Announcements

Our portfolio of journals available for publishing up-to-date research in immediate open access format has been further expanded. In June 2026, eleven new journals released their inaugural issues and two transferred journals released their first issue as part of MDPI, covering the subjects of environmental & earth sciences, chemistry & materials science, public health & healthcare, engineering, medicine & pharmacology, and biology & life sciences. 

We extend our gratitude to the Editors-in-Chief, Associate Editors, and Editorial Board Members who will shape the future course of these new journals. Each journal is dedicated to upholding strong editorial standards through a thorough peer review process, enabling impactful open access scholarship. 

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below. 

We would like to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. If you would like to create a new journal, you are welcome to send an application here or contact the New Journal Committee (newjournal-committee@mdpi.com).

Peer review is the invisible foundation of academic progress. The 2025 MDPI Top Reviewers are some of the key experts who helped build it.

We are honored to recognize 1000 individuals from our global community of 210,000 reviewers across 67 countries and territories—chosen for their commitment to rigorous, constructive peer review and the consistency of their contributions throughout 2025.

The Top Reviewers provided constructive and impartial feedback that makes research stronger and more impactful, and we are grateful for it.

The names of these reviewers are listed below in alphabetical order by first name:

(Note: we respected all privacy preferences, with part of nominees opting for limited attribution.)

Conference: Symmetry 2027—The 6th International Conference on Symmetry
Date: 25–28 June 2027
Location: Shanghai, China

We invite you to submit your abstract and participate in the upcoming Symmetry 2027 - The 6th International Conference on Symmetry, organized by MDPI Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994, IF: 2.2). The conference will be held from 25 to 28 June 2027 in Shanghai, China.

We invite you to join us in Shanghai for what promises to be an enriching exchange of ideas and knowledge. Together, let us continue to unravel the mysteries of symmetry and its profound impact on our understanding of the natural world.

Event Chairs:

• Prof. Dr. Chengping Shen (Fudan University, China);
• Prof. Dr. Jie Yang (Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China);
• Prof. Dr. Sergei Odintsov (Institute of Space Sciences (IEEC-CSIC), Spain).

Topics of interest:

S1. Particle Physics and Nuclear Physics;
S2. Theoretical and Mathematical Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology;
S3. Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Interdisciplinary Applications;
S4. General Topics in Symmetry.

Important Dates

Deadline for abstract submission: 26 February 2027;
Abstract acceptance notification: 25 March 2027;
Deadline for Early Bird registration: 17 April 2027;
Deadline for covering author registration: 24 April 2027.

Guide for authors:

To submit your abstract, please click the following link: .

To register for the event, please click the following link: .

For details regarding abstract submission, poster and slide submission, and publication opportunities, please refer to the “Instructions for Authors” section: https://sciforum.net/event/symmetry2027?section=#instructions.

For more information, please click to the following link: https://sciforum.net/event/symmetry2027.

For any inquiries regarding the event, please contact icsymmetry@mdpi.com.

Please feel free to share information about this conference with your colleagues and students. We look forward to receiving your submissions and learning about your research at Symmetry 2027!

Conference:  SigmaPhi 2026
Organization: European Physical Society
Date: 6–10 July 2026
Place: Kolymvari Chania, Crete, Greece

The conference covers the full spectrum of Statistical Physics through four major themes: Foundations and Theoretical Aspects, Applications to Physical Systems, Applications to Non-Physical Systems and Statistical Mechanics and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Topics include mathematical aspects and methods, formalism, rigorous results, exact solutions, connections with the methods of high energy physics, string theory, black-hole entropy, cosmological theories, quantum systems, soft condensed matter, liquid crystals, plasmas, fluids, surfaces and interfaces, disordered and glassy systems, percolation, spin glasses, structural glasses, applied networks, biophysics, genomics, environments, climate and earth models, artificial neural networks using physics principles, neural networks as spin systems, Hopfield models, Boltzmann machines and machine learning.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Entropy;
• Plasma;
• Fluids;
• International Journal of Topology (IJT);
• Surfaces;
• AppliedMath;
• Condensed Matter;
• Particles;
• Modern Mathematical Physics;
• Atoms;
• Symmetry;
• Fractal Fractional;
• Quantum Reports;
• Physics;
• Complexities;
• Dynamics;
• Magnetism;
• Foundations;
• Mathematics;
• Axioms.

If you attend this conference, please feel free to visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.

Every year on 30 June, International Asteroid Day brings together scientists, educators, policymakers, and the public to raise awareness about asteroids and their significance to our understanding of the Universe. The day commemorates the 1908 Tunguska event, when a powerful asteroid-related explosion flattened millions of trees across Siberia, highlighting the importance of studying near-Earth objects.

From revealing clues about the origins of our Solar System to supporting planetary defence efforts, asteroid research continues to unlock new scientific discoveries and address important global challenges. Advances in observation technologies, space missions, and computational modelling are helping researchers better understand these ancient celestial bodies and their potential impact on Earth.

To celebrate International Asteroid Day, we have curated a selection of articles showcasing the latest research and discoveries in asteroid science, planetary exploration, and space technologies. We invite you to explore these contributions and join the global conversation about our place in the cosmos.

