Chiang Mai Journal of Science: Scopus, Scope & Submission Guide

Quick Answer: What Is Chiang Mai Journal of Science?

Chiang Mai Journal of Science is a multidisciplinary science journal published six times per year by the Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University. The current journal is the successor to the Journal of the Science Faculty of Chiang Mai University, which began in 1974; the present title was adopted in 2000, when the publication moved to English-only articles.

The journal’s official coverage includes Scopus, Science Citation Index Expanded, Journal Citation Reports, Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS Previews, Chemical Abstracts, SciFinder Scholar, MathSciNet, Thai Citation Index and ASEAN Citation Index, among others. The supplied Scopus Source Record ID is 17800156707. Researchers whose university or doctoral programme requires Scopus or Web of Science coverage should verify the live database record at the point of submission, because institutional rules may define acceptable indexing, quartile year or document type differently.

It may be a reasonable candidate for scientifically sound manuscripts that fall squarely within its stated disciplines and are written for an international scientific readership. It is not a general outlet for all STEM work: the journal specifically identifies agriculture, engineering and medical science as outside its scope.

Key Takeaways

• Publisher: Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.
• Identifiers: Print ISSN 0125-2526; eISSN 2465-3845; supplied Scopus Source ID 17800156707.
• Current visibility: the journal lists Scopus and Science Citation Index Expanded among its indexing services.
• 2025 metrics: JCR Impact Factor 1.0 (Q3), CiteScore 1.6 (Q2), SJR 0.213 (Q3), SNIP 0.326.
• Publishing model: open access, six issues per year, with articles distributed under CC BY 4.0 according to the official journal site.
• Article types: Research Articles, Review Articles and Short Communications.
• Peer review: initial editorial screening followed by at least two external reviewers using a double-blind system.
• Current APC: US$350 for overseas papers or 10,000 Thai Baht for papers from within Thailand, subject to current official terms.

Journal Information at a Glance

The different quartiles above refer to different metric systems and categories. A Q2 CiteScore classification and a Q3 JCR or SJR classification can coexist because each database calculates and ranks journals differently. Researchers should report the exact metric, year and category required by their institution rather than describing the journal with one undated quartile label.

What This Page Covers

• The journal’s history, publisher and current publication model
• Aims, scientific scope and topics that are outside scope
• Scopus, Web of Science and other indexing information
• 2025 Impact Factor, CiteScore, SJR and SNIP
• Research Articles, Review Articles and Short Communications
• Required manuscript structure, formatting and submission files
• Double-blind peer review, stated decision targets and revision handling
• Open access, publication charges and copyright steps
• Ethics, plagiarism screening, authorship, AI and conflict-of-interest declarations
• A practical journal-fit and publication-readiness checklist

Methodology and Sources

This guide prioritises the official journal overview, the journal’s Information for Authors, its current journal metrics page, the official Thai Editorial System submission page, and the supplied Scopus Source ID. The journal also states that it follows COPE guidance.

Journal metrics, fees, editorial teams, indexing coverage and submission rules are time-sensitive. Values in this page are therefore dated where possible. Before submitting, authors should reopen the official guideline and submission pages and confirm that the template, charge, reviewer requirements and policies have not changed.

How the Journal Developed and What Role It Serves

The journal traces its history to 1974, when it began as the Journal of the Science Faculty of Chiang Mai University. At that time it accepted papers in Thai or English and appeared twice yearly. The name changed to Chiang Mai Journal of Science in 2000, alongside a move to English-only publication intended to broaden its reach beyond a university-based identity. Online publishing followed in 2010, and the journal subsequently adopted online submission systems, including the Thai Editorial System in 2023.

Its official mission is unusually explicit about serving both established scientists and younger research staff and students. The journal describes itself as a forum for scientists in Thailand and abroad and as a pathway through which early-career researchers can gain experience in peer-reviewed publication. That mission should not be interpreted as a lower scientific threshold: submissions still undergo editorial screening, plagiarism checking and external review, and the journal can reject work that is out of scope, ethically problematic, poorly prepared or scientifically unsuitable.

For PhD scholars, this history can be useful context. The journal has a long publication record and international indexing, but fit depends on the research itself. A university requirement that merely says “Scopus-indexed journal” may make the title potentially eligible, yet programme rules may also specify quartile, subject category, indexing date, corresponding-authorship conditions or publication status. Those local rules should be checked before a manuscript is committed to any journal.

Chiang Mai Journal of Science Aims and Scope

The journal currently welcomes manuscripts across many areas of science, with a stated focus on biochemistry, biology, chemistry, environmental science, food science, genetics, microbiology, molecular biology, materials science and physics. Applied mathematics is included, while purely theoretical mathematics is not the emphasis. Agriculture, engineering and medical science are expressly identified as outside the journal’s scope.

This creates a multidisciplinary profile, but not an unlimited one. A materials paper, for example, may fit if its scientific question, characterisation and contribution are rooted in materials science. An engineering optimisation paper whose main contribution is a device, process design or engineering implementation could fall outside the stated boundary. Likewise, a biological or biochemical study may fit, whereas a clinical or medical study may not simply because it uses laboratory science.

