Journal profile · Zoology
Animal Cognition
ISSN 1435-9448 · eISSN 1435-9456 · Springer Berlin Heidelberg · GERMANY · Quarterly · Founded 1998
Animal Cognition: CAS Zone 2 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.29; fully open access; APC about USD 3,490; median 137 days to acceptance (94 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 110 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Animal Cognition is published by Springer Berlin Heidelberg and is in Zone 2 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Primate Behavior and Ecology, Animal Behavior and Reproduction and Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior, together about 38.4% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Animal Cognition is an interdisciplinary journal publishing current research from various backgrounds and disciplines (ethology, behavioral ecology, animal behaviour and learning, cognitive sciences, comparative psychology and evolutionary psychology) on all aspects of animal (and human) cognition in an evolutionary framework. The aim of the journal is to establish the course of the evolution of "intelligence", of the mechanisms, functions and adaptive value of basic and complex cognitive abilities from invertebrates to humans. The journal publishes original empirical and theoretical work, reviews, methods papers, short communications and correspondence on the mechanisms and evolution of biologically rooted cognitive-intellectual structures. Experiments and field studies with animals and humans and the comparative method will be given preference, but simulation models and theoretical analyses will be also considered. Papers on the following topics are particularly welcome: How do animals categorize and recognize individuals (potential mates, offspring), food, spatial patterns? How do animals form concepts? Which rules of logic and decision are used and how do these work? How do animals reason about their social world? How do animals learn by observation, imitation and instruction? Animal time perception and use; causality detection How do animals find their way around in the world, and how do they understand spatial relations? Innate reaction patterns and innate bases of learning Numerical competence and frequency expectancies Symbol use; communication Problem solving, animal thinking and use of tools How do these topics relate to the natural ecology of the species concerned? To what extent is animal behaviour transmitted culturally? What kinds of collective intelligence do groups of animals show?
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Zoology
Editor-in-chief Claudia WascherPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United Kingdom 8, United States 7, Italy 4, Japan 3, Germany 2 (34 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Primate Behavior and EcologyPsychology15.6%
- Animal Behavior and ReproductionAgricultural and Biological Sciences12.6%
- Animal Vocal Communication and BehaviorBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology10.3%
- Child and Animal Learning DevelopmentPsychology9.2%
- Human-Animal Interaction StudiesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8.5%
- Memory and Neural MechanismsNeuroscience4.9%
- Animal Behavior and Welfare StudiesVeterinary4.7%
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorPsychology3.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Zoology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Zoology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Zoology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEPsycINFOCAB AbstractsERIH PLUSCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
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
- 2.29LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.3Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.8LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.63LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.98LetPub ·
- h-index
- 67LetPub ·
- h-index
- 121OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,633OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.14OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 86.42%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 92LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 848,300Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,359 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 76 | 76 | 21 |
| 2025 | 110 | 110 | 190 |
| 2024 | 85 | 85 | 369 |
| 2023 | 95 | 69 | 938 |
| 2022 | 146 | 74 | 1,481 |
| 2021 | 135 | 64 | 2,153 |
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
137 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 97 days – 181 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 17 days (94 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 165 days
- Sample
- 94 articles with submission and acceptance dates (207 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 ·
- Submission to first decision
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 24 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous 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 | EUR 2,790 / USD 3,490 / GBP 2,390 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 3,390 / EUR 2,690 / GBP 2,290 | — | — | |
| 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)
Open calls for papers3, by deadline
- Comparative Cognition Society’s Research Award: A Special Collection in Honor of Robert G. CookDeadline
- Curiosity and Information-Seeking in AnimalsDeadline
- Comparative Cognition Society’s Research Award. Animal cognition in context: A special collection honouring the contributions of Susan D. HealyDeadline
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted13
- brief report“Animal Cognition" accepts the following types of articles: ResearchBrief Report ReviewComment Methodology Correspondence It is the author’s responsibility to e…Length not stated
- comment“Animal Cognition" accepts the following types of articles: Research Brief Report Review CommentLength not stated
- commentary“Animal Cognition" accepts the following types of articles: ResearchBrief Report ReviewComment Methodology Correspondence It is the author’s responsibility to e…Length not stated
- correspondence“Animal Cognition" accepts the following types of articles: ResearchBrief Report ReviewComment Methodology Correspondence It is the author’s responsibility to e…Length not stated
- editorial“Animal Cognition" accepts the following types of articles: ResearchBrief Report ReviewComment Methodology Correspondence It is the author’s responsibility to e…Length not stated
- methodology“Animal Cognition" accepts the following types of articles: Research Brief Report Review Comment MethodologyLength not stated
- mini review“Animal Cognition" accepts the following types of articles: ResearchBrief Report ReviewComment Methodology Correspondence It is the author’s responsibility to e…Length not stated
- protocol“Animal Cognition" accepts the following types of articles: ResearchBrief Report ReviewComment Methodology Correspondence It is the author’s responsibility to e…Length not stated
- regular article“Animal Cognition" accepts the following types of articles: ResearchBrief Report ReviewComment Methodology Correspondence It is the author’s responsibility to e…Length not stated
- research“Animal Cognition" accepts the following types of articles: ResearchLength not stated
- review“Animal Cognition" accepts the following types of articles: ResearchBrief Report ReviewComment Methodology Correspondence It is the author’s responsibility to e…Length not stated
- review article“Animal Cognition" accepts the following types of articles: ResearchBrief Report ReviewComment Methodology Correspondence It is the author’s responsibility to e…Length not stated
- short communication“Animal Cognition" accepts the following types of articles: ResearchBrief Report ReviewComment Methodology Correspondence It is the author’s responsibility to e…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
4 to 6 keywords required. Model summary
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
Retrospective ethics approval generally not accepted. Model summary
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Articles in Springer Nature open access journals do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Animal Cognition, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Single-blind peer review
Peer review: single-blind peer-review system. Model summary
This journal follows a single-blind reviewing procedure. This journal also publishes special/guest-edited issues. The peer review process for these articles is the same as the peer review process of the journal in general. Additionally, if a guest editor authors an article in their issue/collection, they will not handle the peer review process.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint Policy
Preprint policy: Springer accepts posting of preprints of primary research manuscripts on preprint servers, authors' or institutional websites. Model summary
Springer accepts posting of preprints of primary research manuscripts on preprint servers, authors’ or institutional websites. Details of our policy on posting, licensing, citation of preprints and communications with the media about preprints of primary research manuscripts may be found here. Authors should disclose details of preprint posting, including DOI and licensing terms, upon submission o…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
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
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 1998
- ISSN
- 1435-9448
- Electronic ISSN
- 1435-9456
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Animal Cognition
What CAS zone is Animal Cognition in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Animal Cognition is in Zone 2 of Biology, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Behavioral Sciences / Zoology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Animal Cognition?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.29; CiteScore 4.8, h-index 121.
How long does peer review take at Animal Cognition?
Based on the dates recorded on 94 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 137 days (interquartile range 97–181 days); authors report an average review time of 4–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”. 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 Animal Cognition?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Optional. 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 Animal Cognition based?
Of the 34 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (8), United States (7) and Italy (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Animal Cognition?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Animal Cognition is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CAB Abstracts, ERIH PLUS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Animal Cognition open access, and what is the APC?
Animal Cognition is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 3,490.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .