This new partnership expands global digital access to this well-established journal, while implementing enhanced map-centric functionality and maintaining its high editorial standards

November 10, 2026 – Elsevier, a global leader in advanced information and analytics, is pleased to announce a new publishing partnership with the Journal of Maps. In addition to being hosted on Elsevier’s industry-leading online platform of peer-reviewed full text literature, ScienceDirect, beginning January 1, 2027, content will also be published on a new dedicated journal site built specifically for optimal presentation of map-centric content. Continuing as a gold open access digital publication, all articles will be immediately and permanently free to view, read, and download.

The Journal of Maps will continue under the leadership of founding Editor-in-Chief Mike Smith, PhD, CGeog (GIS), Royal Geographical Society and Ulster University, UK. Launched in 2005, the journal has solidified its prominent position in the field of geography, providing a robust forum for academics to present the geospatial products of their research. In addition to support from an eminent international Editorial Board and a team of experienced Cartographic Editors, Dr. Smith is joined by two Executive Editors: Nigel Walford, PhD, Kingston University, UK (SHAPE) and Jasper Knight, PhD, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa (Science).

“The Journal of Maps is unique in presenting, promoting, and celebrating the power of maps and mapping within a broad swath of diverse research communities. What is remarkable about maps (and the underlying cartography) is that they combine the science of presentation with the art of communication. There are a critical logic and a set of rules and constraints in the design and development of the map that sit alongside the communication of the underlying message—they are able to deliver insight and interpretation, allowing the reader to develop a deeper understanding of the subject,” comments Dr. Smith. “The academic communities we represent have an underlying affinity with spatial data and the presentation, in map form, of pioneering research. Our partnership with Elsevier will allow us to fully present the richness of the maps published and reach new communities that are inherently spatial and can benefit from presenting their work.”

The move to Elsevier supports the journal’s next phase of growth including expanded scale, wider global availability, particularly in North America and Asia, and an enhanced submission system. The journal will benefit from Elsevier’s data-driven insights to guide its future development and sophisticated research integrity monitoring tools. Maps will now appear as part of the main article rather than as supplemental material, and the journal will also develop the Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for People and the Economy (SHAPE) section, featuring maps with a social science focus.

Joe d’Angelo, Publishing Director, Elsevier, elaborates, “We are delighted to welcome the Journal of Maps to Elsevier. The journal has a strong reputation and a genuinely unique place within academic discourse. It is underpinned by serious scholarship but can also pique the interest of more casual observers through the beautiful cartography presented in its articles. The journal treats the map as the research output itself, and our platforms will put the maps at the center of how each article is presented. We share the ambitions of the journal and look forward to working with the editors to develop it into new subject areas and to reach more researchers who work with spatial data.”

Availability
As of early November 2026 the Journal of Maps began receiving submissions via Editorial Manager®, Content will be available on ScienceDirect and the new dedicated journal site by January 1, 2027, beginning with volume 23, publishing one issue per year.

The Journal of Maps is covered in important abstracting and indexing services including Science Citation Index Expanded (current Journal Impact Factor 2.1*) and Scopus (current CiteScore 4.0**).

*2025 Impact Factor from Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate, 2026)
**2025 CiteScore from Scopus (Elsevier, 2026)