Topics that appear naturally aligned

• Biochemical mechanisms, enzymes, metabolites and biomolecular processes
• Biological diversity, organismal biology and experimentally grounded life science
• Analytical, inorganic, organic, physical and related chemistry
• Environmental processes, monitoring and environmental science
• Food composition, food chemistry, food microbiology and related food science
• Genetics, genomics and molecular biology within the journal’s scientific remit
• Microbiology, including environmental and applied microbial research
• Materials synthesis, characterisation and functional properties
• Experimental and applied physics
• Applied mathematical work connected to scientific problems

Where authors should be cautious

Interdisciplinary manuscripts often sit near boundaries. A project on agricultural microbes, biomedical materials or engineering applications may contain science that resembles the journal’s core disciplines while still having a primary purpose in an excluded field. In such cases, the title, research question, methods, discussion and intended readership all matter. A practical publication-readiness step is to compare the manuscript with several recent papers in the journal’s relevant category and ask whether the contribution would make sense to the same readership.

Understanding Its Scopus Coverage and 2025 Journal Metrics

The official author guidance lists Scopus among the journal’s indexing services, and the supplied source record identifies Scopus Source ID 17800156707. The journal also lists Science Citation Index Expanded and Journal Citation Reports, which is consistent with its reporting of a 2025 JCR Impact Factor.

These numbers are best used as context, not as a prediction of acceptance or future citation performance. CiteScore, Impact Factor, SJR and SNIP use different source sets and calculations. Quartile can also depend on category and year. If a scholarship, PhD regulation or promotion rule requires a particular threshold, use the database and reporting year named in that rule.

The journal’s official indexing list also includes Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS Previews, Chemical Abstracts, SciFinder Scholar, Zentralblatt für Mathematik, MathSciNet, Thai Citation Index and ASEAN Citation Index. Coverage in several services can improve discoverability across disciplines, but no single index substitutes for checking whether the journal reaches the particular scientific community a manuscript is intended to influence.

What Does the Journal Publish?

The official author instructions recognise three principal manuscript types: Review Articles, Research Articles and Short Communications. The categories have different expected lengths and purposes.

The journal notes that the Editor may return manuscripts that exceed the normal limits for further editing. It does not set a simple reference-count ceiling; instead, authors are asked to keep references to those important for the article. That makes selectivity and relevance more valuable than a long bibliography.

Preparing a Manuscript for Chiang Mai Journal of Science

The most important technical requirement is to use the journal’s current template. The author page states that manuscripts not prepared with the template will be returned. The normal manuscript organisation includes the title, author names and affiliations, ORCID information where possible, corresponding-author email, graphical abstract, abstract and keywords, introduction, materials and methods, results and discussion, conclusions, acknowledgements where applicable, conflict-of-interest statement, generative-AI declaration where applicable, ethical guidelines, funding and references.

Formatting details to check before submission

• Prepare the main manuscript as an MS Word document.
• Use a single-column layout on A4 pages with double spacing and justified text.
• Use Calibri 10-point font for the main body, according to the current instructions.
• Embed tables and figures within the main text.
• Use SI units throughout.
• Cite references in numerical order and include only references actually cited.
• Follow the journal’s examples for articles, books, edited chapters, theses, patents, proceedings, reports and online documents.

Language quality is part of submission readiness. The journal strongly recommends proofreading by a native or proficient English speaker and/or grammar checking, and the Editor may request evidence of language editing. For ESL authors, this is a concrete reason to treat language review as scientific communication support rather than cosmetic correction: unclear syntax can obscure methods, results and the novelty argument.

Submission Files and the Thai Editorial System

Submissions are made through the journal’s Thai Editorial System. The current instructions ask authors to provide five submission components, and the separation of identified and anonymised files supports the journal’s double-blind review workflow.

1. Complete Word manuscript: an all-inclusive file containing author names and affiliations, figures, tables and other content, plus ORCID and email information for the corresponding author.
2. Anonymised PDF: the same manuscript with author names and affiliations removed and the acknowledgements section deleted.
3. Supplementary data: where applicable.
4. Cover letter: a concise letter to the Editor highlighting the novel aspects of the research.
5. Five suggested reviewers: names, affiliations and email addresses.

The journal clarifies that suggested reviewers are not necessarily the people who will review the paper; the list helps reduce delays if appropriate reviewers are difficult to locate. Authors should nominate genuine subject experts without conflicts of interest and should never use fabricated identities or contact information.

What Happens After You Submit a Manuscript?

The current process begins with screening by the assigned Associate Editor for overall suitability. The journal states that this initial stage includes Turnitin plagiarism detection. Manuscripts that pass screening are sent to a minimum of two external reviewers in a double-blind system; the author guidance says papers are normally refereed by two to three reviewers.

If reviewers disagree, the Editor makes the final decision. The journal states that it makes every effort to notify authors of a decision within three months of submission. A revision must be returned within the deadline set by the handling Associate Editor, with changes highlighted and a detailed response to reviewer comments. A revision returned after the deadline without prior notice can be treated as a new submission.

