At IOP Publishing, we’re committed to making research easier to publish, read, and share. Starting with the 2026 volumes, we’re introducing a few updates to our journal schedules and PDF formats to better support digital publishing and improve efficiency.
Here’s what’s changing:
Simplified Journal Schedules
We’re aligning journal issue schedules with their cover dates, moving away from older print-based models. This means:
- Quarterly journals will follow a consistent March, June, September, December schedule. For example, Issue 1 (2026) will include articles published between 1 January and 31 March.
- Bimonthly journals will shift to a February, April, June, August, October, December schedule.
We’re also increasing the number of issues for some journals to keep article volumes per issue manageable and easier to navigate online.
A More Modern PDF Format
Some journals still use PDF layouts designed for print. We’re updating these to a single-column format, optimised for online reading and already used by titles like Materials Research Express.
This change will:
- Improve readability on screens
- Support better accessibility for all users
- Modernise the overall look and feel of our publications
Looking Ahead
These updates are part of our ongoing efforts to ensure our journals meet the evolving needs of the research community. Whether you’re submitting, reading or sharing work, we hope these changes make the process smoother, more intuitive, and more impactful.
Liz Martin, Head of Content & Production and Sustainability Lead