Journal profile · Medicine-Microbiology (medical)
Access Microbiology
ISSN 2516-8290 · Microbiology Society · United Kingdom · Continuous publication · Founded 2018
Access Microbiology: fully open access; APC charged, amount not published; median 172 days to acceptance (103 articles, last 24 months); 136 articles in 2025; indexed in Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Access Microbiology is published by Microbiology Society. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria, Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies and Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing, together about 20.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology and Infectious Diseases. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Access Microbiology is an innovative Open Access, open research platform to members of our community, allowing the publication of replication studies, negative or null results, research proposals, data management plans, additions to established methods, and interdisciplinary work. We believe that too many of these valuable research outputs have been lost because they are not seen as ‘high impact’, creating a situation in which research is re-done in multiple labs for no gain. Access Microbiology aims to reduce this kind of research waste, so our publication criteria are based on methodological rigour rather than novelty. To further support this goal, the platform has an Open Data policy and so authors are required to make their supporting data publicly available through initiatives such as Figshare. The platform's scope covers: The full spectrum of microscopic life forms, from bacteria and viruses to fungi, protists, archaea, and algae.All approaches, from computational, biotechnology, and laboratory work, to environmental, clinical, and veterinary studies.In response to community requests, we will also publish pedagogy papers on microbiology education.Article types include Research Articles, Short Communications, Pedagogy articles, Technical Resources, and Case Reports. During the conception and development of the platform, we engaged with our authors, members, Editors, preprint users, and early career researchers through focus groups and a community survey, to ensure the platform meets the needs of our community. The platform will continue to evolve and innovate, and we welcome feedback or suggestions on how it can be improved. Preparing a submission? Check out our new submission checklist for a guide to what you will need. Back to top
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Medicine-Microbiology (medical)
Editor-in-chief Helina MarshallPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United Kingdom 29, Ireland 7, United States 1, Germany 1, France 1 (42 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Antibiotic Resistance in BacteriaBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8.3%
- Genomics and Phylogenetic StudiesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.1%
- Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility TestingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6%
- Antifungal resistance and susceptibilityMedicine5.5%
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactionsEnvironmental Science5.5%
- Antimicrobial Resistance in StaphylococcusMedicine5.1%
- Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.6%
- Gut microbiota and healthBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
PMCPubMedCAB AbstractsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, Science Open
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.1LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.41LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.57LetPub ·
- h-index
- 26OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 159OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.7OpenAlex ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 170LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,268 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 115 | 115 | 29 |
| 2025 | 136 | 136 | 163 |
| 2024 | 171 | 171 | 527 |
| 2023 | 158 | 158 | 752 |
| 2022 | 251 | 251 | 784 |
| 2021 | 159 | 159 | 926 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
172 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 114 days – 242 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 37 days (103 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 216 days
- Sample
- 103 articles with submission and acceptance dates (273 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 12 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Open peer reviewDOAJ
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | GBP 997 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | GBP 700 | — | — | |
| LetPub | GBP 950 / GBP 700 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Article types accepted14
- additions to established methodsIt supports the publication of replication studies, negative or null results, research proposals, data management plans, additions to established methods, case …Length not stated
- case reportsArticle types include Research Articles, Short Communications, Pedagogy articles, Technical Resources, and Case Reports.Length not stated
- data management plansIt supports the publication of replication studies, negative or null results, research proposals, data management plans, additions to established methods, case …Length not stated
- educational and outreach methodsIt supports the publication of replication studies, negative or null results, research proposals, data management plans, additions to established methods, case …Length not stated
- interdisciplinary workIt supports the publication of replication studies, negative or null results, research proposals, data management plans, additions to established methods, case …Length not stated
- negative or null resultsIt supports the publication of replication studies, negative or null results, research proposals, data management plans, additions to established methods, case …Length not stated
- pedagogy articlesArticle types include Research Articles, Short Communications, Pedagogy articles, Technical Resources, and Case Reports.Length not stated
- replication studiesIt supports the publication of replication studies, negative or null results, research proposals, data management plans, additions to established methods, case …Length not stated
- research articlesArticle types include Research Articles, Short Communications, Pedagogy articles, Technical Resources, and Case Reports.Length not stated
- research proposalsIt supports the publication of replication studies, negative or null results, research proposals, data management plans, additions to established methods, case …Length not stated
- reviewDesigned to give submitting authors immediate feedback, these easy Review Tools will help improve their article right from the beginning of the submission proce…Length not stated
- short communicationsArticle types include Research Articles, Short Communications, Pedagogy articles, Technical Resources, and Case Reports.Length not stated
- software developmentIt supports the publication of replication studies, negative or null results, research proposals, data management plans, additions to established methods, case …Length not stated
- technical resourcesArticle types include Research Articles, Short Communications, Pedagogy articles, Technical Resources, and Case Reports.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteData availability, Publication ethics, Peer review, Plagiarism
- Data availability
Mandatory Open Data policy Model summary
Access Microbiology has a mandatory Open Data policy, and requires that authors deposit all supporting data necessary to replicate their study’s findings and make it publicly available without restriction at the point of submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
COPE member Model summary
The Microbiology Society is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
No direct contact with reviewers Model summary
Will my article be peer reviewed?If your article passes the basic checks by our Editorial Office to ensure it complies with our editorial and ethical policies, it is within scope, and it is not considered potentially harmful to the public, it can be posted online. At this point an Editor will make an initial assessment as to whether it should be sent out to review immediately, or if there are revi…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism Review Tools: Penelope.ai and iThenticate
Designed to give submitting authors immediate feedback, these easy Review Tools will help improve their article right from the beginning of the submission process. This includes navigating publication requirements and policies, increasing the rigour and reproducibility of their research, and improving the chances of quicker review and publication of the article. The iThenticate report will be also…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Microbiology Society
- Country or region
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Continuous publication
- Founded
- 2018
- ISSN
- 2516-8290
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Access Microbiology
How long does peer review take at Access Microbiology?
Based on the dates recorded on 103 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 172 days (interquartile range 114–242 days); authors report an average review time of about 12 weeks. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Where are the editorial board members of Access Microbiology based?
Of the 42 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (29), Ireland (7) and United States (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Access Microbiology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Access Microbiology is indexed in Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists PMC, PubMed and CAB Abstracts; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Access Microbiology open access, and what is the APC?
Access Microbiology is a fully open-access journal. APC charged, amount not published.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, DOAJ, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-30). Last updated: .