EJSS aims to advance soil science by publishing rigorous original research that improves understanding of soil processes, functions, management and interactions with plants, water, climate and the environment. The journal welcomes experimental, observational, analytical, modelling and interdisciplinary studies that offer clear scientific novelty and relevance beyond a narrowly local description.

Submissions should demonstrate a well-defined research question, appropriate experimental or sampling design, transparent and reproducible methods, valid statistical analysis, and conclusions supported by the reported evidence. 

Areas within scope

• Soil physics and mechanics
• Soil chemistry and mineralogy
• Soil biology, microbiology and biochemistry
• Soil fertility and plant nutrition
• Fertilisers, amendments and nutrient management
• Soil health, quality and ecosystem functions
• Soil erosion and conservation
• Soil degradation, salinity, sodicity and reclamation
• Soil genesis, classification, survey and mapping
• Soil hydrology and soil–water relations
• Soil pollution, remediation and environmental risk
• Soil management and sustainable land use
• Soil micromorphology
• Remote sensing, geographic information systems and digital soil mapping
• Spatial analysis, geostatistics, modelling and data-driven approaches in soil science
• Soil–plant interactions relevant to soil processes or nutrient dynamics

Out of scope or normally unsuitable

Manuscripts may be declined without external review when they:

• fall outside soil science or lack a substantive soil-related research question;
• report routine measurements, simple inventories or purely local case descriptions without sufficient novelty or broader scientific interpretation;
• present fertiliser or plant responses without adequate soil characterisation or soil-process interpretation;
• lack appropriate replication, controls, statistical analysis or methodological detail;
• consist primarily of a literature summary rather than original research;
• make claims that are not supported by the design, data or analysis;
• are fragmented reports from a larger study without a coherent independent contribution; or
• do not meet minimum standards of English, organisation, ethics or reporting.

EJSS does not currently consider unsolicited review articles or short communications. Any commissioned content is handled by prior editorial invitation and remains subject to editorial assessment.