Analytical Methods

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While our publishing services are running as usual, we also know that this is a very challenging time for everyone, for many different reasons. If any aspect of the publishing process is worrying you – for example you think you may struggle to meet a pre-determined deadline – please let us know, and we will work out an answer together.

Impact factor: 2.378*
Publishing frequency: 48 issues per year
Indexed in Scopus and Web of Science
Editor-in-chief: Scott Martin
Time to first decision: 30 days**

Scope

Analytical Methods welcomes early applications of new analytical and bioanalytical methods and technology demonstrating potential for societal impact.

We require that methods and technology reported in the journal are sufficiently innovative, robust, accurate, and compared to other available methods for the intended application. Developments with interdisciplinary approaches are particularly welcome. Systems should be proven with suitably complex and analytically challenging samples.

We encourage developments within, but not limited to, the following technologies and applications:

global health, point-of-care and molecular diagnostics
biosensors and bioengineering
drug development and pharmaceutical analysis
applied microfluidics and nanotechnology
omics studies, such as proteomics, metabolomics or glycomics
environmental, agricultural and food science
neuroscience
biochemical and clinical analysis
forensic analysis
industrial process and method development

Editorial board

Analytical Methods follows a single-blind peer review process and articles are typically sent to at least two independent reviewers for evaluation. A dynamic and high quality team of associate editors is responsible for peer review and associated editorial decisions. Authors may choose their preferred choice of associate editor upon submission.

Please note that it may not always be possible for the author's first choice associate editor to be selected. In situations where this is not possible the editorial office will assign the most suitable alternative.

On submission to the journal, all manuscripts are assigned to an external (academic) Associate Editor. Each submission is assessed for quality, scope and impact. Those that do not meet the criteria based on these factors are rejected without further peer review. Otherwise the article is sent to at least two external reviewers with expertise in the article topic for confidential review. An editorial decision to reject or accept the article is made on these reports. In cases of opposing reports, or when more clarification is needed, more reviewers may be consulted. Articles needing major revisions may be sent for further peer review before acceptance. Authors may appeal a rejection via communication with the Associate Editor. Full details of the initial assessment process can be found with our processes and policies.

Editor-in-chief

Scott Martin, Saint Louis University, USA

Associate editors

Jonas Bergquist, Uppsala University, Sweden

Wendell Coltro, Federal University of Goiás, Brazil

Christopher J. Easley, Auburn University, USA

Juan F García-Reyes, University of Jaén, Spain

Tony Killard, Reviews Editor, University of West England, UK

Zhen Liu, Nanjing University, China

Chao Lu, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, China

Fiona Regan, Dublin City University, Ireland

Michael Roper, Florida State University, USA

B. Jill Venton, University of Virginia, USA

Editorial board members

Sabeth Verpoorte, University of Groningen, Netherlands

Jailson de Andrade, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil

Lane Baker, Indiana University, USA

Craig Banks, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK

Emanuel Carrilho, São Carlos, Brazil

Yi Chen, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Wendell Coltro, Instituto de Química, Brazil

Anthony Gachanja, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya

Melissa Hanna-Brown, Pfizer, UK

Lisa Holland, West Virginia University, USA

Amanda Hummon, Ohio State University, USA

Jesus Iniesta, University of Alicante, Spain

Lauro Kubota, Instituto de Química, Brazil

Ally Lewis, University of York, UK

Juewen Liu, University of Waterloo, Canada

Susan Lunte, University of Kansas, USA

Jim Luong, Dow Chemical Canada ULC, Canada

Susheel Mittal, Thapar University, India

Antonio Molina-Díaz, University of Jaén, Spain

Koji Otsuka, Kyoto University, Japan

Brett Paull, University of Tasmania, Australia

Zachary Schultz, University of Notre Dame, USA

Andy Wain, National Physical Laboratory, UK

Guobao Xu, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, China

Xiu-Ping Yan, Jiangnan University, China

Philippa Ross, Executive Editor

Mille Newman, Deputy Editor

Amy Southall, Development Editor

Rebecca Garton, Editorial Production Manager

Kirsten Hall, Publishing Editor

Alice Smallwood, Publishing Editor

Ziva Whitelock, Publishing Editor

Keir Hollingsworth, Editorial Assistant

Andrea Whiteside, Publishing Assistant

Jeanne Andres, Publisher

Article types

Analytical Methods publishes:

Communications
Full papers
Technical notes
Critical reviews
Minireviews
Tutorial reviews
Comments

See more information about these article types

Communications

These must report preliminary research findings that are highly original, of immediate interest and are likely to have a high impact. Communications are given priority treatment, are fast-tracked through the publication process and appear prominently at the front of the journal.

