Materials Letters: Scope, Submission & Metrics

What it is

As documented on the official Elsevier portal on 2026-11-12, Materials Letters (print ISSN: 0167-577X, electronic ISSN: 1873-4979) is a peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to rapid publication of short communications across materials science. Founded in 1982, the journal provides materials scientists, physicists, chemists, and engineers with an accelerated venue to report urgent discoveries, novel synthesis routes, and unexpected material behaviors that warrant immediate release.

The journal operates as a rapid letters medium, publishing concise papers that present complete, standalone results supported by essential characterization data. While researchers frequently refer colloquially to the venue as the journal of materials letters, its official title is Materials Letters. Published by Elsevier on ScienceDirect, the journal offers both subscription and hybrid open-access paths. Elsevier also maintains an open-access mirror entitled Materials Letters: X, which shares the same editorial board, standards, and peer-review workflows.

Who runs it and what it covers

As confirmed on the official ScienceDirect editorial page on 2026-11-12, Materials Letters is led by Editor-in-Chief Raymundo Arróyave of Texas A&M University, supported by an international editorial board. The journal is indexed in Scopus, Clarivate Web of Science (Science Citation Index Expanded, SCIE), Inspec, Compendex, and Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS). In Scopus, Materials Letters holds a CiteScore of 5.6 and an SJR of approximately 0.512 (Q2 in Materials Science, Condensed Matter Physics, and Mechanical Engineering), alongside an h-index of 189 and a Journal Impact Factor between 2.6 and 2.8.

The journal covers synthesis, microstructural characterization, processing, and functional properties across diverse material classes, including functional ceramics, metals and structural alloys, electronic and optical materials, 2D nanomaterials, biomaterials, and energy composites. However, the editorial board enforces strict scope exclusions to manage volume and maintain scientific focus:

• Concrete and Cement-Based Systems: The journal explicitly no longer considers or publishes papers dealing with concrete, cement pastes, geopolymers, or related civil infrastructure composites.
• Polymeric and Polymer-Based Materials: Pure polymer formulations, standard plastic blends, and routine polymer composites lacking distinct functional electronic, optical, or catalytic physics are excluded.
• Routine Corrosion and Wear Studies: Descriptive evaluations of electrochemical corrosion rates or tribological wear without novel underlying physical mechanisms are discouraged and regularly desk-rejected.
• Incremental Parametric Variations: Investigations that merely tweak concentration ratios or processing temperatures without demonstrating a clear physical breakthrough are filtered during initial screening.

Navigating these boundaries prevents administrative desk rejection. For broader orientation on academic indexing standards, consult our analysis of journal indexing in Scopus and Web of Science.

How to search or use it

As verified from official ScienceDirect and Elsevier Editorial Manager documentation on 2026-11-12, researchers interact with Materials Letters by discovering published letters on ScienceDirect and submitting manuscripts through Editorial Manager. Authors must execute a seven-step sequence adhering to strict interface terms and technical limits:

1. Locate Journal Submission Gateway: Open the official Materials Letters homepage on ScienceDirect and click “Submit your paper” to reach the Elsevier Editorial Manager portal. Sign in with existing credentials or select “Register Now” to create an institutional profile.
2. Scope and Boundary Verification: Review the “Aims and Scope” page to confirm the manuscript does not fall into excluded categories such as cementitious materials or routine polymer formulations.
3. Enforce Manuscript Length Limits: Format text, tables, and figures within the rapid communication ceiling. Submissions must not exceed approximately 4,000 words or 4 to 6 printed journal pages. The abstract must be a single paragraph of 250 words or fewer.
4. Generate Highlights and Graphical Abstract: Formulate 3 to 5 bulleted “Highlights” summarizing novel findings. Each highlight must strictly adhere to the maximum limit of 85 characters, including spaces. Prepare a high-resolution Graphical Abstract image illustrating the core discovery.
5. Structure Mandatory Declarations: Prepare an explicit CRediT author statement detailing individual contributor roles, an unambiguous Data Availability Statement, and a Declaration of Competing Interests.
6. Upload Files and Assign Classifications in Editorial Manager: Log in, select “Submit New Manuscript”, choose the “Research Paper / Letter” article type, upload source files (Word or LaTeX with separate figure files), assign classifications, and suggest qualified non-conflicted reviewers.
7. Track Editorial Review and Select Publishing Model: Monitor manuscript progression through status indicators (“With Editor”, “Under Review”, “Required Reviews Complete”) via the Elsevier peer review workflow. First decisions typically arrive within 3 to 4 weeks. Upon acceptance, select subscription publishing (no author charges) or Gold Open Access.

