Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases: review time and acceptance speed
ISSN 1750-1172 · BioMed Central · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Half of the articles Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases accepted in 2025 were accepted within 182 days of submission (n = 616); the middle half took 121–281 days.
Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026
How long does Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases take to accept a paper?
| Year | Articles (n) | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Accepted <14 days | Have a revised date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 616 | 121 | 182 | 281 | 406 | 0.0% | 0% |
| 2024 | 494 | 136 | 191 | 275 | 359 | 0.0% | 0% |
| 2023 | 367 | 113 | 173 | 261 | 356 | 0.0% | 0% |
| 2022 | 416 | 109 | 139 | 185 | 246 | 0.0% | 3% |
| 2021 | 449 | 90 | 124 | 172 | 225 | 0.0% | 0% |
| 2020 | 345 | 91 | 124 | 171 | 231 | 0.0% | 0% |
- 2026: not shown yet — a year is reported once late-indexed articles have arrived (at least 180 days after it ends).
Research articles vs reviews (2025)
| Type | n | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research articles | 470 | 120 | 185 | 288 |
| Reviews | 124 | 123 | 176 | 269 |
Distribution in 2025
Show as a table
| Days | Articles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–29 | 2 | 0.3% |
| 30–59 | 14 | 2.3% |
| 60–89 | 53 | 8.6% |
| 90–119 | 82 | 13.3% |
| 120–149 | 86 | 14.0% |
| 150–179 | 69 | 11.2% |
| 180–209 | 66 | 10.7% |
| 210–239 | 43 | 7.0% |
| 240–269 | 37 | 6.0% |
| 270–299 | 23 | 3.7% |
| 300–329 | 31 | 5.0% |
| 330–359 | 26 | 4.2% |
| 360+ | 84 | 13.6% |
From acceptance to online publication
After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 28 days (middle half 19–43 days, n = 616).
From submission to online publication, the median was 222 days (middle half 158–325 days, n = 616).
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: $3,090 (DOAJ).
Institutions reported paying a median of about $2,592 per article (2023–2025, 24 reported payments in OpenAPC; converted from euros at yearly ECB average rates).
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 | Yes (DOAJ record) |
|---|---|
| Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025 | Yes |
| Retractions | 1 retracted article among 2,350 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.43 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database. |
| Accepted within 14 days of submission | 0.0% of 2025 articles |
| Publication volume | 628 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+34% vs 2024). |
Topics and scope
- Genomics and Rare Diseases (15% of indexed topics)
- Lysosomal Storage Disorders Research (12% of indexed topics)
- Metabolism and Genetic Disorders (8% of indexed topics)
- Glycogen Storage Diseases and Myoclonus (6% of indexed topics)
- Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life (5% of indexed topics)
- Connective tissue disorders research (4% of indexed topics)
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology journalsMedicine 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 Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, 182 days.
| Paid APC median | DOAJ | MEDLINE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine | 175 (2025, n = 130) | $3,040 | — | Yes | Yes |
| Molecular Genetics and Metabolism Reports | 95 (2025, n = 100) | $2,620 | $2,718 (5 payments) | Yes | No |
| Molecular Genetics and Metabolism | 82 (2025, n = 171) | ≈$3,680 | — | No | Yes |
| Genetics in Medicine | 172 (2025, n = 165) | ≈$5,110 | — | No | Yes |
| Neurology Genetics | 144 (2025, n = 78) | $3,300 | $741 (7 payments) | Yes | No |
| International Journal of Neonatal Screening | 55 (2025, n = 102) | ≈$1,956 | — | Yes | No |
| Human Mutation | 123 (2025, n = 119) | ≈$2,740 | — | No | Yes |
| npj Genomic Medicine | 186 (2025, n = 86) | $4,390 | — | Yes | No |
| Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease | 109 (2025, n = 130) | ≈$3,470 | — | No | Yes |
No journals match these filters.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases take to accept a paper?
Half of the articles Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases accepted in 2025 were accepted within 182 days of submission (n = 616); the middle half took 121–281 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.
How long after acceptance are Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases articles published online?
Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 28 days of acceptance (n = 616).
Does Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases charge an article processing charge (APC)?
Listed APC: $3,090 (DOAJ).
Sources and method
Journal identity: ISSN-L 1750-1172; NLM ID 101266602; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 616 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.