Journal profile · Zoology
Behavioural Processes
ISSN 0376-6357 · eISSN 1872-8308 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Monthly · Founded 1976
Behavioural Processes: CAS Zone 4 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.59; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,550; median 166 days to acceptance (103 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 120 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Behavioural Processes is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 4 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Animal Behavior and Reproduction, Behavioral and Psychological Studies and Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies, together about 27.2% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Behavioural Processes is dedicated to the publication of high-quality original research on animal behaviour from any theoretical perspective. It welcomes contributions that consider animal behaviour from behavioural analytic, cognitive, ethological, ecological and evolutionary points of view. This list is not intended to be exhaustive, and papers that integrate theory and methodology across disciplines are particularly welcome.The quality of research and focus on behavioural processes are the sole criteria for acceptance. Behavioural Processes considers both papers investigating basic behavioural phenomena and behavioural studies of more applied significance. Papers reporting solely on human behaviour may be considered for publication if they relate closely to non-human research within the journal's remit. Authors of papers reporting research on human subjects are invited to contact the editors for advice prior to submission, as they are for papers of all kinds.Behavioural Processes publishes three categories of paper. First, regular Research Papers presenting the results of original experiments or outlining novel theoretical positions. Second, Reviews which summarize the state of knowledge in an area of animal behavioural research. Third, Short Reports which are short communications reporting the outcome of a single experiment in no more than 2000 words and a total of two tables or figures.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Zoology
Editor-in-chief J. M. VonkPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 22, Canada 9, United Kingdom 8, Australia 3, Germany 2 (51 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Animal Behavior and ReproductionAgricultural and Biological Sciences13.5%
- Behavioral and Psychological StudiesPsychology7.1%
- Animal Behavior and Welfare StudiesVeterinary6.6%
- Primate Behavior and EcologyPsychology5.9%
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.7%
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorPsychology5.5%
- Animal Vocal Communication and BehaviorBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.5%
- Memory and Neural MechanismsNeuroscience5.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Zoology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Biological | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Psychology, Biological | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Zoology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Zoology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Psychology, Biological | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
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
- 1.59LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 1.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.53LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.84LetPub ·
- h-index
- 69LetPub ·
- h-index
- 132OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,022OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.37OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 12.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 23.47%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 109LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 6,063 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 88 | 38 | 12 |
| 2025 | 120 | 41 | 151 |
| 2024 | 104 | 46 | 264 |
| 2023 | 117 | 60 | 621 |
| 2022 | 149 | 55 | 1,062 |
| 2021 | 175 | 40 | 1,284 |
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
166 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 131 days – 214 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (103 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 168 days
- Sample
- 103 articles with submission and acceptance dates (198 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)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 63 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 148 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 3,550 / EUR 3,320 / GBP 2,840 / JPY 440,310 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,690 | — | — |
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
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Vancouver
Article types accepted6, with length limits
- critical reviewsCritical Reviews which are polemical reviews of an area of animal behavioral research accompanied by a number of responses by peers in the area.Length not stated
- research paperBehavioural Processes publishes three categories of papers: Research Papers presenting the results of original experiments or outline novel theoretical position…Length not stated
- research papersResearch Papers presenting the results of original experiments or outline novel theoretical positions.Length not stated
- reviewBehavioural Processes publishes three categories of papers: Research Papers presenting the results of original experiments or outline novel theoretical position…Length not stated
- short communicationBehavioural Processes publishes three categories of papers: Research Papers presenting the results of original experiments or outline novel theoretical position…main text ≤ 2,000 words
- short reportsShort Reports which are short communications reporting the outcome of a single experiment in no more than 2000 words and a total of two tables or figures.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, 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
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 ·- Publication ethics
Publishing ethics policy Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
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 sharing allowed Model summary
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.
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
- 1976
- ISSN
- 0376-6357
- Electronic ISSN
- 1872-8308
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Behavioural Processes
What CAS zone is Behavioural Processes in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Behavioural Processes is in Zone 4 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Zoology / Behavioral Sciences / Psychology, Biological. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Behavioural Processes?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.59; CiteScore 3.2, h-index 132.
How long does peer review take at Behavioural Processes?
Based on the dates recorded on 103 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 166 days (interquartile range 131–214 days); authors report an average review time of 4–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “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 Behavioural Processes?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Vancouver. 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 Behavioural Processes based?
Of the 51 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (22), Canada (9) and United Kingdom (8). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Behavioural Processes?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Behavioural Processes is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Is Behavioural Processes open access, and what is the APC?
Behavioural Processes is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,550.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .