Behavioral Neuroscience

Behavioral Neuroscience is published by American Psychological Association 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 Memory and Neural Mechanisms, Stress Responses and Cortisol and Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research, together about 43.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Cognitive Neuroscience. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)

The primary mission of Behavioral Neuroscience® is to publish original research articles as well as reviews in the broad field of the neural bases of behavior.We seek empirical papers reporting novel results that provide insight into the mechanisms by which nervous systems produce and are affected by behavior. Experimental subjects may include human and non-human animals and may address any phase of the lifespan, from early development to senescence.Studies employing brain-imaging techniques in normal and pathological human populations are encouraged, as are studies using non-traditional species (including invertebrates) and employing comparative analyses. Studies using computational approaches to understand behavior and cognition are particularly encouraged.In addition to behavior, it is expected that some aspect of nervous system function will be manipulated or observed, ranging across molecular, cellular, neuroanatomical, neuroendocrinological, neuropharmacological, and neurophysiological levels of analysis. Behavioral studies are welcome so long as their implications for our understanding of the nervous system are clearly described in the paper.Behavioral Neuroscience primarily publishes original research articles reporting novel findings. However, the journal also publishes registered reports, negative findings, and replications of previously reported findings. Preregistration of replication studies is strongly recommended, but not required.We offer the option to publish under either a subscription model at no charge or under an open access model for a modest fee.Each of these article types may be full-length research papers or brief communications. Brief communications are limited to 3,250 words of text and two figures and/or tables. When appropriate, commentaries on research papers are invited by the editors.We welcome reviews on any theoretical, empirical, or historical topic related to the role of the nervous system in the production of behavior.Inquiries about potential review topics can be addressed to the editor.Relevant information for each of these article types can be found under the Manuscript Submission tab.Topic areas covered by the journal include:learning and memory, attention, decision makingperception, spatial cognition, sensorimotor processing and integrationhuman and non-human animal cognition and emotionmolecular, cellular, and circuit level analyses of behavior and cognitionmotivation, reward, homeostasis and biorhythmsanimal models of psychopathology, addiction, and neurodegenerative disordersdevelopmental and lifespan analysesDisclaimer: APA and the editors of Behavioral Neuroscience® assume no responsibility for statements and opinions advanced by the authors of its articles. More About The Journal

From the journal's Aims & Scope

Research area (LetPub): Behavioral Sciences

Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 3%); most named United States 94, Canada 7, Australia 5, Mainland China 3, United Kingdom 3 (118 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website · 2026-09-29

CAS Journal Ranking

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.

Impact

Impact factor

1.83LetPub · 2026-09-13

Impact factor (publisher)

1.9Publisher website · 2026-09-29

5-year impact factor (publisher)

2.2Publisher website · 2026-09-29

CiteScore 2026-06

3.6LetPub · 2026-09-13

SJR 2026-06

0.8LetPub · 2026-09-13

SNIP 2026-06

0.64LetPub · 2026-09-13

h-index

129LetPub · 2026-09-13

h-index

232OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

i10-index

5,491OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

2-year mean citedness

1.73OpenAlex · 2026-10-01

Self-citation rate

5.3%LetPub · 2026-09-13

Share of gold OA articles

52.17%LetPub · 2026-09-13

Volume

Articles per year

26LetPub · 2026-09-13

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.

Average review time (community reports)

6–12 weeksLetPub · 2026-09-13

Average acceptance (community reports)

Fairly easyLetPub · 2026-09-13

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.

No source has fee information yet; check the journal's website.

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.

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.

Publisher

American Psychological Association Inc.

Country or region

UNITED STATES

Language

English

Frequency

Bimonthly

Founded

1983

ISSN

0735-7044

Electronic ISSN

1939-0084

Official links

• Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
• Submission system ↗Publisher website
• Special issues ↗Publisher website