Stem Cell Reports: review time and acceptance speed

ISSN 2213-6711 · Elsevier BV · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Half of the articles Stem Cell Reports accepted in 2025 were accepted within 179 days of submission (n = 182); the middle half took 118–230 days.

Submission → acceptance (2025)
179 days median
middle half 118–230 · n = 182
Acceptance → online
29 days median
middle half 27–30 · n = 169
Change since 2023
Faster than 2023: the median fell from 212 to 179 days (90% CI -55 to -10 days).
Open access · fees
Open access (DOAJ) · $4,400

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 Stem Cell Reports take to accept a paper?

days0901802703602020: middle half 137–283 days1932020n=1932021: middle half 128–258 days1872021n=2222022: middle half 136–283 days1972022n=1962023: middle half 148–313 days2122023n=1562024: middle half 126–262 days1842024n=1222025: middle half 118–230 days1792025n=182
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
20251821181792305.0%96%
20241221261842621.6%100%
20231561482123130.6%99%
20221961361972831.0%99%
20212221281872583641.8%100%
20201931371932830.5%100%

Distribution in 2025

0–29 days: 7% (13 articles)030–59 days: 4% (7 articles)3060–89 days: 7% (13 articles)6090–119 days: 8% (14 articles)90120–149 days: 12% (22 articles)120150–179 days: 12% (22 articles)150180–209 days: 17% (31 articles)180210–239 days: 10% (19 articles)210240–269 days: 7% (12 articles)240270–299 days: 4% (8 articles)270300–329 days: 3% (5 articles)300330–359 days: 4% (8 articles)330360+ days: 4% (8 articles)360+days from submission to acceptance (30-day bins)
Show as a table
DaysArticlesShare
0–29137.1%
30–5973.8%
60–89137.1%
90–119147.7%
120–1492212.1%
150–1792212.1%
180–2093117.0%
210–2391910.4%
240–269126.6%
270–29984.4%
300–32952.7%
330–35984.4%
360+84.4%

From acceptance to online publication

After acceptance, half of the 2025 articles appeared online within 29 days (middle half 27–30 days, n = 169).

From submission to online publication, the median was 213 days (middle half 161–269 days, n = 168).

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: $4,400 (DOAJ).

Institutions reported paying a median of about $3,621 per article (2023–2025, 25 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 DOAJYes (DOAJ record)
Articles indexed for MEDLINE in 2025Yes
Retractions0 retracted articles among 885 added to PubMed in 2021–2025 (0.00 per 1,000), per the Retraction Watch Database.
Accepted within 14 days of submission5.0% of 2025 articles
Publication volume176 articles added to PubMed in 2025 (+41% 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 Stem Cell Reports, 179 days.

Paid APC medianDOAJMEDLINE
Cell stem cell266 (2025, n = 119)≈$10,400NoYes
Stem Cell Research91 (2025, n = 246)$2,460$733 (25 payments)YesYes
Stem Cells136 (2025, n = 77)≈$4,477NoYes
Stem Cell Reviews and Reports61 (2025, n = 80)≈$4,390NoYes
Stem Cells Translational Medicine168 (2025, n = 75)$2,822YesYes
In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Animal79 (2025, n = 130)≈$2,490NoYes
Protein & Cell76 (2025, n = 68)$2,570YesYes
Cell Research162 (2025, n = 59)≈$5,190NoYes
World Journal of Stem Cells111 (2025, n = 124)NoNo

Frequently asked questions

How long does Stem Cell Reports take to accept a paper?

Half of the articles Stem Cell Reports accepted in 2025 were accepted within 179 days of submission (n = 182); the middle half took 118–230 days. Based on dates in PubMed for accepted articles only.

How long after acceptance are Stem Cell Reports articles published online?

Half of the articles accepted in 2025 appeared online within 29 days of acceptance (n = 169).

Does Stem Cell Reports charge an article processing charge (APC)?

Listed APC: $4,400 (DOAJ).

Sources and method

Journal identity: ISSN-L 2213-6711; NLM ID 101611300; OpenAlex record. Speed figures use 182 articles accepted in 2025 with valid dates; excluded records for that year: over 4 years 1.

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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.