How Long Does Solar Energy Materials And Solar Cells Review Take?

Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Elsevier that covers research related to materials science, physics, chemistry, and technology associated with solar energy conversion, photovoltaics, and solar fuels. The journal has been in publication since 1979 and publishes 24 issues per year. According to Scimago Journal Rankings, it has an H-index of 169 and is considered the top journal by impact factor in the field of solar energy.

The aim of the journal is to provide complete coverage of all aspects related to materials science, physics, and technology for harnessing solar energy. It publishes original research articles and reviews on topics like photovoltaics, solar fuels, solar thermal systems, simulation & modeling, testing, reliability, system integration, and manufacturing.

Table of Contents

Submission Process

To submit an article to Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, authors should first read the journal’s Guide for Authors. This guide provides details on how to prepare and submit a manuscript for consideration.

Manuscripts should be submitted electronically via the journal’s online submission system at https://www.editorialmanager.com/solmat/. The submission requirements include:

Cover letter stating the significance of the work

Manuscript file in Word or LaTeX format
Figures and tables embedded within manuscript text
Supplementary material if applicable

Suggested reviewers if desired

Before submitting, authors should ensure their manuscript meets the journal’s formatting and style requirements. Adhering to the guide for authors helps facilitate a smooth review process.

Editorial Review

Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells has a large editorial board consisting of over 65 editors who are experts in various areas related to solar energy and materials science. According to the journal’s Editorial Board page, the editors cover diverse research areas including crystalline silicon solar cells, thin film solar cells, organic photovoltaics, perovskites, nanomaterials, characterization techniques, and more.

The editorial board is comprised of editors from institutions around the world, including universities and research centers in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. This provides geographic diversity and allows the journal to source high-quality research from solar energy hubs worldwide. The interdisciplinary nature of the board also ensures that submissions related to materials science, engineering, physics, and chemistry can be appropriately reviewed.

Overall, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells has assembled an editorial board with broad expertise to handle the review of cutting-edge solar energy research and innovative materials that have potential photovoltaic applications.

Peer Review Process

Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells utilizes a single blind peer review process, where the reviewers know the names and affiliations of the authors, but the authors do not know the names of the reviewers. This allows reviewers to provide an honest critique without fear of retaliation. The journal states that typically 2-3 experts are asked to review each submission.

Reviewers are asked to evaluate the manuscript based on the following criteria: novelty and originality of concept, quality and coherence of presentation, experimental design and methodology, robustness of results, significance to the field, and clarity of writing. Reviewers provide detailed comments along with a recommendation to the editor to accept, reject, or ask the authors for revisions.

Review Time

The average review time for Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells is around 110 days from submission to first decision, according to the journal’s website https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/solar-energy-materials-and-solar-cells. However, other sources suggest the review time may be faster. Academic Accelerator reports the average time for authors to receive the first editorial decision is around 4 days https://academic-accelerator.com/Review-Speed/Solar-Energy-Materials-and-Solar-Cells. The peer review process itself can also vary in duration.

Some factors that can affect review time include the quality of the initial submission, such as how thoroughly it follows author guidelines. More revisions required during the peer review process can extend the time. The availability and responsiveness of reviewers can also cause delays if finding willing reviewers is difficult. The complexity and length of the paper may require more review time as well. Overall, authors can expect the standard peer review process to take 2-6 months for this journal in most cases.

Revision Process

The review process for Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells involves submitting the manuscript, and then receiving feedback and comments from the editorial board and peer reviewers. The journal uses an iterative review process, where the authors have the opportunity to revise and resubmit their manuscript based on the feedback.

According to the Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells Review Speed, it usually takes 1-3 revision rounds during the peer-review process before a final decision is made. When the authors receive the reviewer comments, they are expected to revise their manuscript thoroughly to address all the points raised. The revised version should highlight changes made to the manuscript and include a detailed response to the reviewers explaining how each comment was addressed.

Some key aspects of the revision process include:

Carefully evaluating each reviewer comment and suggestion
Making appropriate changes to the content, analysis, methodology etc. as needed
Clarifying any confusion or misunderstandings highlighted by reviewers

Strengthening the manuscript based on reviewer recommendations
Submitting a detailed response document that explains revisions point-by-point

By thoroughly revising their work and addressing reviewer feedback, authors can improve their chances of ultimately being accepted for publication in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells.

Acceptance Criteria

According to the Journal Acceptance Rate Feedback System database, the latest acceptance rate of Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells is around 76.7% (Source). This means just under 3 out of 4 submissions are accepted for publication after peer review.

There are several factors that can lead to a manuscript being accepted or rejected by the journal:

Relevance to the scope and aims of the journal – The topic and findings must be within the journal’s focus on photovoltaics, solar energy materials, and other related subjects.

Novelty and originality of research – The study should provide new insights or knowledge that advances the field. Incremental research is less likely to be accepted.
Scientific rigor and validity of methodology – The research design, methods, analysis, and interpretation of results should be sound and appropriate.
Clarity and quality of writing – The manuscript should be well-written and adhere to the author guidelines.

Interest to readers – The editors consider if the topic and findings will be of interest to its readership.

Meeting the high standards for scientific quality and contributing meaningfully to the field are key factors leading to acceptance. Studies that are confirmatory, flawed, poorly written or do not offer new knowledge are more likely to be rejected.

Production Process

After a manuscript is accepted by Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, it goes through several production steps before being published online and in print. According to the journal’s website, the typical timeframe from acceptance to online publication is about 8-10 weeks (Source). However, this can vary depending on several factors.

Once accepted, the manuscript files go through copyediting and typesetting. Copyeditors review the text for grammar, clarity, consistency, and formatting. They may suggest changes or query authors regarding unclear passages. After copyediting, the article is typeset and proofs are generated. Authors are asked to check proofs carefully at this stage.

After proofs are approved, the article can be published online as an “Articles in Press” version on ScienceDirect. This means it has completed the peer review process but is still awaiting assignment to a journal issue. Once scheduled for an upcoming issue, the article receives full bibliographic information such as volume, issue, and page numbers.

Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells accepts original full-length articles, reviews, and short communications. According to the author information, regular research articles should be 6,000-8,000 words, while reviews may be up to 10,000 words. Short communications are restricted to 3,000 words and a total of two figures and tables (Source).

Alternatives

Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells is not the only journal that publishes research related to solar energy. Here are some alternatives to consider and how their review processes compare:

The journal Solar Energy published by Elsevier also focuses on solar energy research and applications. According to their guide for authors, they use a single anonymized review process where the editor first assesses suitability before sending for peer review. The reviewer identities are kept confidential.

Another alternative is Solar RRL published by Wiley. Their reviewer guidelines state that they pre-screen papers to ensure quality, relevance, and interest before sending for peer review. The journal aims for a quick turnaround time on initial decisions.

Comparing the review processes, these journals seem to follow a similar single blind peer review method. However, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells may provide more in-depth feedback during their revisions process. The key differentiator is the focus and scope of each journal.

Conclusion

To summarize, the peer review process for Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells is quite rigorous and requires both editorial and expert peer review. This ensures that only high quality, original research is published in this reputable journal. While the review process may seem lengthy, taking around 5-6 months on average, this thoroughness is important for maintaining the integrity of scholarly literature in the solar cell and photovoltaics field. The detailed peer review, revision, and production process aims to publish novel, significant research that advances knowledge in this area. For researchers, it is worth understanding and allowing for the full extent of this review process when considering Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells for disseminating important solar energy research.