IUBMB Life: review time and acceptance speed
ISSN 1521-6543 · ISSN 1521-6551 · Wiley · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Half of the articles IUBMB Life accepted in 2025 were accepted within 84 days of submission (n = 77); the middle half took 59–146 days.
Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026
How long does IUBMB Life take to accept a paper?
| Year | Articles (n) | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Accepted <14 days | Have a revised date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 77 | 59 | 84 | 146 | — | 0.0% | 79% |
| 2024 | 81 | 46 | 64 | 91 | — | 0.0% | 0% |
| 2023 | 63 | 53 | 91 | 134 | — | 3.2% | 0% |
| 2022 | 78 | 48 | 69 | 109 | — | 2.6% | 26% |
| 2021 | 95 | 36 | 55 | 89 | — | 1.1% | 78% |
| 2020 | 193 | 27 | 43 | 65 | — | 5.7% | 73% |
- 2026: not shown yet — a year is reported once late-indexed articles have arrived (at least 180 days after it ends).
Distribution in 2025
Show as a table
| Days | Articles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–29 | 2 | 2.6% |
| 30–59 | 18 | 23.4% |
| 60–89 | 22 | 28.6% |
| 90–119 | 11 | 14.3% |
| 120–149 | 6 | 7.8% |
| 150–179 | 11 | 14.3% |
| 180–209 | 4 | 5.2% |
| 210–239 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 240–269 | 1 | 1.3% |
| 270–299 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 300–329 | 2 | 2.6% |
| 330–359 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 360+ | 0 | 0.0% |
From acceptance to online publication
Not enough articles with both an acceptance date and an online publication date to measure the time to online publication.
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 $4,430 (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 DOAJ | No |
|---|---|
| Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025 | Yes |
| Retractions | 0 retracted articles among 403 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database. |
| Accepted within 14 days of submission | 0.0% of 2025 articles |
| Publication volume | 86 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+12% vs 2024). |
Topics and scope
- Mitochondrial Function and Pathology (8% of indexed topics)
- RNA modifications and cancer (7% of indexed topics)
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms (7% of indexed topics)
- Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms (6% of indexed topics)
- Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research (6% of indexed topics)
- MicroRNA in disease regulation (5% of indexed topics)
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 IUBMB Life, 84 days.
| Paid APC median | DOAJ | MEDLINE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FEBS Open Bio | 120 (2025, n = 178) | $2,480 | $1,649 (5 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications | 59 (2025, n = 1,484) | ≈$3,110 | — | No | Yes |
| Cell Biochemistry and Function | 153 (2025, n = 106) | ≈$4,220 | — | No | Yes |
| Biomolecules | 41 (2025, n = 1,761) | ≈$3,300 | $2,510 (90 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| FEBS Letters | 83 (2025, n = 265) | ≈$3,980 | — | No | Yes |
| Trends in Biochemical Sciences | 74 (2025, n = 121) | ≈$7,030 | — | No | Yes |
| Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry | 109 (2025, n = 250) | ≈$4,190 | — | No | Yes |
| Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports | 105 (2025, n = 514) | $2,750 | — | Yes | No |
No journals match these filters.
Frequently asked questions
How long does IUBMB Life take to accept a paper?
Half of the articles IUBMB Life accepted in 2025 were accepted within 84 days of submission (n = 77); the middle half took 59–146 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.
Does IUBMB Life charge an article processing charge (APC)?
Listed APC: about $4,430 (as reported by OpenAlex).
Sources and method
Journal identity: ISSN-L 1521-6543; NLM ID 100888706; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 77 articles accepted in 2025 with valid dates; excluded records for that year: no received date 1.
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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.