“Cometary Dynamics—Formation and Evolution of the Oort Cloud”
by Hans Rickman
Astronomy 2026, 5(2), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/astronomy5020008

“On the Particular Dynamics of Rubble-Pile Asteroid Rotation Following Projectile Impact on the Surface During Planetary Approach”
by Sergey Ershkov
Mathematics 2025, 13(21), 3412; https://doi.org/10.3390/math13213412

“On the Dynamics of a Synchronous Binary Asteroid System with Non-Uniform Mass Distribution”
By Leandro Forne Brejão, Antonio F. Bertachini de Almeida Prado, Diogo Merguizo Sanchez and Jean P. dos Santos Carvalho
Mathematics 2025, 13(16), 2667; https://doi.org/10.3390/math13162667

“Overview of Water-Ice in Asteroids—Targets of a Revolution by LSST and JWST”
by Ákos Kereszturi, Mohamed Ramy El-Maarry, Anny-Chantal Levasseur-Regourd, Imre Tóth, Bernadett D. Pál and Csaba Kiss
Universe 2025, 11(8), 253; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe11080253

“Technical Challenges and Ethical, Legal and Social Issues (ELSI) for Asteroid Mining and Planetary Defense”
by Evie Kendal, Tony Milligan and Martin Elvis
Aerospace 2025, 12(6), 544; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12060544

“Equilibrium Points and Periodic Orbits in the Circular Restricted Synchronous Three-Body Problem with Radiation and Mass Dipole Effects: Application to Asteroid 2001SN₂₆₃”
by Aguda Ekele Vincent, Jagadish Singh, George A. Tsirogiannis and Vassilis S. Kalantonis
Mathematics 2025, 13(7), 1150; https://doi.org/10.3390/math13071150

“Studying the Properties of Spacetime with an Improved Dynamical Model of the Inner Solar System”
by Dmitry Pavlov and Ivan Dolgakov
Universe 2024, 10(11), 413; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe10110413

“Experimental and Numerical Simulation of Ejecta Size and Velocity of Hypervelocity Impact Rubble-Pile Asteroid”
by Wenjin Liu, Qingming Zhang, Renrong Long, Jiankang Ren, Juncheng Li, Zizheng Gong, Qiang Wu and Siyuan Ren
Aerospace 2024, 11(8), 621; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11080621

“Trajectory Design of Potentially Hazardous Asteroid Exploration with Reusable Probes from Cislunar Space”
by Chao Peng, Renyong Zhang^, and Yang Gao
Aerospace 2024, 11(7), 546; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11070546

“Chemistry in Retrieved Ryugu Asteroid Samples Revealed by Non-Invasive X-ray Microanalyses: Pink-Beam Fluorescence CT and Tender-Energy Absorption Spectroscopy”
by Paul Northrup, Ryan Tappero, Timothy D. Glotch, George J. Flynn, Mehmet Yesiltas, Yoko Kebukawa, Leonard Flores, Marina E. Gemma and Gavin Piccione
Geosciences 2024, 14(4), 111; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences14040111

“Worlds of the Solar System: Geological Evolution and Habitability of Planets and Moons” Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Alberto G. Fairén Submission deadline: 31 August 2026	“Spacecraft Orbit Transfers (2nd Edition)” Guest Editor: Dr. Zhenbo Wang Submission deadline: 31 December 2026

Impact Factors measure how often articles in scientific journals are cited—specifically, the average number of citations received in a given year by articles published in that journal over the previous two years, as tracked in the Web of Science. For researchers, the number answers a practical question: how often is work published in this journal being picked up and built upon?

The metric is assigned to the journal as a whole, not to individual articles. A high Impact Factor tells you something useful about a journal's place in its field; it tells you less about any single paper within it.

For a complementary, article-level view, MDPI lists an Altmetric score on each article page. Where the Impact Factor tracks academic citations, the Altmetric score captures broader online attention: how an article is being shared, discussed, and referenced beyond the journal literature. Together, they offer two different ways of asking the same question: is this research reaching people?

With 2025 CiteScores from Scopus published a few weeks ago, Clarivate has now released this year's Journal Impact Factors in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR).

254 MDPI Journals Saw a Rise in Impact Factor

This year's JCR include 330 MDPI journals across a wide range of disciplines. Of these, 231 journals are placed in the top 50% (Q1 or Q2) of their respective subject categories, a result that spans fields as different as materials science, public health, environmental studies, and mathematics. 78 journals hold a top-quartile position (Q1), and 33 journals have a JIF of 5.0 or above.

• 330 journals earned a Journal Impact Factor (JIF)
• 29 journals earned a first JIF
• 254 journals had an increase in JIF
• 71% of ranked journals are in Q1 or Q2

For the full metrics on any MDPI journal, visit our Web of Science journals overview page or a journal's individual statistics page.

29 MDPI Journals Received Their First Journal Impact Factor

A first Impact Factor is a confirmation for an emerging journal. It marks the point at which a journal has been publishing long enough, and cited broadly enough, to enter the formal record of scientific influence. For the research communities those journals serve, it signals that the work being published is being read and built upon.

This year, 29 MDPI journals received a Journal Impact Factor for the first time, across a range of emerging and established research areas. Each represents years of editorial development and peer review—recognized in 2026 for the first time in the JCR.

This is also part of a longer shift in how science gets indexed. When the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) launched in 2016, 24 MDPI journals were included. By 2024 that number had grown to over 200, reflecting a broader change in the visibility of open access publishing within major citation tracking systems, not just at MDPI but across the sector.

Open Access with Impact

MDPI journals have received a total of 25.2 million citations in Web of Science. That figure matters less as a measure of MDPI's reach and more as a measure of what happens when research is freely available: it gets found, read, and used. Open access is only meaningful if the work actually travels and citations are one indicator that it does.

More than 4.6 million authors have published with MDPI. That breadth, across disciplines, institutions, and geographies, is what makes open access at this scale worth doing.

Thank You to the MDPI Scholarly Community

These results belong to the people who do the actual work: the Editors-in-Chief who set the standards, the Editorial Board Members and reviewers who hold them, and the authors who choose open access for their research. The numbers in the Journal Citation Reports are the downstream effect of decisions made at the desk, in the review, and at submission. Thank you for making them.

Data: 2025 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports™ (Clarivate, 2026)

Conference: Analysis, Topology and Applications 2026 (ATA2026)
Date: 1–4 July 2026
Location: Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia

MDPI will be attending Analysis, Topology and Applications 2026 as an exhibitor. We welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

This conference will be held from 1 to 4 July 2026, at the Gimnasium Hall in Vrnjačka Banja, Serbia. It welcomes contributions on all topics pertaining to analysis, topology, and their applications, along with other subjects aligned with these main themes. The event is co-organized by several Serbian academic institutions and supported by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Axioms;
• International Journal of Topology;
• AppliedMath;
• Mathematics;
• Analytics;
• Geometry.

If you are planning to attend this conference, please do not hesitate to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about this conference, please visit the following website: https://ftn.kg.ac.rs/konferencije/ATA2026/index.php.

Conference: 2026 IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory (ISIT 2026)
Date: 28 June–3 July 2026
Location: Guangzhou, China

MDPI will be attending the 2026 IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory as an exhibitor. We welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

ISIT is the flagship annual conference of the IEEE Information Theory Society. It covers all classical areas of information theory, including Shannon Theory, Coding Theory and Techniques, Information Security, Signal Detection and Estimation, and related fields. The symposium also strongly encourages frontier cross-disciplinary research that integrates information theory with areas such as Bioinformatics, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, DNA Storage, and Quantum Information. Pilot workshops on selected emerging topics aim to attract new talents to the community.

The primary audience includes researchers, academics, engineers, and students in information theory, communications, signal processing, computer science, and related interdisciplinary fields. It serves as a key gathering for both established experts and emerging scholars, including a significant number of graduate students (often over 300 in recent years). Industry practitioners and R&D professionals interested in the mathematical foundations of information technology also participate actively in this event.

The IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory traces its roots to the first Information Theory meeting held in London in 1950, where Claude Shannon—whose seminal 1948 paper founded the field—was a major participant. It evolved into the flagship event of the IEEE Information Theory Society and has been held annually since the early 2000s (with earlier sporadic editions).

Key traditions include the prestigious Shannon Lecture delivered by the recipient of the Claude E. Shannon Award, daily plenary talks, tutorials, and vibrant social events that foster community and collaboration. ISIT 2026 in Guangzhou represents a historic milestone as the first ISIT held in Mainland China.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Entropy;
• Information;
• Electronics;
• Future Internet;
• Network;
• Big Data and Cognitive Computing;
• Mathematics;
• Cryptography;
• Data;
• IoT.

If you are planning to attend this conference, please do not hesitate to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://2026.ieee-isit.org.

MDPI will participate in the upcoming 4th Joint Conference on Statistics and Data Science, which will be held from 11 to 13 July 2026 in Guiyang, China.

Since its inception, the Joint Conference on Statistics and Data Science has successfully held three sessions. From its inaugural meeting in Beijing to the in-depth discussions in Kunming, and then to the dynamic development in Hangzhou, each edition has reflected the rapid progress of statistics and data science, as well as the dedication and insight of countless colleagues in the field.

This conference will explore the latest research trends in statistics and data science, share cutting-edge theories and practical applications, foster an innovative academic environment, and promote vibrant intellectual exchange to jointly address complex and evolving scientific and technological challenges. The program will feature plenary lectures, invited talks, and contributed presentations, along with a variety of additional activities, showcasing new ideas, technologies, and developments in statistics and data science from multiple perspectives.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Mathematics;
• AppliedMath;
• Axioms;
• Analytics;
• Data;
• Fractal Fract;
• Stats.

If you are planning to attend the above conference, we warmly invite you to visit our booth and engage with our representatives. We look forward to meeting you in person and assisting with any questions or queries that you may have. For more details about the conference, please visit the official website.