Journal profile · Virology
Antiviral Research
ISSN 0166-3542 · eISSN 1872-9096 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Monthly · Founded 1981
Antiviral Research: CAS Zone 2 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.22; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,160; median 97 days to acceptance (106 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 25%; 183 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Antiviral Research is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments, HIV/AIDS drug development and treatment and HIV Research and Treatment, together about 25.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Epidemiology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Antiviral Research aims to publish manuscripts in the field of prevention and treatment of viral diseases in humans and vertebrate animals, and encourages authors to the submit manuscripts describing the activity of well-defined chemical compounds for the treatment of viral diseases. The journal is an Official Publication of the International Society for Antiviral Research. The types of papers published in Antiviral Research includes original research reports, short communications, commentaries and invited review* articles on the control of viral infections in humans. The journal’s scope encompasses:antiviral drugs, antibodies and host-response modifiers, including their synthesis, in vitro and in vivo testing and mechanisms of action.identification and validation of new drug targets;laboratory animal models of viral diseases for antiviral efficacy testing;evolution of drug-resistant viruses and the development of effective counter measures;pathogenesis of viral diseases and mechanisms of viral evasion of host immune responses;assessments of drug safety;new or improved vaccines against viral infections of humans; the prevention and treatment of viral diseases of vertebrate animals, and reports of the testing of veterinary vaccines in the target animal species. All papers must include a sufficiently detailed description of methods to permit other investigators to replicate the experiments. Authors reporting the antiviral effect of a novel small-molecule drug must reveal its chemical structure. Claims of in vitro or in vivo efficacy of a drug or vaccine must be supported by appropriate statistical analysis that must be clearly described in the manuscript.Antiviral Research journal does not publish reports on viral diseases of plants or of insects, crustaceans or other invertebrates. Studies of viral diseases of livestock and companion animals must be clearly related to the development of realistic therapies. Papers on veterinary vaccines should report findings in the target animal species.We discourage the submission of manuscripts reporting the antiviral activity of unpurified natural products, or of partially purified substances of natural origin for which a mechanism of action has not been determined. Manuscripts claiming an antiviral effect of homeopathic products or other highly diluted preparations, or which fail to clearly identify the biological ingredient or molecule responsible for the antiviral activity of an experimental therapy, will not be considered for publication. Articles describing antiseptics with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity will not be accepted. We discourage the submission of in silico docking studies or other computer-based predictions of antiviral activity that are not supported by data from biological assays. Citations of reports that have not undergone peer review must include the note "[not peer-reviewed]."ISAR members Authors who are ISAR members are encouraged to contact ISAR after their paper has been accepted for publication in order to benefit from their published work being highlighted in ISAR postings on their social media platforms (further details on this will be given in the AVR acceptance letter). *Antiviral Research journal has started a new initiative to publish at least two thematic special issues per year, containing invited reviews in addition to the ad hoc invitations to experts in the areas within the scope of the journal.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Virology
Editor-in-chief Subhash VasudevanPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 9 in mainland China (about 10%); most named United States 29, Singapore 10, Mainland China 9, Australia 6, Belgium 6 (93 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Herpesvirus Infections and TreatmentsMedicine8.9%
- HIV/AIDS drug development and treatmentMedicine8.6%
- HIV Research and TreatmentImmunology and Microbiology8.2%
- Cytomegalovirus and herpesvirus researchMedicine7.4%
- Hepatitis C virus researchMedicine6.1%
- Hepatitis B Virus StudiesMedicine5.5%
- Virus-based gene therapy researchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.9%
- Influenza Virus Research StudiesMedicine4.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Virology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Virology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Virology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
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
- 4.22LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 7.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 7.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.35LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.94LetPub ·
- h-index
- 108LetPub ·
- h-index
- 179OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 4,124OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.3OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 38.98%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 167LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 9,335 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 142 | 62 | 61 |
| 2025 | 183 | 101 | 628 |
| 2024 | 209 | 136 | 1,607 |
| 2023 | 184 | 114 | 2,316 |
| 2022 | 197 | 137 | 3,937 |
| 2021 | 146 | 84 | 3,042 |
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
97 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 66 days – 137 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (106 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 101 days
- Sample
- 106 articles with submission and acceptance dates (359 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 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 25%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 33 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 81 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher 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 4,160 / EUR 3,890 / GBP 3,330 / JPY 515,960 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,650 | — | — |
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)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare8 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 3,500 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Required, 3
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- commentariesReview articles and commentaries are published by invitation from the editor-in-chief, who will provide a check-list for manuscript preparation and submission.Length not stated
- commentaryResearch Articles should not exceed 3500 words. They should be divided into Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion and Acknowledgmen…Length not stated
- research articleResearch Articles should not exceed 3500 words. They should be divided into Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion and Acknowledgmen…main text ≤ 3,500 words
- research articlesResearch Articles should not exceed 3500 words.Length not stated
- review articleResearch Articles should not exceed 3500 words. They should be divided into Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion and Acknowledgmen…Length not stated
- review articlesReview articles and commentaries are published by invitation from the editor-in-chief, who will provide a check-list for manuscript preparation and submission.Length not stated
- short communicationResearch Articles should not exceed 3500 words. They should be divided into Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion and Acknowledgmen…main text ≤ 2,000 words
- short communicationsShort Communications should not exceed 2000 words and should not be divided into sections.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
1 to 7 keywords Model summary
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
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
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1981
- ISSN
- 0166-3542
- Electronic ISSN
- 1872-9096
- Society / sponsor
- International Society for Antiviral Research
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Antiviral Research
What CAS zone is Antiviral Research in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Antiviral Research is in Zone 2 of Medicine, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Pharmacology & Pharmacy / Virology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Antiviral Research?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.22; CiteScore 7.8, h-index 179.
How long does peer review take at Antiviral Research?
Based on the dates recorded on 106 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 97 days (interquartile range 66–137 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 25%”. 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 Antiviral Research?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 3,500 words; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Required, 3; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Required. 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 Antiviral Research based?
Of the 93 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 9 (about 10%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (29), Singapore (10) and Mainland China (9). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Antiviral Research?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Antiviral Research is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Antiviral Research open access, and what is the APC?
Antiviral Research is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,160.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .