Journal Guide
Journal of Power Sources Impact Factor 7.9: Publishing Guide
Battery and fuel cell technology advancing energy storage and conversion
7.9
Impact Factor (2024)
~30-40%
Acceptance Rate
~100-130 days median
Time to First Decision
What J. Power Sources Publishes
Journal of Power Sources published by Elsevier is the premier journal for battery, fuel cell, and supercapacitor research. With JIF 7.9 and Q1 ranking in Energy & Fuels, JPS emphasizes research on energy storage systems and their performance. The journal publishes research on battery electrodes, electrolytes, fuel cells, and supercapacitors. Critically: JPS values systems demonstrating practical energy storage or generation performance. Pure material characterization without battery or device testing is less competitive. The journal seeks papers advancing battery technology through materials, design, or understanding.
- Lithium-ion batteries: cathodes, anodes, electrolytes, full cell performance
- Advanced batteries: sodium-ion, solid-state, metal-air, other next-generation
- Battery components: separators, binders, additives, electrolyte additives
- Electrochemistry: charge transfer, intercalation, reaction mechanisms
- Fuel cells: hydrogen fuel cells, direct methanol fuel cells, microbial fuel cells
- Supercapacitors: electrode materials, capacitive performance, energy storage
- Battery management: thermal management, safety, cycle life, reliability
- Cell and pack design: architecture, thermal control, current distribution
Editor Insight
“Journal of Power Sources publishes energy storage and conversion advancing practical battery technology. We seek cells/devices demonstrating superior performance with proven long-term stability.”
What J. Power Sources Editors Look For
Battery or energy device demonstrating superior performance or energy metrics
Present battery/device with better energy density, power output, cycle life, or cost. Show clear performance advantage with quantified metrics: Wh/kg, power output, cycle number, cost per Wh.
Complete electrochemistry characterization with cell-level testing
Thoroughly characterize battery: electrode characterization, electrolyte properties, full cell testing at multiple current rates, voltage profiles, impedance analysis. Cell-level validation essential.
Mechanistic understanding of electrochemical processes and performance limitations
Explain electrochemical mechanisms. What processes limit energy density? What drives cycle fade? Mechanistic insight stronger than empirical performance alone.
Extended cycling and stability demonstration proving practical cycle life
Show battery maintains performance over hundreds or thousands of cycles. Demonstrate stable cycling, minimal capacity fade, and reliable operation.
Scalability assessment and practical manufacturability pathway
Show battery design is scalable using practical materials and manufacturing. Address production feasibility, material costs, and commercialization potential.
Why Papers Get Rejected
These patterns appear repeatedly in manuscripts that don't make it past J. Power Sources's editorial review:
Electrode or material characterization without full battery cell testing
JPS expects cell-level validation. Characterizing electrode materials alone insufficient. Show how materials perform in actual battery.
Short-term performance without extended cycling demonstrating cycle life
Initial capacity is baseline. Real value depends on long-term cycling. Hundreds or thousands of cycles needed to prove practical viability.
Ignoring battery failure mechanisms and cycle fade
Address why performance degrades. What causes capacity fade? Why does cycle life limit? Understanding degradation mechanisms important.
No cost analysis relative to performance
Battery adoption depends on cost-performance ratio. Address material and manufacturing costs relative to energy density or cycle life.
Comparison only with lab-scale cells, not commercial batteries
Show performance relative to commercial battery standards. How does cell compare with Tesla, Samsung, or other commercial cells?
Does your manuscript avoid these patterns?
The quick diagnostic reads your full manuscript against J. Power Sources's criteria and flags the specific issues most likely to cause rejection.
Insider Tips from J. Power Sources Authors
Solid-state battery development and high energy density highly competitive
Batteries enabling next-generation performance (higher energy density, faster charging) receive strong editorial interest.
Sodium-ion and alternative battery chemistries increasingly valued
Next-generation batteries using abundant materials or enabling different performance profiles increasingly important.
Fast-charging capability and safety advancement valued
Batteries enabling faster charging while maintaining safety and cycle life have commercial relevance.
Thermal management and battery safety innovations trending
Approaches addressing thermal challenges or improving safety increasingly competitive.
Machine learning for battery diagnostics and prediction emerging
Using ML to predict cycle life or battery state increasingly valued in research.
The J. Power Sources Submission Process
Manuscript preparation
Prep6,000-9,000 words with 6-8 figures. Include battery/cell design, electrode and electrolyte characterization, cell-level testing, electrochemical analysis, extended cycling data, mechanistic discussion, comparison with commercial cells.
Submission via Elsevier system
Day 0Submit at https://www.editorialmanager.com/JPS/. Required: manuscript emphasizing performance and cycle life, figures showing electrochemistry and cycling data, cover letter highlighting advantages.
Editorial assessment
1-2 weeksEditor assesses novelty and performance significance. Papers lacking cell-level testing or extended cycling face lower priority. Selective desk rejection ~30-40%.
Peer review
100-130 days2-3 battery experts assess material novelty, cell design, electrochemical testing quality, cycling data, and mechanistic understanding. First decision 100-130 days.
Revision and publication
Revision: 4-8 weeksRevisions often request additional cycling data, thermal testing, or cost analysis. Publication 2-4 weeks after acceptance.
J. Power Sources by the Numbers
| 2024 Impact Factor | 9.7 |
| 5-Year Impact Factor | 10.2 |
| Acceptance rate | ~30-40% |
| Desk rejection rate | ~30-40% |
| Median first decision | ~115 days |
| Open access option | $3,500 USD |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Founded | 1976 |
Before you submit
J. Power Sources accepts a small fraction of submissions. Make your attempt count.
The pre-submission diagnostic runs a live literature search, scores your manuscript section by section, and gives you a prioritized fix list calibrated to J. Power Sources. ~30 minutes.
Article Types
Full Paper
6,000-9,000 wordsBattery or energy device with full characterization
Short Communication
3,500-5,000 wordsBrief battery advance or discovery
Landmark J. Power Sources Papers
Papers that defined fields and changed science:
- Lithium-ion cathode material development (1990s+) - revolutionary energy storage
- Solid electrolyte development (2000s+) - next-generation batteries
- High-capacity anode materials (2000s+) - increased energy density
- Fast-charging battery protocols (2010s+) - practical usability
Preparing a J. Power Sources Submission?
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Primary Fields
Related Journal Guides
- Publishing in Nature
- Publishing in Energy
- Publishing in Advanced Energy Materials
- Publishing in Materials
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