New Journal of Physics

New Journal of Physics
Title	New Journal of Physics
Discipline	Physics
Language	English
Editor	IOP Publishing
Publisher	IOP Publishing in partnership with Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft
Country	United Kingdom
Frequency	Continuous
History	1998–present
License	Creative Commons Attribution license
Impact	2.9
Impact-year	2022
ISSN	1367-2630
EISSN	1367-2630
OCLC	60622170

New Journal of Physics is an international, peer-reviewed scientific journal covering all aspects of physics. It was established in 1998 as one of the first open-access journals in the field, published by IOP Publishing in partnership with the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The journal operates on a continuous publication model, aiming to disseminate high-quality research rapidly and freely to the global scientific community. Its editorial board is composed of leading physicists from institutions worldwide, overseeing a rigorous review process.

History and background

The journal was founded in 1998 by IOP Publishing and the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft during a period of significant transformation in academic publishing, influenced by the early open access movement. Its creation was a direct response to calls from the scientific community, including organizations like the American Physical Society, for more accessible and affordable dissemination of research. The inaugural editorial board featured prominent figures such as Sir Michael Berry and Marvin L. Cohen, setting a high standard for scholarly rigor. From its inception, it adopted an article processing charge model to fund its operations, a novel approach at the time that has since become common in open-access publishing.

Scope and publication details

The journal publishes original research across the entire spectrum of physics, including but not limited to condensed matter physics, quantum physics, optics, astrophysics, and biophysics. It emphasizes interdisciplinary work that bridges traditional boundaries, often featuring research from institutions like CERN and the Max Planck Society. Publication is continuous, with articles appearing online as soon as they are accepted and typeset, bypassing the delay of traditional issue-based schedules. All content is published under a Creative Commons Attribution license, allowing unrestricted reuse subject to proper citation.

Abstracting and indexing

The journal is abstracted and indexed in major scientific databases, ensuring wide visibility for its published research. Key indexing services include the Science Citation Index Expanded, Scopus, Inspec, and PubMed Central. Its inclusion in the Web of Science and Journal Citation Reports allows for the calculation of its impact factor, a metric tracked by organizations like Clarivate. Coverage in these databases facilitates discovery by researchers at institutions such as MIT and the University of Cambridge, integrating its content into the global scientific record.

Editorial policies and processes

The journal employs a rigorous single-blind peer review process managed by an international editorial board of active researchers. The board includes experts from prestigious organizations like the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Weizmann Institute of Science. All submissions are initially screened by a board member or the editor-in-chief for scope and quality before being sent for review. The journal adheres to strict ethical policies in line with guidelines from the Committee on Publication Ethics, and it is a signatory to initiatives like the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment.

Impact and reception

The journal has established itself as a reputable venue in the physics community, with a consistent impact factor as reported by Clarivate. It is recognized for its commitment to open science principles, influencing policies at funding bodies like the European Research Council and the National Science Foundation. Its model has been cited in discussions by the Budapest Open Access Initiative and has contributed to the broader adoption of open access in fields championed by figures like Steven Weinberg. The journal's approach to continuous publication has been emulated by other titles published by Springer Nature.

Notable articles and special issues

The journal has published several highly cited and influential articles, including pioneering work on topological insulators and advancements in quantum entanglement research. It regularly commissions special issues on emerging topics, such as those related to experiments at the Large Hadron Collider or findings from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory. Notable collections have been guest-edited by leading scientists like Sir John Pendry and have featured contributions from Nobel laureates including Donna Strickland. These issues often stem from conferences organized by the American Institute of Physics.

Category:Physics journals Category:Open access journals Category:Academic journals published in the United Kingdom