BMC Psychology: review time and acceptance speed

ISSN 2050-7283 · BioMed Central · Psychology

Half of the articles BMC Psychology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 190 days of submission (n = 1,552); the middle half took 123–321 days.

Submission → acceptance (2025)
190 days median
middle half 123–321 · n = 1,552
Acceptance → online
17 days median
middle half 9–29 · n = 1,552
Change since 2023
Slower than 2023: the median rose from 163 to 190 days (90% CI +17 to +37 days).
Open access · fees
Open access (DOAJ) · $2,090

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 Psychology take to accept a paper?

days0901802703602020: middle half 115–249 days1792020n=1382021: middle half 133–248 days1802021n=2002022: middle half 119–239 days1682022n=3112023: middle half 114–244 days1632023n=4652024: middle half 92–256 days1612024n=7972025: middle half 123–321 days1902025n=1,552
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
20251,5521231903214571.3%0%
2024797921612563581.6%0%
20234651141632443091.7%0%
20223111191682393150.6%3%
20212001331802483530.0%0%
20201381151792490.0%0%

Research articles vs reviews (2025)

Typen25th pctMedian75th pct
Research articles1,490123191323
Reviews62116180281

Distribution in 2025

0–29 days: 2% (37 articles)030–59 days: 3% (42 articles)3060–89 days: 8% (124 articles)6090–119 days: 11% (168 articles)90120–149 days: 12% (190 articles)120150–179 days: 10% (160 articles)150180–209 days: 8% (128 articles)180210–239 days: 7% (109 articles)210240–269 days: 5% (84 articles)240270–299 days: 5% (70 articles)270300–329 days: 4% (68 articles)300330–359 days: 4% (55 articles)330360+ days: 20% (317 articles)360+days from submission to acceptance (30-day bins)
Show as a table
DaysArticlesShare
0–29372.4%
30–59422.7%
60–891248.0%
90–11916810.8%
120–14919012.2%
150–17916010.3%
180–2091288.2%
210–2391097.0%
240–269845.4%
270–299704.5%
300–329684.4%
330–359553.5%
360+31720.4%

From acceptance to online publication

After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 17 days (middle half 9–29 days, n = 1,552).

From submission to online publication, the median was 215 days (middle half 141–351 days, n = 1,552).

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: $2,090 (DOAJ).

Institutions reported paying a median of about $1,542 per article (2023–2025, 32 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
Retractions7 retracted articles among 3,256 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (2.15 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database.
Accepted within 14 days of submission1.3% of 2025 articles
Publication volume1,529 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+97% vs 2024).

Topics and scope

Psychology journalsClinical Psychology 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 Psychology, 190 days.

Paid APC medianDOAJMEDLINE
Psychology Research and Behavior Management109 (2025, n = 179)$4,320YesNo
Behavioral Sciences57 (2025, n = 1,777)≈$2,689$2,128 (36 payments)YesNo
Discover Mental Health151 (2025, n = 231)$1,790YesNo
European Journal of Investigation in Health Psychology and Education59 (2025, n = 266)≈$1,711$1,636 (14 payments)YesNo
International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology143 (2025, n = 117)$3,500$2,287 (8 payments)YesNo
Stress and Health178 (2025, n = 140)≈$4,070NoYes
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health106 (2025, n = 152)$3,290$2,305 (15 payments)YesNo

Frequently asked questions

How long does BMC Psychology take to accept a paper?

Half of the articles BMC Psychology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 190 days of submission (n = 1,552); the middle half took 123–321 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.

How long after acceptance are BMC Psychology articles published online?

Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 17 days of acceptance (n = 1,552).

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

Listed APC: $2,090 (DOAJ).

Sources and method

Journal identity: ISSN-L 2050-7283; NLM ID 101627676; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 1,552 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.