Molecular Ecology: review time and acceptance speed

ISSN 0962-1083 · ISSN 1365-294X · Wiley · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Half of the articles Molecular Ecology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 178 days of submission (n = 396); the middle half took 123–246 days.

Submission → acceptance (2025)
178 days median
middle half 123–246 · n = 396
Acceptance → online
14 days median
middle half 12–19 · n = 377
Change since 2023
Slower than 2023: the median rose from 161 to 178 days (90% CI +5 to +28 days).
Open access · fees
Hybrid · ≈$5,150

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 Molecular Ecology take to accept a paper?

days0901802703602020: middle half 129–285 days1792020n=3902021: middle half 127–287 days1882021n=4592022: middle half 127–276 days1862022n=4402023: middle half 109–251 days1612023n=3842024: middle half 115–241 days1572024n=3522025: middle half 123–246 days1782025n=396
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
20253961231782463230.0%97%
20243521151572413310.0%95%
20233841091612514520.8%93%
20224401271862764360.0%95%
20214591271882874270.0%95%
20203901291792854400.0%94%

Distribution in 2025

0–29 days: 0% (0 articles)030–59 days: 3% (11 articles)3060–89 days: 8% (30 articles)6090–119 days: 13% (53 articles)90120–149 days: 12% (47 articles)120150–179 days: 16% (62 articles)150180–209 days: 12% (47 articles)180210–239 days: 9% (36 articles)210240–269 days: 10% (40 articles)240270–299 days: 4% (15 articles)270300–329 days: 4% (17 articles)300330–359 days: 2% (8 articles)330360+ days: 8% (30 articles)360+days from submission to acceptance (30-day bins)
Show as a table
DaysArticlesShare
0–2900.0%
30–59112.8%
60–89307.6%
90–1195313.4%
120–1494711.9%
150–1796215.7%
180–2094711.9%
210–239369.1%
240–2694010.1%
270–299153.8%
300–329174.3%
330–35982.0%
360+307.6%

From acceptance to online publication

After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 14 days (middle half 12–19 days, n = 377).

From submission to online publication, the median was 192 days (middle half 139–259 days, n = 377).

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 $5,150 (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
Retractions1 retracted article among 2,030 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.49 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database.
Accepted within 14 days of submission0.0% of 2025 articles
Publication volume407 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+20% vs 2024).

Topics and scope

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology journalsEnvironmental Science 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 Molecular Ecology, 178 days.

Paid APC medianDOAJMEDLINE
Evolutionary Applications200 (2025, n = 118)$4,320$2,811 (13 payments)YesNo
Molecular Ecology Resources191 (2025, n = 148)≈$5,250NoYes
Heredity160 (2025, n = 72)≈$2,690NoYes
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution156 (2025, n = 149)≈$3,830NoYes
BMC Ecology and Evolution141 (2025, n = 136)$2,990$2,427 (17 payments)YesYes
Evolution169 (2025, n = 258)≈$3,214$1,781 (5 payments)NoYes
Evolution Letters147 (2025, n = 54)$2,575$2,078 (19 payments)YesNo
Ecology and Evolution133 (2025, n = 1,999)$2,700$2,015 (82 payments)YesNo
Systematic Biology327 (2025, n = 82)≈$2,166NoYes

Frequently asked questions

How long does Molecular Ecology take to accept a paper?

Half of the articles Molecular Ecology accepted in 2025 were accepted within 178 days of submission (n = 396); the middle half took 123–246 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.

How long after acceptance are Molecular Ecology articles published online?

Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 14 days of acceptance (n = 377).

Does Molecular Ecology charge an article processing charge (APC)?

Listed APC: about $5,150 (as reported by OpenAlex).

Sources and method

Journal identity: ISSN-L 0962-1083; NLM ID 9214478; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 396 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.