Journal profile · Biology
American Journal of Human Biology
ISSN 1042-0533 · eISSN 1520-6300 · Wiley-Liss Inc. · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 1989
American Journal of Human Biology: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.98; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,550; median 122 days to acceptance (90 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 221 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
American Journal of Human Biology is published by Wiley-Liss Inc. and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet, Birth, Development, and Health and Body Composition Measurement Techniques, together about 32.4% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The American Journal of Human Biology is the Official Journal of the Human Biology Association. The American Journal of Human Biology is a monthly, peer-reviewed, internationally circulated journal that publishes reports of original research, theoretical articles and timely reviews, and brief communications in the interdisciplinary field of human biology. As the official journal of the Human Biology Association, the Journal also publishes abstracts of research presented at its annual scientific meeting and book reviews relevant to the field. The Journal seeks scholarly manuscripts that address all aspects of human biology, health, and disease, particularly those that stress comparative, developmental, ecological, or evolutionary perspectives. The transdisciplinary areas covered in the Journal include, but are not limited to, epidemiology, genetic variation, population biology and demography, physiology, anatomy, nutrition, growth and aging, physical performance, physical activity and fitness, ecology, and evolution, along with their interactions. The Journal publishes basic, applied, and methodologically oriented research from all areas, including measurement, analytical techniques and strategies, and computer applications in human biology. Like many other biologically oriented disciplines, the field of human biology has undergone considerable growth and diversification in recent years, and the expansion of the aims and scope of the Journal is a reflection of this growth and membership diversification. The Journal is committed to prompt review, and priority publication is given to manuscripts with novel or timely findings, and to manuscripts of unusual interest. How to cite: To make sure that references to this journal are correctly recorded and resolved (for example in CrossRef or ISI Web of Science), please use the following abbreviated title in any citations: "Am J Hum Biol." Punctuation may vary according to the style of the citing journal.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biology
Editor-in-chief William R. LeonardPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 5, United Kingdom 1, Argentina 1 (7 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Obesity, Physical Activity, DietMedicine12.2%
- Birth, Development, and HealthMedicine10.8%
- Body Composition Measurement TechniquesMedicine9.4%
- Child Nutrition and Water AccessNursing7.1%
- Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology StudiesArts and Humanities6.4%
- Evolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorPsychology4.8%
- Nutrition, Genetics, and DiseaseBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.7%
- Forensic and Genetic ResearchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Anthropology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Anthropology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Anthropology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of ScienceMEDLINEPubMedCASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest
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
- Impact factor
- 1.98LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 3.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.62LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.8LetPub ·
- h-index
- 74LetPub ·
- h-index
- 141OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,321OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.74OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 21.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 39.35%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 171LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 185Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 361,500Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 5,795 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 161 | 89 | 57 |
| 2025 | 221 | 148 | 401 |
| 2024 | 181 | 122 | 524 |
| 2023 | 190 | 123 | 827 |
| 2022 | 152 | 50 | 1,058 |
| 2021 | 165 | 45 | 1,578 |
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 Crossref · to
122 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 52 days – 184 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 15 days (91 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 135 days
- Sample
- 90 articles with submission and acceptance dates (402 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)
- 4–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 29%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 109 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 17 daysPublisher website ·
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
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,550 / EUR 3,810 / GBP 3,020 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
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)
What to prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 3–5
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 6,000 words
Article types accepted1, with length limits
- commentaryerest to the readership of the journal. Commentaries are limited to 1500 words and up to 15 references. Letters to the Editor: Letters tomain text ≤ 1,500 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Self-archiving, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- Authorship Authorship
The list of authors should accurately illustrate who contributed to the work and how. All those listed as authors should qualify for authorship according to the following criteria:
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures
Conflict of Interest: Authors are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence, or be perceived to influence, the results and interpretation of their manuscript. A conflict of interest exists when there are financial, personal, or professional affiliations that could bias the author's work. This includes, but is not limited to, funding sources, employment, consulta…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Sharing and Data Accessibility
Please review Wiley’s policy here. This journal expects data sharing.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Publication Ethics
This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Note this journal uses iThenticate’s CrossCheck software to detect instances of overlapping and similar text in submitted manuscripts. Read Wiley'sTop 10 Publishing Ethics Tips for Authors here. Wiley’s Publication Ethics Guidelines can be found here.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright For authors signing the copyright transfer agreement
If the Open Access option is not selected the corresponding author will be presented with the copyright transfer agreement (CTA) to sign. The terms and conditions of the CTA can be previewed in the samples associated with the Copyright FAQs.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access For authors choosing Open Access
If the Open Access option is selected the corresponding author will have a choice of the following Creative Commons License Open Access Agreements (OAA):
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review and Acceptance
The acceptance criteria for all papers are the quality and originality of the research and its significance to journal readership. Papers will only be sent to review if the Editor-in-Chief determines that the paper meets the appropriate quality and relevance requirements.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Self-archiving Self-Archiving Definitions and Policies
Note that the journal’s standard copyright agreement allows for self-archiving of different versions of the article under specific conditions. Please click here for more detailed information about self-archiving definitions and policies.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The journal requires that clinical trials are prospectively registered in a publicly accessible database and clinical trial registration numbers should be included in all papers that report their results. Authors are asked to include the name of the trial register and the clinical trial registration number at the end of the abstract. If the trial is not registered, or was registered retrospectivel…
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
- Wiley-Liss Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1989
- ISSN
- 1042-0533
- Electronic ISSN
- 1520-6300
- Society / sponsor
- Human Biology Association
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 38, Issue 9 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about American Journal of Human Biology
What CAS zone is American Journal of Human Biology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, American Journal of Human Biology is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Biology / Anthropology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of American Journal of Human Biology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.98; CiteScore 3.5, h-index 141.
How long does peer review take at American Journal of Human Biology?
Based on the dates recorded on 90 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 122 days (interquartile range 52–184 days); authors report an average review time of 4–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 29% (2025). 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of American Journal of Human Biology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 3–5; Manuscript length: ≤ 6,000 words. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of American Journal of Human Biology based?
Of the 7 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (5), United Kingdom (1) and Argentina (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index American Journal of Human Biology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, American Journal of Human Biology is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists Web of Science, MEDLINE, PubMed, CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is American Journal of Human Biology open access, and what is the APC?
American Journal of Human Biology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,550.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; 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 2026-08-24). Last updated: .