings
- Mechanical engineering: design, optimization, mechanical systems
- Control systems: automation, robotics, intelligent control
- Manufacturing and processing: industrial processes, production technology
- Environmental technology: pollution control, waste management, remediation
- Energy systems: renewable energy, power generation, energy efficiency
- Chemical engineering: process design, catalysis, separation
- Instrumentation and measurement: sensors, testing, characterization
Editor Insight
“Applied Sciences publishes engineering and applied research advancing real-world technology. We seek novel materials or systems with demonstrated practical utility and clear path to implementation.”
What Appl. Sci. Editors Look For
Novel approach or material solving practical engineering problem
Present technology or material addressing real application need. Improved mechanical properties? Better environmental performance? Enhanced manufacturing efficiency? Show practical utility and quantify benefits.
Complete characterization and performance validation
Rigorously characterize material or system: mechanical properties, thermal behavior, chemical stability as relevant. Validate performance under realistic conditions. Testing in relevant application context essential.
Design methodology and optimization for practical implementation
Show design thinking and optimization approach. How were parameters selected? What design constraints were addressed? Engineering methodology strengthens papers.
Economic and manufacturability feasibility assessment
Address production cost and manufacturing feasibility. Can this be made at scale? What equipment and skills required? Practical manufacturability crucial.
Comparison with existing solutions and clear advantages
Show how your approach outperforms conventional alternatives. What advantages justify adoption? Cost-benefit analysis strengthens positioning.
Why Papers Get Rejected
These patterns appear repeatedly in manuscripts that don't make it past Appl. Sci.'s editorial review:
Material or design development without practical application context
Applied Sciences expects application relevance. Developing material with interesting properties without showing how it solves real engineering problem is insufficient.
Laboratory-scale results without manufacturability discussion
Show how material or system can be scaled to practical production. Lab-scale without manufacturing pathway has limited real-world impact.
Incomplete performance characterization
Rigorous testing under relevant conditions essential. Partial characterization or testing under non-realistic conditions weakens papers.
No economic or cost analysis
Engineering decisions driven by cost. Show material or system cost relative to performance and compare with existing solutions.
Weak comparison with state-of-the-art
Show quantitatively how your material or approach compares with current commercial or academic solutions.
Does your manuscript avoid these patterns?
The Free Readiness Scan reads your full manuscript against Appl. Sci.'s criteria and flags the specific issues most likely to cause rejection.
Insider Tips from Appl. Sci. Authors
Sustainable materials and green engineering increasingly competitive
Materials with environmental benefits (biodegradable, recycled, low-impact manufacturing) align with sustainability priorities.
Industry-relevant materials like composites and high-performance polymers valued
Materials with proven industrial applications or addressing manufacturing challenges receive strong editorial interest.
Novel processing methods enabling cost or performance improvements competitive
Manufacturing innovations improving efficiency or reducing cost have practical industrial relevance.
Functional materials (smart, responsive, multi-functional) trending
Materials with active properties or multi-functional behavior increasingly competitive.
Life-cycle assessment and sustainability metrics increasingly important
Papers addressing full environmental impact over product lifetime more competitive than short-term benefits alone.
The Appl. Sci. Submission Process
Manuscript preparation
Prep5,000-8,000 words with 5-7 figures. Include material/system description, complete characterization data, performance testing under realistic conditions, manufacturability discussion, economic analysis, and comparison with alternatives.
Submission via MDPI system
Day 0Submit at https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/. Required: manuscript emphasizing practical application and advantages, figures showing characterization and performance, cover letter highlighting novelty.
Editorial assessment
1-2 weeksEditor assesses practical relevance and novelty. Papers lacking application context or manufacturability discussion face lower priority. Moderate desk rejection ~15-25%.
Peer review
60-90 days2-3 engineering experts assess novelty, characterization rigor, practical significance. First decision 60-90 days.
Revision and publication
Revision: 2-4 weeksRevisions often request additional testing or cost analysis. Publication 1-3 weeks after acceptance (fast MDPI OA).
Appl. Sci. by the Numbers
| 2024 Impact Factor | 2.9 |
| 5-Year Impact Factor | 3.1 |
| Acceptance rate | ~50-60% |
| Desk rejection rate | ~15-25% |
| Median first decision | ~75 days |
| Open access APC | ~$1,800-2,200 |
| Publisher | MDPI |
| Founded | 2013 |
Before you submit
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Article Types
Research Article
5,000-8,000 wordsApplied technology or material with characterization and testing
Review
7,000-12,000 wordsApplied engineering topic review
Landmark Appl. Sci. Papers
Papers that defined fields and changed science:
- Novel polymer composites (various) - improved structural materials
- Manufacturing process innovations (various) - efficiency improvements
- Smart material development (2010s+) - responsive functional materials
- Sustainable material alternatives (2010s+) - green engineering solutions
Preparing a Appl. Sci. Submission?
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Primary Fields
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Related Journal Guides
All journal guidesLatest Journal-Specific Guides
- Submission guideApplied Sciences-Basel submission guideApplied Sciences submission guide covering scope, submission setup, editorial fit, and what to tighten before peer review.
- Desk rejectionHow to Avoid Desk Rejection at Applied Sciences (Basel)Applied Sciences desk rejections usually happen when the paper claims practical relevance without proving it. This guide shows the editorial screens to fix before submission.
- Review timelineApplied Sciences Review Time: What Authors Can Actually ExpectApplied Sciences moves quickly at the front end, but the real decision is whether a broad MDPI applied-science venue is the right home for the paper.
- Acceptance rateApplied Sciences Acceptance Rate: What Authors Can UseApplied Sciences does not publish a strong official acceptance rate. The better submission question is whether a broad, fast, section-based MDPI venue is actually the right signal for your paper.
More Guides for This Journal
- Impact factorApplied Sciences Impact Factor 2026: 2.5, Q2, Rank 50/175Applied Sciences impact factor is 2.5 with a 5-year JIF of 2.7. See the rank, trend, and what that means before submission.
- Publishing costsApplied Sciences APC and Open Access: MDPI Pricing, Volume, and How It Stacks UpApplied Sciences (MDPI) charges CHF 2,400 (~$2,600) for open access. Gold OA megajournal with 30K+ papers/year. Comparison with PLOS ONE, Sensors, IEEE Access.
- Manuscript prepApplied Sciences Cover Letter: What Editors Actually Need to SeeApplied Sciences editors screen for section fit and applied focus before anything else. A clear cover letter that names the right section and states a practical result moves fastest through triage.
- Publishing guideApplied Sciences (Basel) Formatting Requirements: Complete Author GuideApplied Sciences has no strict word limit (4,000-8,000 words typical) and requires the MDPI template for all submissions. The abstract is ~200 words, references use MDPI numbered style with square brackets, and both Word and LaTeX are accepted.
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Reference library
Compare Appl. Sci. with the broader publishing context
This journal guide is the best starting point for Appl. Sci.. The reference library covers the surrounding questions authors usually ask next: whether the package is ready, what drives desk rejection, how neighboring journals compare, and what the submission constraints look like across the field.
Checklist system / operational asset
Elite Submission Checklist
A flagship pre-submission checklist that turns journal-fit, desk-reject, and package-quality lessons into one operational final-pass audit.
Flagship report / decision support
Desk Rejection Report
A canonical desk-rejection report that organizes the most common editorial failure modes, what they look like, and how to prevent them.
Dataset / reference hub
Journal Intelligence Dataset
A canonical journal dataset that combines selectivity posture, review timing, submission requirements, and Manusights fit signals in one citeable reference asset.
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.
Need field-expert depth? See Expert Review Options