For accepted papers, the corresponding author receives a typeset proof and a Copyright Transfer Agreement. The journal states that publication occurs only after the signed agreement is received. Its current instructions also say it aims to publish within one month after proof approval and payment. These are official targets rather than guaranteed timelines; complex revisions, reviewer availability and production issues can affect actual timing.

Open Access, APC and Publication Charges

Chiang Mai Journal of Science describes itself as an open-access journal and states that articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Full papers can be downloaded from the journal website without a reader subscription.

The current Article Processing Charge is US$350 for papers from overseas or 10,000 Thai Baht for papers from within Thailand. The journal says the invoice is emailed to the corresponding author before publication. It also states that reviewers who have reviewed at least three articles for the journal are eligible for a 20% APC discount when their own paper is published.

Fee information can change and may be affected by location or journal policy. Authors should confirm the current amount, currency, invoice terms and any applicable discount on the official author page before making a submission decision. A publication charge should be budgeted as part of project planning, particularly where a grant or institution must approve the payment.

Publication Ethics, Authorship and AI Declarations

The journal states that it follows Committee on Publication Ethics guidelines and rejects manuscripts involving plagiarism or other ethical misconduct. It also prohibits duplicate publication, multiple submission and salami slicing. Human or animal experiments must include evidence that the work followed appropriate institutional and/or governmental ethical requirements.

Authorship is another explicit requirement. The journal states that changes to the author list are prohibited once a manuscript has completed peer review and has been accepted. It also asks authors to provide a CRediT contribution statement identifying individual roles and to disclose conflicts of interest.

For generative AI, the current author instructions require a declaration when such tools were used in manuscript preparation, identifying the tool and purpose. The journal also expects authors to review and edit the manuscript after AI use and to take full responsibility for its content. This means AI-assisted drafting or language support does not remove the author’s obligation to verify citations, data, interpretations, methods and scientific claims.

Is This Journal a Good Match for Your Research?

A strong fit is more than sharing a keyword with the journal. The manuscript should address a scientific question that falls within the stated disciplines, use methods appropriate to that field, contribute knowledge that the journal’s readers can use, and be substantial enough for the selected article type.

Before submission, read several recent papers in the relevant journal category. This is general publication guidance rather than an official requirement, but it is one of the clearest ways to test fit. Look at the depth of methods, typical data presentation, discussion style, reference patterns and how authors frame novelty.

Common Reasons a Manuscript May Be Unsuitable

Some reasons are journal-specific and some are general editorial risks. Based on the official scope and instructions, immediate problems include submitting work in an excluded field, failing to use the required template, omitting required ethical information, submitting a previously published or simultaneously submitted paper, or sending a manuscript with plagiarism or related misconduct concerns.

Other risks arise from the manuscript itself. A scientifically weak novelty claim, methods that cannot support the conclusion, unclear English, excessive length, inconsistent references or a cover letter that fails to explain the contribution can make evaluation harder. The journal can also recommend switching between Research Article and Short Communication when the work is topical but limited in scope or length.

None of these factors allows an outside service to predict acceptance. Editors and reviewers assess the actual scientific contribution, and decisions can vary even for well-prepared work. Publication readiness therefore means reducing avoidable presentation and compliance problems while leaving the scientific judgement to the journal.

Publication-Readiness Checklist Before Submission

How Contentxprtz Can Support Ethical Publication Readiness

Contentxprtz can support researchers who have already completed their study and need help preparing the manuscript for a journal such as Chiang Mai Journal of Science. Relevant support may include manuscript editing, research-paper proofreading, journal-format checks, reference consistency, cover-letter editing, manuscript assessment and reviewer-response polishing.

For this journal specifically, a publication-readiness review can focus on whether the paper follows the current template, whether the anonymised review copy has been prepared correctly, whether the abstract and graphical abstract communicate the study clearly, whether declarations are complete, and whether the language accurately conveys methods and results. Support can also help an author compare the manuscript against the journal’s stated scope and identify points that need clarification before submission.

Editorial support cannot guarantee publication, influence peer reviewers or secure acceptance. The researcher remains responsible for the study design, data, analysis, originality, authorship, ethical compliance, source accuracy and final submission. Researchers who want help preparing a journal-aligned manuscript can explore journal publication and manuscript-readiness support.

Summary: Should You Consider Chiang Mai Journal of Science?

Chiang Mai Journal of Science may be worth considering when a manuscript falls clearly within its current science scope and the author needs an English-language, open-access journal with established Scopus and Web of Science visibility. Its 2025 metrics include a CiteScore of 1.6, JCR Impact Factor of 1.0, SJR of 0.213 and SNIP of 0.326, but these values should be interpreted with their year and category rather than as permanent quality labels.

The strongest submission strategy is to begin with fit, not metrics. Confirm that the paper belongs in one of the journal’s stated disciplines, examine recent related articles, use the current template, prepare both identified and anonymised files, complete ethics and disclosure statements, and follow the Thai Editorial System instructions. Recheck the APC, indexing and guidelines immediately before submission. Professional editing can improve clarity and compliance, but editorial acceptance remains solely the journal’s decision.