Oncotarget: review time and acceptance speed
ISSN 1949-2553 · Impact Journals LLC · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Half of the articles Oncotarget accepted in 2022 were accepted within 55 days of submission (n = 60); the middle half took 42–98 days.
Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026
How long does Oncotarget take to accept a paper?
| Year | Articles (n) | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Accepted <14 days | Have a revised date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 60 | 42 | 55 | 98 | — | 0.0% | 0% |
| 2021 | 196 | 36 | 60 | 105 | — | 8.2% | 0% |
| 2020 | 317 | 49 | 78 | 117 | 178 | 3.5% | 0% |
Distribution in 2022
Show as a table
| Days | Articles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–29 | 5 | 8.3% |
| 30–59 | 29 | 48.3% |
| 60–89 | 10 | 16.7% |
| 90–119 | 6 | 10.0% |
| 120–149 | 5 | 8.3% |
| 150–179 | 1 | 1.7% |
| 180–209 | 2 | 3.3% |
| 210–239 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 240–269 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 270–299 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 300–329 | 1 | 1.7% |
| 330–359 | 1 | 1.7% |
| 360+ | 0 | 0.0% |
From acceptance to online publication
After acceptance, half of the 2022 articles appeared online within 16 days (middle half 12–22 days, n = 60).
From submission to online publication, the median was 73 days (middle half 61–113 days, n = 60).
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 (not listed in DOAJ). No listed APC found in DOAJ or OpenAlex. That does not mean publishing is free — check the journal's author guidelines.
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 2022 | Yes |
| Retractions | 0 retracted articles among 500 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 2022 articles |
| Publication volume | 103 articles added to PubMed in 2022 (-53% vs 2021). |
Topics and scope
- Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research (8% of indexed topics)
- MicroRNA in disease regulation (8% of indexed topics)
- RNA modifications and cancer (7% of indexed topics)
- Epigenetics and DNA Methylation (6% of indexed topics)
- Cancer Cells and Metastasis (6% of indexed topics)
- Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism (6% of indexed topics)
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology journalsMedicine journalsMolecular Biology journalsCancer Research journals
Similar journals — faster or cheaper, side by side
Journals publishing on the most similar topics (OpenAlex), ordered by similarity. Only 2022 figures are compared with the 2022 median of Oncotarget, 55 days.
| Paid APC median | DOAJ | MEDLINE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oncology Letters | 92 (2022, n = 446) | — | — | No | No |
| Oncogenesis | 147 (2022, n = 59) | $4,390 | — | Yes | No |
| Neoplasma | 100 (2022, n = 107) | — | — | No | Yes |
| Oncology Reports | 98 (2022, n = 157) | — | — | No | Yes |
| Molecular Cancer | 72 (2022, n = 156) | $5,290 | $4,348 (10 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| Molecular Oncology | 146 (2022, n = 161) | $4,730 | $3,784 (6 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| Cancer Science | 109 (2022, n = 409) | $2,600 | — | Yes | Yes |
| Journal of Cancer | 92 (2022, n = 239) | ≈$2,850 | $2,407 (5 payments) | Yes | No |
| Genes & Diseases | 103 (2022, n = 256) | $2,500 | — | Yes | No |
No journals match these filters.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Oncotarget take to accept a paper?
Half of the articles Oncotarget accepted in 2022 were accepted within 55 days of submission (n = 60); the middle half took 42–98 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.
How long after acceptance are Oncotarget articles published online?
Half of the articles accepted in 2022 appeared online within 16 days of acceptance (n = 60).
Does Oncotarget charge an article processing charge (APC)?
No listed APC found in DOAJ or OpenAlex. That does not mean publishing is free — check the journal's author guidelines.
Sources and method
Journal identity: ISSN-L 1949-2553; NLM ID 101532965; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 60 articles accepted in 2022 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.