Journal profile · Rehabilitation
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
ISSN 0003-9993 · eISSN 1532-821X · W.B. Saunders Ltd · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1953
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: CAS Zone 2 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.72; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,000; median 155 days to acceptance (159 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 830 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is published by W.B. Saunders Ltd 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 Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery, Traumatic Brain Injury Research and Cerebral Palsy and Movement Disorders, together about 36.7% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Official Journal of the American Congress of Rehabilitation MedicineThe Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation publishes original, peer-reviewed research and clinical reports on important trends and developments in physical medicine and rehabilitation and related fields. This international journal brings researchers and clinicians authoritative information on the therapeutic utilization of physical, behavioral and pharmaceutical agents in providing comprehensive care for individuals with chronic illness and disabilities.Archives began publication in 1920, publishes monthly, and is the official journal of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Its papers are cited more often than any other rehabilitation journal.You are also welcome to submit to Archives' open access companion title, Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Rehabilitation
Editor-in-chief Leighton ChanPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 3, Canada 2, Australia 2, Singapore 1 (8 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Stroke Rehabilitation and RecoveryMedicine16.1%
- Traumatic Brain Injury ResearchMedicine10.8%
- Cerebral Palsy and Movement DisordersMedicine9.8%
- Spinal Cord Injury ResearchMedicine7.8%
- Balance, Gait, and Falls PreventionHealth Professions6.5%
- Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitationMedicine5.5%
- Botulinum Toxin and Related Neurological DisordersMedicine3.8%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance3.3%
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 | Rehabilitation | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Sport Sciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Rehabilitation | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Sport Sciences | Zone 3 |
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 | Rehabilitation | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Sport Sciences | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
PubMedPublisher website
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
- 3.72LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.05LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.47LetPub ·
- h-index
- 169LetPub ·
- h-index
- 279OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 8,079OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.95OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 16.33%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 176LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 24,761 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 745 | 100 | 73 |
| 2025 | 830 | 124 | 656 |
| 2024 | 924 | 130 | 1,633 |
| 2023 | 552 | 178 | 3,507 |
| 2022 | 911 | 188 | 3,854 |
| 2021 | 831 | 227 | 6,581 |
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
155 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 106 days – 237 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 8 days (159 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 169 days
- Sample
- 159 articles with submission and acceptance dates (705 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)
- 2–4 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 69 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 151 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double 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 4,000 / EUR 3,740 / GBP 3,200 / JPY 496,120 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,500 | — | — |
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 prepare9 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 300 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 1
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 3,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
- Not considered
- case reports; animal studies
Article types accepted13, with length limits
- brief reportOriginal Research: Present new and important basic and clinical information, extend existing studies, or provide a new approach to a traditional subject. Manusc…Length not stated
- brief reportsBrief Reports: Provide preliminary communications of new data, research methods, new ideas, and techniques.Length not stated
- case reportOriginal Research: Present new and important basic and clinical information, extend existing studies, or provide a new approach to a traditional subject. Manusc…Length not stated
- commentaries (by invitation)Commentaries (by Invitation): Focus on issues in physical medicine and rehabilitation.Length not stated
- commentaryOriginal Research: Present new and important basic and clinical information, extend existing studies, or provide a new approach to a traditional subject. Manusc…Length not stated
- editorialOriginal Research: Present new and important basic and clinical information, extend existing studies, or provide a new approach to a traditional subject. Manusc…main text ≤ 1,000 words
- editorialsEditorials: Editorials published in Archives may only be written by the elected officers of ACRM, or by members of the Editorial Board.Length not stated
- information/educationInformation/Education: The ACRM Communications Committee has developed a new feature, Information/Education Pages, which appear in the Organization News section…Length not stated
- letterOriginal Research: Present new and important basic and clinical information, extend existing studies, or provide a new approach to a traditional subject. Manusc…Length not stated
- letters to the editorLetters to The Editor: Letters are published at the discretion of the Editorial Board and will only be considered if they directly relate to a published article…Length not stated
- measurement toolsMeasurement Tools: These instrument summaries, which appear in the Organization News section of Archives, are designed to facilitate the selection of outcome me…Length not stated
- opinionOriginal Research: Present new and important basic and clinical information, extend existing studies, or provide a new approach to a traditional subject. Manusc…Length not stated
- original researchOriginal Research: Present new and important basic and clinical information, extend existing studies, or provide a new approach to a traditional subject. Manusc…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Declaration of generative AI in scientific writing
The below guidance only refers to the writing process, and not to the use of AI tools to analyze and draw insights from data as part of the research process.Where authors use generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, authors should only use these technologies to improve readability and language. Applying the technology should be done with human ov…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship
The order of authorship is a joint decision of the coauthors. Archives follows the Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals guidelines which state authorship credit should be based only on substantial contributions to (1) conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data, (2) drafting the article …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Conflict of Interest (ICMJE form)
The Archives utilizes the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest.During original submission, the corresponding author completes and uploads an ICMJE form. If a revised paper is submitted, all authors must complete the ICMJE form.If any of the authors do have a conflict of interest, this should be clearly explained on the title page of the manuscript.Please see the ICMJE autho…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to complete a 'Journal Publishing Agreement' and copyright form (see more information on this). An e-mail will be sent to the corresponding author confirming receipt of the manuscript together with the appropriate forms or a link to the online versions of the forms.Subscribers may reproduce tables of contents or prepare lists of articles includi…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
Please visit our Open Access page for more information about open access publishing in this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review NEW- Peer Review
Double-blind peer review Model summary
Archives uses a double-blind peer-review process. The blinded submission should be submitted in a word document and should begin with a title followed by the abstract, keywords, list of abbreviations, body of the text, references, figure legends, and any relevant suppliers' list.The entire main body of text should be blinded as well including obvious references to institutions and names in the met…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint Policy
Preprint policy Model summary
The Archives will consider papers that are hosted on a preprint server. Authors should include the server name and a link to the preprint version of their manuscript in their cover letter. The Archives of PM&R reviews submissions on a double-blind basis; posting your work on a preprint server, or similarly posting your work in a registry such as ClinicalTrials.gov or Prospero, will disclose your i…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Reporting Guidelines and Checklists
To ensure a high and consistent quality of research reporting, original research articles, including brief reports, must contain sufficient information to allow readers to understand how a study was designed and conducted. For review articles, systematic or narrative, readers should be informed of the rationale and details behind the literature search strategy.To achieve this goal, Archives requir…
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
- W.B. Saunders Ltd
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1953
- ISSN
- 0003-9993
- Electronic ISSN
- 1532-821X
- Society / sponsor
- American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
What CAS zone is Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is in Zone 2 of Medicine, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Rehabilitation / Sport Sciences. 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 Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.72; CiteScore 6.2, h-index 279.
How long does peer review take at Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation?
Based on the dates recorded on 159 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 155 days (interquartile range 106–237 days); authors report an average review time of 2–4 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 Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 300 words; Keywords: ≥ 1; Manuscript length: ≤ 3,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Optional; 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 Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation based?
Of the 8 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (3), Canada (2) and Australia (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists PubMed; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation open access, and what is the APC?
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,000.
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 2026-08-28). Last updated: .