BMJ Public Health: review time and acceptance speed
ISSN 2753-4294 · BMJ · Medicine
Half of the articles BMJ Public Health accepted in 2024 were accepted within 217 days of submission (n = 335); the middle half took 163–275 days.
Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026
How long does BMJ Public Health take to accept a paper?
| Year | Articles (n) | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Accepted <14 days | Have a revised date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 335 | 163 | 217 | 275 | 333 | 0.6% | 0% |
| 2023 | 75 | 105 | 153 | 184 | — | 0.0% | 0% |
- 2026: not shown yet — a year is reported once late-indexed articles have arrived (at least 180 days after it ends).
- 2025: not shown yet — a year is reported once late-indexed articles have arrived (at least 393 days after it ends).
Distribution in 2024
Show as a table
| Days | Articles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–29 | 2 | 0.6% |
| 30–59 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 60–89 | 8 | 2.4% |
| 90–119 | 15 | 4.5% |
| 120–149 | 36 | 10.7% |
| 150–179 | 45 | 13.4% |
| 180–209 | 51 | 15.2% |
| 210–239 | 46 | 13.7% |
| 240–269 | 41 | 12.2% |
| 270–299 | 40 | 11.9% |
| 300–329 | 16 | 4.8% |
| 330–359 | 17 | 5.1% |
| 360+ | 18 | 5.4% |
From acceptance to online publication
After acceptance, half of the 2024 articles appeared online within 31 days (middle half 22–49 days, n = 335).
From submission to online publication, the median was 256 days (middle half 196–314 days, n = 335).
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: 2,390 GBP (about $3,223 at ECB rates of Sep 15, 2026; DOAJ).
Institutions reported paying a median of about $2,976 per article (2023–2025, 19 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 2024 | None found (the journal may be in PubMed through PubMed Central instead) |
| Retractions | 1 retracted article among 865 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (1.16 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database. |
| Accepted within 14 days of submission | 0.6% of 2024 articles |
| Publication volume | 33 articles added to PubMed in 2024 (-48% vs 2023). |
Topics and scope
- Global Maternal and Child Health (14% of indexed topics)
- Health disparities and outcomes (6% of indexed topics)
- Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy (6% of indexed topics)
- Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (5% of indexed topics)
- COVID-19 and Mental Health (5% of indexed topics)
- Child Nutrition and Water Access (5% of indexed topics)
Similar journals — faster or cheaper, side by side
Journals publishing on the most similar topics (OpenAlex), ordered by similarity. Only 2024 figures are compared with the 2024 median of BMJ Public Health, 217 days.
| Paid APC median | DOAJ | MEDLINE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archives of Public Health | 143 (2024, n = 248) | $3,090 | $2,661 (17 payments) | Yes | No |
| PLOS Global Public Health | 180 (2024, n = 971) | $2,596 | $2,117 (103 payments) | Yes | No |
| BMC Public Health | 182 (2024, n = 3,530) | $3,450 | $2,980 (136 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| Journal of Public Health in Africa | 135 (2024, n = 77) | ≈$68 | — | Yes | No |
| Global Health Science and Practice | 194 (2024, n = 103) | No fee (DOAJ) | — | Yes | Yes |
| Public Health Challenges | 174 (2024, n = 84) | $2,780 | — | Yes | No |
| East African Health Research Journal | 285 (2024, n = 54) | — | — | No | No |
No journals match these filters.
Frequently asked questions
How long does BMJ Public Health take to accept a paper?
Half of the articles BMJ Public Health accepted in 2024 were accepted within 217 days of submission (n = 335); the middle half took 163–275 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.
How long after acceptance are BMJ Public Health articles published online?
Half of the articles accepted in 2024 appeared online within 31 days of acceptance (n = 335).
Does BMJ Public Health charge an article processing charge (APC)?
Listed APC: 2,390 GBP (about $3,223 at ECB rates of Sep 15, 2026; DOAJ).
Sources and method
Journal identity: ISSN-L 2753-4294; NLM ID 9918697578906676; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 335 articles accepted in 2024 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.