Journal of Molecular Cell Biology: review time and acceptance speed

ISSN 1674-2788 · ISSN 1759-4685 · Oxford University Press · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Half of the articles Journal of Molecular Cell Biology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 163 days of submission (n = 62); the middle half took 106–219 days.

Submission → acceptance (2025)
163 days median
middle half 106–219 · n = 62
Change since 2023
Faster than 2023: the median fell from 235 to 163 days (90% CI -115 to -28 days).
Open access · fees
Open access (DOAJ) · $2,730

Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026

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How long does Journal of Molecular Cell Biology take to accept a paper?

days01202403604802020: middle half 64–156 days1092020n=622021: middle half 72–136 days992021n=582022: middle half 107–219 days1712022n=602023: middle half 158–321 days2352023n=702024: middle half 172–337 days2052024n=522025: middle half 106–219 days1632025n=62
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
2025621061632191.6%98%
2024521722053370.0%98%
2023701582353210.0%97%
2022601071712191.7%93%
20215872991366.9%91%
202062641091566.5%94%

Distribution in 2025

0–29 days: 3% (2 articles)030–59 days: 3% (2 articles)3060–89 days: 6% (4 articles)6090–119 days: 16% (10 articles)90120–149 days: 15% (9 articles)120150–179 days: 15% (9 articles)150180–209 days: 13% (8 articles)180210–239 days: 8% (5 articles)210240–269 days: 6% (4 articles)240270–299 days: 6% (4 articles)270300–329 days: 5% (3 articles)300330–359 days: 2% (1 articles)330360+ days: 2% (1 articles)360+days from submission to acceptance (30-day bins)
Show as a table
DaysArticlesShare
0–2923.2%
30–5923.2%
60–8946.5%
90–1191016.1%
120–149914.5%
150–179914.5%
180–209812.9%
210–23958.1%
240–26946.5%
270–29946.5%
300–32934.8%
330–35911.6%
360+11.6%

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

Open access (listed in DOAJ). Listed APC: $2,730 (DOAJ).

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 DOAJYes (DOAJ record)
Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025Yes
Retractions0 retracted articles among 340 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database.
Accepted within 14 days of submission1.6% of 2025 articles
Publication volume64 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+23% 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 Journal of Molecular Cell Biology, 163 days.

Paid APC medianDOAJMEDLINE
Cell Research162 (2025, n = 59)≈$5,190NoYes
EMBO Reports184 (2025, n = 289)$8,270$8,015 (32 payments)YesYes
Life Science Alliance166 (2025, n = 155)$3,500$3,867 (92 payments)YesYes
Molecular Cell224 (2025, n = 331)≈$10,400NoYes
Cell Discovery177 (2025, n = 67)$3,690YesNo
Protein & Cell76 (2025, n = 68)$2,570YesYes
Cell Reports204 (2025, n = 1,534)$5,790$5,172 (140 payments)YesYes
Genes & Development116 (2025, n = 87)NoYes
Experimental & Molecular Medicine161 (2025, n = 233)$4,690YesYes
Oncogene182 (2025, n = 315)≈$5,990$5,028 (7 payments)NoYes

Frequently asked questions

How long does Journal of Molecular Cell Biology take to accept a paper?

Half of the articles Journal of Molecular Cell Biology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 163 days of submission (n = 62); the middle half took 106–219 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.

Does Journal of Molecular Cell Biology charge an article processing charge (APC)?

Listed APC: $2,730 (DOAJ).

Sources and method

Journal identity: ISSN-L 1674-2788; NLM ID 101503669; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 62 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.