Developmental Biology: review time and acceptance speed

ISSN 0012-1606 · ISSN 1095-564X · Elsevier BV · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Half of the articles Developmental Biology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 133 days of submission (n = 226); the middle half took 84–206 days.

Submission → acceptance (2025)
133 days median
middle half 84–206 · n = 226
Acceptance → online
2 days median
middle half 1–3 · n = 226
Change since 2023
No clear change since 2023 (median 143 → 133 days; 90% CI -30 to +9 days).
Open access · fees
Hybrid · ≈$3,550

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 Developmental Biology take to accept a paper?

days0601201802402020: middle half 82–191 days1382020n=1692021: middle half 86–186 days1322021n=1692022: middle half 93–206 days1432022n=1422023: middle half 97–203 days1432023n=1102024: middle half 97–201 days1462024n=1532025: middle half 84–206 days1332025n=226
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
2025226841332063071.3%99%
2024153971462010.7%97%
2023110971432030.9%99%
2022142931432060.7%98%
2021169861321860.6%98%
2020169821381912.4%96%

Distribution in 2025

0–29 days: 2% (5 articles)030–59 days: 8% (19 articles)3060–89 days: 18% (40 articles)6090–119 days: 14% (31 articles)90120–149 days: 15% (33 articles)120150–179 days: 9% (21 articles)150180–209 days: 10% (22 articles)180210–239 days: 6% (14 articles)210240–269 days: 5% (12 articles)240270–299 days: 2% (5 articles)270300–329 days: 2% (4 articles)300330–359 days: 3% (7 articles)330360+ days: 6% (13 articles)360+days from submission to acceptance (30-day bins)
Show as a table
DaysArticlesShare
0–2952.2%
30–59198.4%
60–894017.7%
90–1193113.7%
120–1493314.6%
150–179219.3%
180–209229.7%
210–239146.2%
240–269125.3%
270–29952.2%
300–32941.8%
330–35973.1%
360+135.8%

From acceptance to online publication

After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 2 days (middle half 1–3 days, n = 226).

From submission to online publication, the median was 135 days (middle half 87–209 days, n = 226).

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 $3,550 (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 809 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database.
Accepted within 14 days of submission1.3% of 2025 articles
Publication volume226 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+48% 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 Developmental Biology, 133 days.

Paid APC medianDOAJMEDLINE
Development173 (2025, n = 244)$4,447 (8 payments)NoYes
Developmental Dynamics138 (2025, n = 78)≈$4,430NoYes
Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology136 (2025, n = 62)≈$4,670NoYes
Biology Open62 (2025, n = 152)$2,500$1,948 (8 payments)YesYes
Developmental Cell280 (2025, n = 205)≈$10,400$8,789 (6 payments)NoYes
Current Opinion in Genetics & Development98 (2025, n = 75)≈$4,200NoYes
Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B Molecular and Developmental Evolution127 (2025, n = 54)≈$3,460NoYes

Frequently asked questions

How long does Developmental Biology take to accept a paper?

Half of the articles Developmental Biology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 133 days of submission (n = 226); the middle half took 84–206 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.

How long after acceptance are Developmental Biology articles published online?

Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 2 days of acceptance (n = 226).

Does Developmental Biology charge an article processing charge (APC)?

Listed APC: about $3,550 (as reported by OpenAlex).

Sources and method

Journal identity: ISSN-L 0012-1606; NLM ID 0372762; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 226 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.