Biology: review time and acceptance speed
ISSN 2079-7737 · Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute · Multidisciplinary
Half of the articles Biology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 37 days of submission (n = 1,833); the middle half took 29–49 days.
Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026
How long does Biology take to accept a paper?
| Year | Articles (n) | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Accepted <14 days | Have a revised date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,833 | 29 | 37 | 49 | 63 | 0.7% | 100% |
| 2024 | 1,084 | 27 | 35 | 45 | 61 | 1.0% | 99% |
| 2023 | 1,439 | 30 | 39 | 54 | 72 | 0.8% | 99% |
| 2022 | 1,831 | 27 | 36 | 47 | 62 | 1.3% | 99% |
| 2021 | 1,394 | 24 | 32 | 43 | 57 | 1.9% | 97% |
| 2020 | 503 | 25 | 33 | 43 | 55 | 2.6% | 97% |
- 2026: not shown yet — a year is reported once late-indexed articles have arrived (at least 180 days after it ends).
Research articles vs reviews (2025)
| Type | n | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research articles | 1,519 | 29 | 37 | 49 |
| Reviews | 312 | 29 | 37 | 49 |
Distribution in 2025
Show as a table
| Days | Articles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–29 | 477 | 26.0% |
| 30–59 | 1,129 | 61.6% |
| 60–89 | 182 | 9.9% |
| 90–119 | 28 | 1.5% |
| 120–149 | 7 | 0.4% |
| 150–179 | 7 | 0.4% |
| 180–209 | 1 | 0.1% |
| 210–239 | 1 | 0.1% |
| 240–269 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 270–299 | 1 | 0.1% |
| 300–329 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 330–359 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 360+ | 0 | 0.0% |
From acceptance to online publication
After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 3 days (middle half 2–5 days, n = 1,833).
From submission to online publication, the median was 41 days (middle half 33–54 days, n = 1,833).
Read these numbers carefully
- These times describe articles the journal accepted. Rejected manuscripts never appear in public data, so they cannot tell you how long a rejection takes.
- Dates are the ones the publisher deposited with PubMed. Some publishers record the date a revised manuscript arrived as the submission date, which makes review look faster.
- Invited articles and special issues can move faster than regular submissions.
Open access status and publishing fees
Open access (listed in DOAJ). Listed APC: 2,700 CHF (about $3,300 at ECB rates of Sep 15, 2026; DOAJ).
Institutions reported paying a median of about $2,355 per article (2023–2025, 43 reported payments in OpenAPC; converted from euros at yearly ECB average rates).
Many journals waive or reduce fees for authors from eligible countries or institutions with publishing agreements — check with the journal and your library.
Integrity and indexing signals
Facts from public records, shown without judgement. See the methodology for why each can be worth a closer look.
| Listed in DOAJ | Yes (DOAJ record) |
|---|---|
| Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025 | None found (the journal may be in PubMed through PubMed Central instead) |
| Retractions | 6 retracted articles among 7,498 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.80 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database. |
| Accepted within 14 days of submission | 0.7% of 2025 articles |
| Publication volume | 1,901 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+103% vs 2024). |
Topics and scope
- Aquaculture disease management and microbiota (7% of indexed topics)
- Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth (6% of indexed topics)
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies (5% of indexed topics)
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology (5% of indexed topics)
- Species Distribution and Climate Change (5% of indexed topics)
- Gut microbiota and health (5% of indexed topics)
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology journalsAgricultural and Biological Sciences journals
Similar journals — faster or cheaper, side by side
Journals publishing on the most similar topics (OpenAlex), ordered by similarity. Only 2025 figures are compared with the 2025 median of Biology, 37 days.
| Paid APC median | DOAJ | MEDLINE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Life Sciences | 134 (2025, n = 197) | ≈$2,423 | — | Yes | No |
| Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part D Genomics and Proteomics | 77 (2025, n = 287) | ≈$3,360 | — | No | Yes |
| Marine Biotechnology | 70 (2025, n = 155) | ≈$3,790 | — | No | Yes |
| PeerJ | 141 (2025, n = 1,910) | $1,995 | $1,721 (87 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| Fish Physiology and Biochemistry | 137 (2025, n = 181) | ≈$2,590 | — | No | Yes |
| Ecology and Evolution | 133 (2025, n = 1,999) | $2,700 | $2,015 (82 payments) | Yes | No |
| Fish & Shellfish Immunology | 79 (2025, n = 717) | ≈$4,330 | — | No | Yes |
| Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | 99 (2025, n = 83) | ≈$3,080 | — | No | Yes |
| Aquaculture Nutrition | 124 (2025, n = 155) | $2,580 | — | Yes | No |
No journals match these filters.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Biology take to accept a paper?
Half of the articles Biology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 37 days of submission (n = 1,833); the middle half took 29–49 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.
How long after acceptance are Biology articles published online?
Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 3 days of acceptance (n = 1,833).
Does Biology charge an article processing charge (APC)?
Listed APC: 2,700 CHF (about $3,300 at ECB rates of Sep 15, 2026; DOAJ).
Sources and method
Journal identity: ISSN-L 2079-7737; NLM ID 101587988; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 1,833 articles accepted in 2025 with valid dates; excluded records for that year: none.
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Data sources. Submission, acceptance and publication dates: Courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed, entries through Sep 15, 2026). NLM does not endorse Journal Clock, and these figures may not reflect the most current PubMed data. Journal fees and open-access listing: DOAJ (CC0, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Fees paid by institutions: OpenAPC (Open Database License, retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Retractions: Retraction Watch Database via Crossref (retrieved Sep 16, 2026). Journal identifiers and topics: OpenAlex (CC0). Currency conversion: ECB reference rates (Sep 15, 2026). How these numbers are calculated · For organisations.