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IEEE Transactions on Information Theory is the journal of the IEEE Information Theory Society, published by IEEE. It publishes papers concerned with the transmission, processing and utilization of information, and it expects a strong conceptual or analytical contribution. This page is for researchers deciding whether a manuscript fits the journal and what its submission rules require. Details below were read on the Society’s own pages on 2026-11-08.
What it is
The journal’s aims-and-scope statement describes papers on the transmission, processing and utilization of information. The Society’s journal page lists the topic areas as Shannon theory, coding, data compression, signal processing, detection and estimation, communications networks, cryptography and quantum information theory. The bar stated there is a strong conceptual or analytical contribution, so the journal is theory-led rather than a venue for applied system descriptions.
Who runs it and what it covers
IEEE is the publisher and the IEEE Information Theory Society is the sponsor. Papers are handled by an Editor-in-Chief who assigns each submission to an Area Editor. At the time of writing the Society’s page names Lizhong Zheng of MIT as Editor-in-Chief; editorial appointments change, so check the Society page for the current name. Published issues are on IEEE Xplore, and the Society hosts the author information and submissions pages for the journal.
Scope boundaries authors miss
- Cryptography: accepted for review only when it is related to information or coding theory, unless the cryptography is clearly outstanding.
- Sequences: restricted. A paper on sequences must be clearly outstanding, or mainly non-mathematical and related to information or coding theory.
These are statements of the journal’s own scope policy. A manuscript that is mostly cryptography or sequence design with only a loose link to information theory is the kind of submission the policy is written to screen out.
Submission rules
- Portal and identity: submissions go through the IEEE Author Portal for the journal (ieee.atyponrex.com/journal/t-it), and authors must have an ORCID iD.
- Conference versions: a parallel submission to a conference such as the IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory (ISIT) is allowed as long as the paper has not been accepted by the Transactions, and the relationship must be properly referenced.
- Preprints: the Society encourages posting a preprint (for example on arXiv) at the time of submission. See preprint and the arXiv computer science guide for how preprint servers work in a neighbouring field.
- Resubmission: resubmission is intended mainly after a decision of Reject with Resubmit. It needs a cover letter explaining how the issues were addressed, and the new version must be substantively different.
The journal’s review follows the usual editor-and-referee model described in peer review. Review times, acceptance rates and the impact factor are not published on the pages read for this guide, so none are stated here; the impact factor is reported in Clarivate’s Journal Citation Reports.
Strengths and limits
| Strength | Limit |
|---|---|
| Society-sponsored journal with a clearly stated theoretical scope | Cryptography and sequence papers face extra scope tests |
| Parallel conference submission (such as ISIT) is permitted before acceptance | Resubmission is mainly for Reject with Resubmit decisions and must be substantively different |
| Preprint posting is encouraged at submission | An ORCID iD is required of authors |
Related venues
| Venue | Relationship to the Transactions |
|---|---|
| IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory (ISIT) | Conference named in the journal’s policy as an allowed parallel submission |
| arXiv | Preprint server the Society encourages authors to use at submission |
| IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing | Another IEEE Transactions title, in a different field; see the CASRAI guide |
For the signal-processing side of the scope, see what is signal processing. The search variants 3GPP specifications, IEEE 802 and the IEEE Internet of Things Journal are separate subjects: 3GPP and IEEE 802 are standards families rather than journals, and the Internet of Things Journal is a different IEEE title with its own metrics. None is covered by this journal’s policies.
FAQ
Who publishes IEEE Transactions on Information Theory?
IEEE publishes it and the IEEE Information Theory Society sponsors it (Society pages, read 2026-11-08).
Does the journal accept cryptography papers?
Only when they relate to information or coding theory, unless the cryptography is clearly outstanding.
Can I submit a paper to ISIT and the Transactions at the same time?
Yes, provided the paper has not been accepted by the Transactions and the overlap is properly referenced.
Do I need an ORCID iD to submit?
Yes, authors must have an ORCID iD to submit through the Author Portal.
What is the journal’s impact factor?
It is not stated on the journal’s own pages; look it up in Journal Citation Reports.
Sources
- IEEE Information Theory Society, aims and scope: itsoc.org/node/37107 (read 2026-11-08)
- IEEE Information Theory Society, journal page: itsoc.org/group/81 (read 2026-11-08)
