Social Science & Medicine: review time and acceptance speed
ISSN 0277-9536 · ISSN 1873-5347 · Elsevier BV · Multidisciplinary
Half of the articles Social Science & Medicine accepted in 2025 were accepted within 171 days of submission (n = 975); the middle half took 127–235 days.
Accepted articles only · dates deposited by the publisher in PubMed · data as of Sep 15, 2026
How long does Social Science & Medicine take to accept a paper?
| Year | Articles (n) | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Accepted <14 days | Have a revised date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 975 | 127 | 171 | 235 | 308 | 1.2% | 99% |
| 2024 | 834 | 126 | 167 | 224 | 301 | 0.4% | 99% |
| 2023 | 675 | 123 | 177 | 227 | 322 | 0.0% | 99% |
| 2022 | 687 | 126 | 175 | 238 | 305 | 0.3% | 99% |
| 2021 | 434 | 132 | 184 | 271 | 352 | 0.5% | 99% |
| 2020 | 164 | 156 | 200 | 299 | — | 0.0% | 99% |
- 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 | 893 | 128 | 172 | 235 |
| Reviews | 82 | 117 | 161 | 234 |
Distribution in 2025
Show as a table
| Days | Articles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–29 | 13 | 1.3% |
| 30–59 | 7 | 0.7% |
| 60–89 | 68 | 7.0% |
| 90–119 | 122 | 12.5% |
| 120–149 | 156 | 16.0% |
| 150–179 | 159 | 16.3% |
| 180–209 | 123 | 12.6% |
| 210–239 | 92 | 9.4% |
| 240–269 | 68 | 7.0% |
| 270–299 | 56 | 5.7% |
| 300–329 | 38 | 3.9% |
| 330–359 | 23 | 2.4% |
| 360+ | 50 | 5.1% |
From acceptance to online publication
After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 3 days (middle half 1–5 days, n = 975).
From submission to online publication, the median was 176 days (middle half 132–240 days, n = 975).
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 $3,800 (as reported by OpenAlex).
Institutions reported paying a median of about $3,284 per article (2023–2025, 8 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 | No |
|---|---|
| Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025 | Yes |
| Retractions | 0 retracted articles among 3,974 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database. |
| Accepted within 14 days of submission | 1.2% of 2025 articles |
| Publication volume | 965 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+10% vs 2024). |
Topics and scope
- Health disparities and outcomes (18% of indexed topics)
- Global Health Care Issues (8% of indexed topics)
- Employment and Welfare Studies (8% of indexed topics)
- Global Maternal and Child Health (7% of indexed topics)
- Healthcare Policy and Management (6% of indexed topics)
- Migration, Health and Trauma (4% of indexed topics)
Health Professions journalsSocial Sciences journalsGeneral Health Professions 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 Social Science & Medicine, 171 days.
| Paid APC median | DOAJ | MEDLINE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSM - Population Health | 114 (2025, n = 149) | $3,610 | $2,583 (15 payments) | Yes | No |
| Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health | 141 (2025, n = 118) | — | $4,693 (7 payments) | No | Yes |
| International Journal of Public Health | 168 (2025, n = 144) | ≈$2,811 | $2,786 (42 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| International Journal for Equity in Health | 141 (2025, n = 363) | $3,790 | $3,223 (14 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| Economics & Human Biology | 198 (2025, n = 75) | ≈$3,290 | — | No | Yes |
| The Lancet Public Health | 83 (2025, n = 131) | $7,860 | $5,718 (9 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| International Journal of Epidemiology | 232 (2025, n = 215) | ≈$4,514 | — | No | Yes |
| Population Health Metrics | 236 (2025, n = 83) | $2,890 | $2,106 (9 payments) | Yes | Yes |
| Health Economics | 335 (2025, n = 116) | ≈$4,050 | — | No | Yes |
| Health & Place | 182 (2025, n = 178) | ≈$3,380 | — | No | Yes |
No journals match these filters.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Social Science & Medicine take to accept a paper?
Half of the articles Social Science & Medicine accepted in 2025 were accepted within 171 days of submission (n = 975); the middle half took 127–235 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.
How long after acceptance are Social Science & Medicine articles published online?
Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 3 days of acceptance (n = 975).
Does Social Science & Medicine charge an article processing charge (APC)?
Listed APC: about $3,800 (as reported by OpenAlex).
Sources and method
Journal identity: ISSN-L 0277-9536; NLM ID 8303205; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 975 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.