International Journal of Legal Medicine

International Journal of Legal Medicine (standard abbreviation Int. J. Leg. Med.) is a peer-reviewed forensic medicine journal published by Springer Nature, with print ISSN 0937-9827 and electronic ISSN 1437-1596. It is published on a hybrid open-access model and reached volume 140 in 2026. The journal is the official publication of the International Academy of Legal Medicine and had a 2025 impact factor of 2.6.International Journal of Legal Medicine（标准缩写 Int. J. Leg. Med.）是由施普林格（Springer Nature）出版的法医学领域同行评审期刊，纸本刊号 0937-9827，电子刊号 1437-1596，采用混合开放获取模式，2026 年为第 140 卷。该刊是国际法医学学会（International Academy of Legal Medicine）的官方刊物，2025 年影响因子为 2.6^[1]

Scope

According to the aims and scope published by the publisher, the journal works to improve the scientific resources used in the elucidation of crime and related forensic applications so that conclusions reach a high standard of evidential proof. It addresses forensic practitioners, judges, prosecutors, police and DNA laboratories, with a median submission-to-first-decision time of 9 days.据出版方公布的收录说明，该刊致力于改进破案与法庭应用所需的科学手段，使结论能够达到高标准的证据要求，面向法医、法官、检察官、警察与从事 DNA 分析的实验室人员；投稿至首次决定的中位时长为 9 天

• Forensic pathology: sudden death, thanatology and the demonstration of vital reactions.法医病理学：涵盖突然死亡、死亡学以及生活反应的证明等议题。
• Clinical forensic pathology: topics such as non-accidental injury and rape.临床法医学：涵盖非意外伤害与强奸等性暴力案件相关的临床鉴定问题。
• Forensic haemogenetics: with special emphasis on recent advances in DNA technology and PCR.法医血液遗传学：重点关注 DNA 技术与聚合酶链式反应的最新进展。
• Forensic toxicology: as it relates for example to alcohol and drug addiction, and recent technology.法医毒理学：关注与酒精及药物成瘾等相关的毒理学问题及其新技术。
• Traffic medicine: with special reference to reconstruction, causal connections and medical complications.交通医学：特别关注事故重建、因果关系认定与由此产生的医学并发症。

Article types include reviews, original articles, case reports, population data and letters to the editors, together with a technical notes section originally created for the rapid publication of data in the dynamic field of DNA analysis. All articles undergo peer review, and readers have an open-access option alongside the subscription model.刊物设有综述论文、原创论文、案例报告与人口统计数据等体裁，并设有一个技术札记栏目，最初即为快速刊载 DNA 分析领域的新数据而设立；所有论文均经同行评审，读者可在订阅之外选择以开放获取方式发表

History

• 1922: the journal was founded in Germany as Deutsche Zeitschrift für die gesamte gerichtliche Medizin, opening with volume 1 issue 1, and was interrupted between 1944 and 1948.1922年：该刊在德国创刊，初名 Deutsche Zeitschrift für die gesamte gerichtliche Medizin，创刊时为第 1 卷第 1 期，1944 年至 1948 年间一度停刊
• 1922 to 1969: it appeared under its German title up to volume 66 as the organ of the German Society for Forensic and Social Medicine until 1968, and of the German Society of Legal Medicine from 1969.1922年至1969年：以德文刊名发行至第 66 卷，至 1968 年为德国法医学与社会医学学会的机关刊物，1969 年起成为德国法医学学会的机关刊物
• 1970 to 1990: the journal appeared as Zeitschrift für Rechtsmedizin from volume 67 to volume 103 under print ISSN 0044-3433.1970年至1990年：改用刊名 Zeitschrift für Rechtsmedizin，自第 67 卷发行至第 103 卷，纸本刊号为 0044-3433
• 1990 to present: from volume 104 the journal has appeared under its present title International Journal of Legal Medicine in English with print ISSN 0937-9827, and since 1999 it has been the official journal of the International Academy of Legal Medicine.1990年至今：自第 104 卷起改用现名 International Journal of Legal Medicine 并转为英文发行，纸本刊号改为 0937-9827；自 1999 年起成为国际法医学学会的官方刊物
• Recent years: the editorship changed hands, with Professor Heidi Pfeiffer leading the board from 2009 until stepping down at the end of 2023 and Professor Tony Fracasso succeeding her. The journal keeps to six issues a year, reaching issue 5 of volume 140 in 2026, and recorded a 2025 impact factor of 2.6 with a five-year impact factor of 2.6.近年：主编职位完成更替，Heidi Pfeiffer 教授自 2009 年主持编务并于 2023 年底卸任，Tony Fracasso 教授接任；期刊维持每年六期的出版节奏，2026 年发行至第 5 期，2025 年影响因子为 2.6，五年期影响因子同为 2.6

Editors

The journal is led by two Editors-in-Chief working in partnership, with associate editors appointed for individual sections of legal medicine. It is published in association with the International Academy of Legal Medicine, and manuscripts are accepted after peer review on the Editors-in-Chief's decision.该刊设两位执行主编共同负责，另按法医学各分支设分区副主编；合编机构为国际法医学学会，稿件经同行评审后由主编决定录用

• Editors-in-Chief: the current Editors-in-Chief are Tony Fracasso and Professor Andreas Schmeling, both based at the University Hospital of Münster in Germany. Professor Schmeling has led the editorial board since 2009, and Professor Fracasso succeeded the retiring Professor Heidi Pfeiffer at the end of 2023.执行主编：现任执行主编为 Tony Fracasso 与 Andreas Schmeling 教授，两人均任职于明斯特大学医院（University Hospital of Münster，德国），Schmeling 自 2009 年起主持该刊编务，Fracasso 于 2023 年底接替卸任的 Heidi Pfeiffer 教授
• Section editors: reflecting the growing specialisation of legal medicine the board uses section editors, with Professor Jens Amendt for entomology, Professor Volker Auwärter for toxicology, Professor Eugenia Cunha for anthropology and Professor Sabine Lutz-Bonengel for genetics.分区副主编：因应法医学内部专业分工，编务设分区副主编，昆虫学由 Jens Amendt 教授担任，毒理学由 Volker Auwärter 教授担任，法医人类学由 Eugenia Cunha 教授担任，遗传学由 Sabine Lutz-Bonengel 教授担任
• Board composition: board and advisory board members come from Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Australia and China, covering forensic pathology, forensic genetics, toxicology, anthropology and traffic medicine.编委国际分布：编委与顾问委员会成员来自德国、瑞士、意大利、法国、英国、美国、日本、澳大利亚与中国等地，涵盖法医病理学、法医遗传学、法医毒理学、法医人类学与交通医学等分支
• Complete roster: the full list of current Editors-in-Chief, section editors and board members with their affiliations is given on the journal's editorial board page.完整名单：现任执行主编、副主编、编委与顾问委员会成员的完整名单及其所属机构，以期刊官网的编辑页面为准^[2]