Joule (journal)

Joule (journal)
Title	Joule
Discipline	Energy science, Materials science, Sustainability
Editor	Philip Earis
Publisher	Cell Press
Country	United States
History	2017–present
Frequency	Monthly
Openaccess	Hybrid
Impact	15.0
Impact-year	2022
ISSN	2542-4351
Website	https://www.cell.com/joule/home

Joule (journal). *Joule* is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes high-impact research across the fields of energy science, sustainability, and materials science. Launched in 2017 by Cell Press, a part of Elsevier, it is named after the SI unit for energy, the joule. The journal aims to provide a forum for interdisciplinary work that addresses the global challenges of energy transition and climate change mitigation.

History and background

*Joule* was established in September 2017 by Cell Press, a prominent publisher of biomedical and life sciences journals like *Cell* and *Joule*'s sibling publication, *Chem*. The founding editor-in-chief was Philip Earis, formerly of the Royal Society of Chemistry. The launch was part of a strategic expansion by Cell Press into the physical sciences, recognizing the growing importance of interdisciplinary energy research. The inaugural issue featured contributions from leading scientists like Nathan S. Lewis of the California Institute of Technology and Yi Cui of Stanford University, setting a high benchmark for quality. The journal's creation was contemporaneous with major international policy developments such as the Paris Agreement.

Scope and editorial focus

The journal's scope encompasses fundamental and applied research aimed at sustainable energy solutions. Key areas include the development of photovoltaic cells, batteries, fuel cells, carbon capture and storage, and catalysis for green hydrogen production. It also publishes work on energy policy, grid integration, life-cycle assessment, and socio-technical analyses of energy systems. *Joule* emphasizes research that demonstrates a clear pathway to impact, bridging the gap between laboratory-scale innovation and real-world deployment. The editorial focus is explicitly interdisciplinary, welcoming contributions from fields like chemical engineering, physics, electrochemistry, and environmental science.

Abstracting and indexing

*Joule* is abstracted and indexed in major scientific databases, ensuring wide dissemination of its content. These services include the Science Citation Index Expanded, part of Clarivate's Web of Science, and the Scopus database from Elsevier. It is also covered by PubMed Central and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), reflecting its hybrid open-access model. The journal receives an official Impact Factor from the Journal Citation Reports, which has ranked it highly among publications in the categories of Energy & Fuels and Materials Science, Multidisciplinary.

Impact and reception

Since its launch, *Joule* has rapidly gained a reputation as one of the premier journals in the energy research community. Its Impact Factor has consistently been among the highest in its field, reflecting the high citation rates of its published articles. The journal is recognized for its rigorous peer-review process and editorial standards, often compared to other high-impact titles like Nature Energy and Energy & Environmental Science. It has become a preferred venue for announcing breakthrough research in areas such as perovskite solar cells and next-generation battery technologies, influencing both academic discourse and industrial R&D directions.

Notable articles and special issues

The journal has published numerous influential papers, including early reports on stable perovskite photovoltaics and advances in lithium-sulfur batteries. It frequently organizes special issues on timely topics, such as those dedicated to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, energy storage for renewable energy integration, and the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Notable commentary pieces have featured perspectives from leaders at institutions like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Editorial board and governance

The journal is overseen by an international editorial board comprising leading experts from academia, national laboratories, and industry. The editor-in-chief is Philip Earis, supported by a team of professional editors with backgrounds in diverse scientific disciplines. The board includes prominent researchers such as Kristin Persson of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Zhenan Bao of Stanford University, and Michael Grätzel of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. Governance and editorial policy are aligned with the standards of its publisher, Cell Press, and its parent company, Elsevier.

Category:Elsevier academic journals Category:English-language journals Category:Energy journals Category:Publications established in 2017 Category:Monthly journals