Futures Journal: Scopus Indexing, Metrics, Scope and Submission Guide

Key Takeaways

• Futures is an Elsevier journal with print ISSN 0016-3287 and online ISSN 1873-6378.
• The supplied journal record identifies Scopus Source ID 25561, and the official publisher page lists Scopus indexing.
• The journal is explicitly interdisciplinary and centred on Futures Studies, anticipation, foresight and visioning.
• The publisher currently displays CiteScore 6.8 and Impact Factor 3.8; metrics can change by reporting year.
• Futures uses double-anonymized peer review and typically sends suitable manuscripts to at least two independent reviewers.
• Authors may choose subscription publication with no author publication fee or open access with a currently listed APC of USD 2,730 excluding taxes.
• Full-length papers are generally recommended around 8,000 words, with a stated 6,000–10,000-word range; other article types have different limits.

Journal Information at a Glance

What This Page Covers

• Aims and scope
• Scopus and SSCI indexing
• Current publisher metrics
• Article types and lengths
• Double-anonymized review
• Open access and APC
• Manuscript preparation
• Journal-fit evaluation
• Ethical publication readiness

Methodology and Source Note

This profile was prepared from the supplied Scopus-linked journal record and the current official Elsevier/ScienceDirect pages for Futures, including Journal Insights, the Guide for Authors and the editorial board. The Scopus source URL supplied for identity checking is also linked above.

Metrics, fees, editorial appointments, timelines, policies and indexing status can change. A researcher relying on a particular metric year, quartile or database for a university requirement should reconfirm the live source immediately before submitting or documenting the journal.

What Futures Is Trying to Publish

The publisher’s central description is unusually important for this journal: Futures is not defined by one conventional discipline. It is designed for substantive scholarship at intersections between disciplines and beyond them, specifically where the research examines humanity’s relationships with possible futures. The label “interdisciplinary” therefore describes both the readership and the kind of intellectual contribution the journal expects.

Its named areas—futures, visioning, anticipation and foresight—cover a spectrum from theoretical Futures Studies to practical and institutional forms of anticipating change. Recent editorial expertise listed by the journal spans futures studies, anticipation studies, science and technology studies, sustainability transitions, environmental governance, public policy, innovation management, urban futures, narratives, education, existential risk and strategic foresight. This breadth suggests room for methodological diversity, but the connecting thread is a serious futures-oriented contribution.

As a practical fit check, read several recent papers using approaches similar to yours. A broad scope does not mean every methodology or disciplinary framing is equally common. The manuscript should make clear why its evidence, theory or intervention matters to scholars studying futures rather than merely to specialists in the underlying subject domain.

Understanding Its Scopus Coverage and Journal Metrics

For doctoral and institutional requirements, the most direct verified point is that the official publisher currently lists Scopus among the journal’s abstracting and indexing services, and the supplied source record identifies Source ID 25561. The publisher also lists the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), which is relevant to researchers whose institutions distinguish Web of Science coverage from Scopus coverage.

The current publisher display shows CiteScore 6.8 and Impact Factor 3.8. These metrics describe different citation systems and should not be treated as interchangeable. The journal also identifies SJR and SNIP among its indexing/metric services, but the publisher page used for this guide does not present a numeric SJR or SNIP value, so this article does not manufacture one.

What Types of Articles Does Futures Publish?

The Guide for Authors distinguishes several submission types. This matters because reviewers assess a paper against the expectations of its category, not just the topic.

Is This Journal a Good Match for Your Research?

A useful manuscript-fit test has three layers. First, the paper needs topical relevance: futures, foresight or anticipation should be integral to the research problem. Second, it needs disciplinary or interdisciplinary relevance to the communities that read Futures. Third, it needs a contribution that advances knowledge rather than merely applying fashionable future language.

Before deciding, compare your manuscript with recent articles in current and recent Futures issues. Look for similarities in research questions, concepts, methods and the kind of contribution editors appear to prioritise.