The key aim of Communications is to present innovative concepts with important analytical implications. As such, Communications need only demonstrate 'proof of principle': it is not expected that the analytical figures of merit will necessarily surpass those of existing, highly refined analytical techniques.

At the time of submission, authors should also provide a justification for urgent publication as a Communication. Ideally, a Full paper should follow each Communication in an appropriate primary journal.

There is no page limit for communications in Analytical Methods, however the length should be commensurate with scientific content. Authors are encouraged to make full use of electronic supplementary information (ESI) in order to present more concise articles.

Full papers

These must describe science that will be of benefit to the community in the particular field of analysis and are judged according to originality, quality of scientific content and contribution to existing knowledge.

Although there is no page limit for Full papers, appropriateness of length to content of new science will be taken into consideration.

Technical notes

These should be brief descriptions of developments, techniques or applications that offer definite advantages over those already available. Technical notes should offer practical solutions to problems that are of interest to the readership and merit publication, but where a Full paper is not justified.

Technical notes should be as brief as possible; wherever appropriate authors should use references to the established technique, explaining in full only what is novel about the proposed approach.

Critical reviews

Critical reviews are definitive, comprehensive reviews but must also provide a critical evaluation of the chosen topic area. Authors should try to be selective in the choice of material, whilst still aim to cover all the important work in the field, also indicating possible future developments.

Minireviews

Minireviews are highlights or summaries of research in an emerging area of analytical science covering approximately the last two-three years. Given topics should review work no more than approximately 36 months old, and articles should cover only the most interesting/significant developments in that specific subject area.

The articles should be highly critical and selective in referencing published work. A small amount of speculation (one or two paragraphs) of possible future developments may also be appropriate in the Conclusions section.

Tutorial reviews

Written from a personal point of view, these ideally should be the first review of a new significant area, bringing together the results of various primary publications.

Tutorial reviews are intended to interest a large number of readers and should be written at a level that could be understood by an advanced undergraduate student.

The intention is to increase awareness and understanding of the chosen topic area for workers/researchers already involved in the field, workers changing the direction/emphasis of their work and a broad based non-specialist (graduate and post-graduate) audience, with a view to informing them of the most recent developments in the area.

Potential writers should contact the editorial office before embarking on their work.

Comments

Comments and Replies are a medium for the discussion and exchange of scientific opinions between authors and readers concerning material published in Analytical Methods.

For publication, a Comment should present an alternative analysis of and/or new insight into the previously published material. Any Reply should further the discussion presented in the original article and the Comment. Comments and Replies that contain any form of personal attack are not suitable for publication.

Comments that are acceptable for publication will be forwarded to the authors of the work being discussed, and these authors will be given the opportunity to submit a Reply. The Comment and Reply will both be subject to rigorous peer review in consultation with the journal’s Editorial Board where appropriate. The Comment and Reply will be published together.

Journal specific guidelines

The following guidelines are journal specific. For general guidance on preparing an article please visit our Prepare your article page, the content of which is relevant to all of our journals.

On submission, authors are required to submit a short significance statement for their manuscript. This statement should address the technological advance and/or significance of the methods and applications in the presented work (1–2 sentences maximum). This information will help the Editor and reviewers assess the article.

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Readership information

Readership is cross-disciplinary and Analytical Methods appeals to readers across academia and industry, who have an interest in the advancement of measurement science and the breadth of application of analytical and bioanalytical methodologies.

These include, but are not restricted to, analytical and environmental scientists; biochemists and biotechnologists; process and industrial scientists; biomedical and clinical scientists; forensic and heritage scientists; agriculture, food, safety and product technologists; pharmaceutical scientists and toxicologists.

Subscription information

Analytical Methods is part of collections RSC Gold and Analytical Science

Online only 2020: ISSN 1759-9679 £2,503 / $4,407

*2018 Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate Analytics, 2019)

**Average time from receipt to first decision for peer reviewed manuscripts in 2019

**average time from receipt to first decision in 2018