Strengths and limits

As documented in publishing benchmarks on 2026-11-12, Materials Letters provides distinct advantages alongside operational constraints:

• Strengths:
  • Rapid Turnaround: With an average initial peer-review turnaround of 3 to 4 weeks, the journal offers rapid dissemination for priority findings.
  • Global Indexing: Full indexing in Scopus, SCIE, and ScienceDirect guarantees international visibility and citation tracking.
  • Flexible Hybrid Publishing: Authors can publish at no cost under subscription or choose Gold Open Access via institutional transformative agreements. Learn more about fee structures in our guide to article processing charges (APCs) and institutional policies for hybrid open-access publishing.
  • Open-Access Mirror Option: Submissions can transfer to Materials Letters: X if authors require fully open-access compliance.
• Limits:
  • Strict Content Exclusions: Total exclusion of concrete, civil materials, and bulk polymers excludes researchers in those fields.
  • Space Constraints: The 4 to 6 printed page ceiling restricts extensive discussion and multi-step synthesis details.
  • Rigorous Desk Screening: Manuscripts lacking urgent novelty or violating formatting constraints are rejected before review.
  • Open Access APC Expense: Gold Open Access incurs an APC of approximately $2,200 to $2,870 when not covered by institutional agreements.

Alternatives

As verified across major publisher platforms on 2026-11-12, materials researchers have several alternative rapid-communication venues:

Journal	Publisher	Focus and Scope	Format Style	Publishing Model and APC	Typical Turnaround
Materials Letters	Elsevier	Rapid letters in materials science (excluding cement and polymers)	Letters (~4,000 words, 4-6 pages)	Hybrid (Free subscription or ~$2,200-$2,870 OA)	~3-4 weeks first decision
Scripta Materialia	Elsevier (Acta Materialia Inc.)	High-impact short communications on metallurgy and structural materials	Short letters (strictly <=4 printed pages)	Hybrid (Free subscription or ~$3,900 OA)	~3-5 weeks first decision
Applied Physics Letters	AIP Publishing	Applied physics, device materials, semiconductor electronics	Concise letters (~4,000 words)	Hybrid (Subscription or ~$3,500 OA); compare Applied Physics Letters impact factor	~3-4 weeks first decision
Materials Advances	Royal Society of Chemistry	Broad materials science covering synthesis, polymers, and biomaterials	Communications and full papers	Gold Open Access (Tiered APC discounts)	~5-7 weeks peer review
Materials Letters: X	Elsevier	Open-access mirror of Materials Letters sharing editorial board and scope	Letters (~4,000 words, 4-6 pages)	Gold Open Access (APC ~$2,200)	~3-4 weeks first decision

FAQ

What is the word limit for manuscripts submitted to Materials Letters?

Submissions to Materials Letters are restricted to concise rapid communications. While word counts vary with figure density, manuscripts are generally capped at approximately 4,000 words or 4 to 6 printed pages in equivalent layout, inclusive of text, references, tables, and captions. The abstract cannot exceed 250 words.

Are concrete, cement, or polymer studies eligible for Materials Letters?

No. Under official editorial policy updates, Materials Letters explicitly excludes papers focusing on concrete, cementitious systems, and standard polymer formulations. Authors investigating these materials should submit their manuscripts to specialized construction or polymer science journals.

What are the specific requirements for Highlights in Materials Letters?

Highlights are mandatory for all research letters submitted to Materials Letters. Authors must provide 3 to 5 concise bullet points conveying core discoveries. Each bullet point must strictly adhere to a maximum limit of 85 characters, including spaces and punctuation marks.

Is publishing in Materials Letters free or does it require an APC?

Publishing in Materials Letters is completely free for authors who select the traditional subscription publishing route. Authors choosing Gold Open Access pay an Article Publishing Charge (APC) of approximately $2,200 to $2,870, or utilize institutional transformative agreements.

What is the typical peer-review timeline for Materials Letters?

Because the journal focuses on urgent communications, the editorial office targets an initial peer-review decision within 3 to 4 weeks of submission. Articles accepted after revision are published online in ScienceDirect within days of proof sign-off.

Sources

• Elsevier. Materials Letters: Aims and Scope, Metrics, and Editorial Board. ScienceDirect (read 2026-11-12). https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/materials-letters
• Elsevier. Materials Letters Guide for Authors: Article Structure, Highlights, and Declarations. Elsevier (read 2026-11-12). https://www.elsevier.com/journals/materials-letters/0167-577X/guide-for-authors
• Elsevier. Editorial Manager for Materials Letters: Submission Gateway and Tracking. Editorial Manager (read 2026-11-12). https://www.editorialmanager.com/mlblue/
• Scopus. Source Details: Materials Letters (ISSN 0167-577X). Elsevier Scopus Preview (read 2026-11-12). https://www.scopus.com/sources
• Clarivate. Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE): Materials Letters Entry. Clarivate Master Journal List (read 2026-11-12). https://mjl.clarivate.com/