Heredity: review time and acceptance speed

ISSN 0018-067X · ISSN 1365-2540 · Springer Nature · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Half of the articles Heredity accepted in 2025 were accepted within 160 days of submission (n = 72); the middle half took 114–277 days.

Submission → acceptance (2025)
160 days median
middle half 114–277 · n = 72
Acceptance → online
17 days median
middle half 13–23 · n = 72
Change since 2023
Faster than 2023: the median fell from 236 to 160 days (90% CI -136 to -17 days).
Open access · fees
Hybrid · ≈$2,690

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 Heredity take to accept a paper?

days01202403604802020: middle half 107–221 days1502020n=992021: middle half 116–257 days1762021n=852022: middle half 109–336 days1862022n=832023: middle half 146–299 days2362023n=712024: middle half 117–289 days1832024n=722025: middle half 114–277 days1602025n=72
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
2025721141602770.0%94%
2024721171832890.0%99%
2023711462362990.0%100%
2022831091863360.0%100%
2021851161762570.0%99%
2020991071502211.0%98%

Distribution in 2025

0–29 days: 3% (2 articles)030–59 days: 1% (1 articles)3060–89 days: 7% (5 articles)6090–119 days: 15% (11 articles)90120–149 days: 22% (16 articles)120150–179 days: 7% (5 articles)150180–209 days: 6% (4 articles)180210–239 days: 8% (6 articles)210240–269 days: 1% (1 articles)240270–299 days: 6% (4 articles)270300–329 days: 7% (5 articles)300330–359 days: 3% (2 articles)330360+ days: 14% (10 articles)360+days from submission to acceptance (30-day bins)
Show as a table
DaysArticlesShare
0–2922.8%
30–5911.4%
60–8956.9%
90–1191115.3%
120–1491622.2%
150–17956.9%
180–20945.6%
210–23968.3%
240–26911.4%
270–29945.6%
300–32956.9%
330–35922.8%
360+1013.9%

From acceptance to online publication

After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 17 days (middle half 13–23 days, n = 72).

From submission to online publication, the median was 183 days (middle half 136–295 days, n = 72).

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 $2,690 (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 392 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 volume75 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+10% vs 2024).

Topics and scope

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology journalsAgricultural and Biological Sciences journalsGenetics 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 Heredity, 160 days.

Paid APC medianDOAJMEDLINE
Molecular Ecology178 (2025, n = 396)≈$5,150NoYes
Evolutionary Applications200 (2025, n = 118)$4,320$2,811 (13 payments)YesNo
Evolution169 (2025, n = 258)≈$3,214$1,781 (5 payments)NoYes
Evolution Letters147 (2025, n = 54)$2,575$2,078 (19 payments)YesNo
Journal of Heredity134 (2025, n = 102)≈$3,560NoYes
Journal of Evolutionary Biology194 (2025, n = 153)≈$3,123NoYes
Molecular Ecology Resources191 (2025, n = 148)≈$5,250NoYes

Frequently asked questions

How long does Heredity take to accept a paper?

Half of the articles Heredity accepted in 2025 were accepted within 160 days of submission (n = 72); the middle half took 114–277 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.

How long after acceptance are Heredity articles published online?

Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 17 days of acceptance (n = 72).

Does Heredity charge an article processing charge (APC)?

Listed APC: about $2,690 (as reported by OpenAlex).

Sources and method

Journal identity: ISSN-L 0018-067X; NLM ID 0373007; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 72 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.