BMC Neurology: review time and acceptance speed

ISSN 1471-2377 · BioMed Central · Medicine

Half of the articles BMC Neurology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 128 days of submission (n = 588); the middle half took 85–257 days.

Submission → acceptance (2025)
128 days median
middle half 85–257 · n = 588
Acceptance → online
22 days median
middle half 13–35 · n = 588
Change since 2023
Faster than 2023: the median fell from 155 to 128 days (90% CI -38 to -16 days).
Open access · fees
Open access (DOAJ) · $3,190

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 BMC Neurology take to accept a paper?

days0751502253002020: middle half 89–204 days1342020n=4382021: middle half 91–199 days1362021n=4992022: middle half 102–229 days1582022n=4802023: middle half 102–212 days1552023n=4492024: middle half 90–204 days1422024n=4782025: middle half 85–257 days1282025n=588
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
2025588851282573800.0%0%
2024478901422042891.1%0%
20234491021552122770.9%0%
20224801021582293250.2%1%
2021499911361992710.0%0%
2020438891342042790.0%0%

Research articles vs reviews (2025)

Typen25th pctMedian75th pct
Research articles38687144298
Reviews8780119181

Distribution in 2025

0–29 days: 0% (2 articles)030–59 days: 7% (42 articles)3060–89 days: 20% (118 articles)6090–119 days: 16% (97 articles)90120–149 days: 13% (79 articles)120150–179 days: 8% (47 articles)150180–209 days: 4% (24 articles)180210–239 days: 4% (21 articles)210240–269 days: 4% (22 articles)240270–299 days: 3% (19 articles)270300–329 days: 4% (26 articles)300330–359 days: 3% (15 articles)330360+ days: 13% (76 articles)360+days from submission to acceptance (30-day bins)
Show as a table
DaysArticlesShare
0–2920.3%
30–59427.1%
60–8911820.1%
90–1199716.5%
120–1497913.4%
150–179478.0%
180–209244.1%
210–239213.6%
240–269223.7%
270–299193.2%
300–329264.4%
330–359152.6%
360+7612.9%

From acceptance to online publication

After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 22 days (middle half 13–35 days, n = 588).

From submission to online publication, the median was 161 days (middle half 114–293 days, n = 588).

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: $3,190 (DOAJ).

Institutions reported paying a median of about $2,646 per article (2023–2025, 8 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 DOAJYes (DOAJ record)
Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025Yes
Retractions0 retracted articles among 2,469 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database.
Accepted within 14 days of submission0.0% of 2025 articles
Publication volume568 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+17% vs 2024).

Topics and scope

Medicine journalsNeurology 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 BMC Neurology, 128 days.

Paid APC medianDOAJMEDLINE
BMJ Neurology Open92 (2025, n = 113)≈$3,223$2,294 (6 payments)YesNo
Neurology International42 (2025, n = 206)≈$1,956$1,900 (5 payments)YesNo
Neurological Research and Practice78 (2025, n = 80)$2,290YesNo
European Journal of Neurology113 (2025, n = 363)$3,960$3,532 (10 payments)YesYes
Frontiers in Neurology88 (2025, n = 2,482)≈$3,850$3,499 (182 payments)YesNo
The Lancet Neurology68 (2025, n = 142)≈$7,280NoYes
Neuroepidemiology78 (2025, n = 101)NoYes

Frequently asked questions

How long does BMC Neurology take to accept a paper?

Half of the articles BMC Neurology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 128 days of submission (n = 588); the middle half took 85–257 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.

How long after acceptance are BMC Neurology articles published online?

Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 22 days of acceptance (n = 588).

Does BMC Neurology charge an article processing charge (APC)?

Listed APC: $3,190 (DOAJ).

Sources and method

Journal identity: ISSN-L 1471-2377; NLM ID 100968555; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 588 articles accepted in 2025 with valid dates; excluded records for that year: none.

Spotted a problem with this journal's data, or are you the publisher? Report a correction or email rafiq@gradsummit.com. Verified errors are corrected within five business days.

Get the free Journal Submission Go/No-Go Checklist

The pre-submission checks from Write and Publish a Scientific Paper: journal fit, formatting, cover letter and reviewer suggestions. We’ll email you the download link.

One email with your download, then occasional research tips. One-click unsubscribe, anytime. We never sell your data.

Get Write and Publish a Scientific Paper

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.