Biosystems: review time and acceptance speed

ISSN 0303-2647 · ISSN 1872-8324 · Elsevier BV · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Half of the articles Biosystems accepted in 2025 were accepted within 86 days of submission (n = 187); the middle half took 56–133 days.

Submission → acceptance (2025)
86 days median
middle half 56–133 · n = 187
Acceptance → online
3 days median
middle half 1–9 · n = 188
Change since 2023
No clear change since 2023 (median 83 → 86 days; 90% CI -10 to +16 days).
Open access · fees
Hybrid · ≈$2,870

Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026

Plan submissions to a deadline — free

How long does Biosystems take to accept a paper?

days045901351802020: middle half 46–152 days832020n=1342021: middle half 42–128 days762021n=1312022: middle half 47–155 days892022n=1112023: middle half 44–132 days832023n=1702024: middle half 51–124 days852024n=1502025: middle half 56–133 days862025n=187
Line = median; shaded box = middle half of articles (25th–75th percentile). Year of acceptance.
Days from submission to acceptance, by year of acceptance
YearArticles (n)25th pctMedian75th pct90th pctAccepted <14 daysHave a revised date
202518756861332.1%98%
202415051851242.0%98%
202317044831321.8%96%
202211147891554.5%94%
202113142761283.0%93%
202013446831523.0%99%

Distribution in 2025

0–29 days: 7% (14 articles)030–59 days: 20% (38 articles)3060–89 days: 24% (44 articles)6090–119 days: 17% (32 articles)90120–149 days: 15% (28 articles)120150–179 days: 8% (15 articles)150180–209 days: 5% (9 articles)180210–239 days: 1% (2 articles)210240–269 days: 2% (3 articles)240270–299 days: 0% (0 articles)270300–329 days: 0% (0 articles)300330–359 days: 0% (0 articles)330360+ days: 1% (2 articles)360+days from submission to acceptance (30-day bins)
Show as a table
DaysArticlesShare
0–29147.5%
30–593820.3%
60–894423.5%
90–1193217.1%
120–1492815.0%
150–179158.0%
180–20994.8%
210–23921.1%
240–26931.6%
270–29900.0%
300–32900.0%
330–35900.0%
360+21.1%

From acceptance to online publication

After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 3 days (middle half 1–9 days, n = 188).

From submission to online publication, the median was 93 days (middle half 60–140 days, n = 187).

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

Hybrid (subscription journal with an open-access option). Listed APC: about $2,870 (as reported by OpenAlex).

OpenAPC has fewer than 5 reported payments for this journal in 2023–2025, so no typical amount is shown.

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 DOAJNo
Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025Yes
Retractions0 retracted articles among 748 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database.
Accepted within 14 days of submission2.1% of 2025 articles
Publication volume186 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+18% vs 2024).

Topics and scope

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology journalsMolecular Biology 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 Biosystems, 86 days.

Paid APC medianDOAJMEDLINE
Journal of Theoretical Biology173 (2025, n = 178)≈$2,550NoYes
PLoS Computational Biology201 (2025, n = 798)$3,165$2,973 (179 payments)YesYes
Bulletin of Mathematical Biology162 (2025, n = 174)≈$3,090NoYes
Mathematical Biosciences160 (2025, n = 139)≈$2,660NoYes
Molecular Systems Biology168 (2025, n = 99)$8,270$7,757 (14 payments)YesYes
IET Systems Biology70 (2025, n = 56)$2,400YesYes
Cell Systems312 (2025, n = 138)≈$9,350NoYes

Frequently asked questions

How long does Biosystems take to accept a paper?

Half of the articles Biosystems accepted in 2025 were accepted within 86 days of submission (n = 187); the middle half took 56–133 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.

How long after acceptance are Biosystems articles published online?

Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 3 days of acceptance (n = 188).

Does Biosystems charge an article processing charge (APC)?

Listed APC: about $2,870 (as reported by OpenAlex).

Sources and method

Journal identity: ISSN-L 0303-2647; NLM ID 0430773; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 187 articles accepted in 2025 with valid dates; excluded records for that year: same day non research 1.

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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.