Preparing a Manuscript for Double-Anonymized Review

Futures uses double-anonymized review. The anonymized manuscript should contain the main paper, references, figures and tables but should not identify the authors or their affiliations. A separate title page carries the title, author names and affiliations. Acknowledgements belong on the title page because they can reveal identity.

The journal requires a concise factual abstract of no more than 250 words, 1–7 English keywords and submission highlights. Highlights are uploaded as a separate editable file and should contain 3–5 bullet points, with each bullet no longer than 85 characters including spaces.

Editable source files are required. Word submissions should use a single-column layout, while double-column formatting is permitted for LaTeX. A PDF alone is not acceptable as the source file. Tables should be editable text rather than images, and figures, tables and supplementary materials need to be cited and labelled consistently.

What Happens After You Submit?

The official author guide says editors first assess whether a submission is suitable for the journal. If it passes that initial assessment, it will typically be sent to at least two reviewers for independent expert assessment. The editors make the final acceptance or rejection decision. Special issues follow the same core peer-review standard, although guest editors may coordinate reviews and recommend a decision under journal-editor oversight.

The Journal Insights page currently reports aggregate timelines of 6 days to first decision, 92 days to a decision after review, 263 days from submission to acceptance, and 5 days from acceptance to online publication. These are descriptive journal statistics, not promises. A manuscript requiring multiple revision rounds, specialist reviewers or extensive ethical checks can take longer.

If revisions are requested, respond systematically. A useful response document quotes or paraphrases each reviewer point, explains the change made, and identifies where it appears. If you disagree, give an evidence-based explanation rather than a defensive one. The journal also allows formal appeals under Elsevier’s appeal policy when the stated requirements are met.

Open Access, APCs and the Subscription Route

Futures is a hybrid journal: the official page says it supports open access while also offering subscription publication. The currently displayed open-access APC is USD 2,730 excluding taxes; the publisher notes that the amount may be reduced during submission where applicable. Under the subscription route, the publisher states that no publication fee is charged to authors and the published article is immediately available to subscribers.

Before choosing, check funder mandates, institutional open-access agreements, reimbursement rules and the licence you need. The APC is generally relevant only if the article is accepted and the open-access option is selected. Do not assume that a fee improves the chance of acceptance; editorial and peer-review decisions are separate from the publishing model.

Ethics, Authorship and AI-Use Declarations

The Guide for Authors applies Elsevier’s publishing-ethics policy. Submission implies that the work has not been published previously except in permitted forms such as a preprint, abstract, lecture, thesis or registered report; that it is not simultaneously under consideration elsewhere; and that all authors and relevant authorities approve submission.

Authorship should reflect substantial intellectual contribution, drafting or critical revision, final approval and accountability. Authors need to settle the author list before submission because post-submission changes are tightly controlled. Competing interests and funding sources must be declared, and corresponding authors are required to identify contributions using CRediT roles.

The guide also requires disclosure when generative AI or AI-assisted technologies have been used in manuscript preparation beyond basic grammar, spelling or reference-checking tools. Authors remain responsible for the content. Separately, the publisher states that reviewers and editors are not currently allowed to use generative AI tools such as ChatGPT for peer review or manuscript evaluation because of confidentiality and authors’ rights.

For the current policy language, consult the journal’s official Guide for Authors and Elsevier’s publishing-ethics policy.

A Publication-Readiness Checklist for Futures

How Contentxprtz Can Support Ethical Publication Readiness

Preparing for Futures may involve more than grammar correction. A futures-oriented interdisciplinary manuscript often needs a clear statement of contribution, careful positioning across literatures, consistent terminology, a defensible structure and disciplined alignment between research question, method, evidence and claims.

Contentxprtz can support researchers through journal publication services, academic editing, manuscript assessment, proofreading, journal formatting, reference and citation checking, cover-letter editing and reviewer-response editing. Support is intended to strengthen the author’s own research presentation and publication readiness.

Contentxprtz does not control editorial decisions and does not guarantee acceptance or publication. The editors and independent reviewers of Futures determine whether a manuscript is suitable, scientifically or intellectually sound, and publishable.