Journal profile · BIOLOGY
Biology Open
ISSN 2046-6390 · Company of Biologists Ltd · ENGLAND
Biology Open: CAS Zone 4 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.74; fully open access; APC about USD 2,500; median 84 days to acceptance (98 articles, last 24 months); 226 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Biology Open is published by Company of Biologists Ltd 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 Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research, Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation and Physiological and biochemical adaptations, together about 20.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology and Cell Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Biology Open (BiO) is an online Open Access journal that publishes peer-reviewed original research in all areas of the biological and biomedical sciences. It is a requirement for consideration at BiO that the work addresses a clearly stated, non-trivial, biological hypothesis. BiO does not consider articles in pure physics, chemistry, engineering, earth sciences, agriculture, clinical studies, surgical procedures, public health, and homeopathy, complementary or alternative medicine. Editors will also consider Methods & Techniques papers, papers on computational analysis, replication studies, and rigorous reports presenting negative results. Last updated: 24 June 2025
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): BIOLOGY
Editor-in-chief Daniel GorelickPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 5%); most named United States 19, United Kingdom 19, Mainland China 3, Germany 3, Australia 3 (57 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology ResearchNeuroscience7.4%
- Developmental Biology and Gene RegulationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.1%
- Physiological and biochemical adaptationsEnvironmental Science6.4%
- Cellular Mechanics and InteractionsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.3%
- Microtubule and mitosis dynamicsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.3%
- Pluripotent Stem Cells ResearchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.2%
- Animal Behavior and ReproductionAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.1%
- Cellular transport and secretionBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.6%
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 | Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biology | 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 | Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
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
- 1.74LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.8LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.67LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.58LetPub ·
- h-index
- 31LetPub ·
- h-index
- 78OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,433OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.73OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.6%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 159LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,836 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 173 | 173 | 48 |
| 2025 | 226 | 226 | 381 |
| 2024 | 176 | 176 | 566 |
| 2023 | 153 | 153 | 835 |
| 2022 | 179 | 179 | 1,292 |
| 2021 | 167 | 167 | 1,836 |
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
84 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 43 days – 133 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 31 days (98 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 120 days
- Sample
- 98 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 8 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 1 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 8 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 44 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 8 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 8 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Open 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 | USD 2,500 | Yes | CC BY | |
| OpenAlex | USD 1,995 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 1,995 | Yes | — |
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Colour charges
- No colour charges
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 prepare7 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 200 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 3
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,000 words
- Reference style
- Harvard
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted6
- methods & techniquesBiO accepts transferred Research articles in short and long format (e.g. Short reports, Research Reports) and Methods & Techniques type papers (e.g. Tools & Tec…Length not stated
- research articlesResearch Articles should be fully documented reports of original research and are always peer reviewed.Length not stated
- research reportsBiO accepts transferred Research articles in short and long format (e.g. Short reports, Research Reports)Length not stated
- resourcesBiO accepts transferred Research articles in short and long format (e.g. Short reports, Research Reports) and Methods & Techniques type papers (e.g. Tools & Tec…Length not stated
- short reportsBiO accepts transferred Research articles in short and long format (e.g. Short reports, Research Reports)Length not stated
- tools & techniquesBiO accepts transferred Research articles in short and long format (e.g. Short reports, Research Reports) and Methods & Techniques type papers (e.g. Tools & Tec…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteConflicts of interest, Data availability, Peer review, Preprints
- Conflicts of interest Competing interests
Include a statement to identify any potential influences that readers may need to know about when thinking about the implications of the presented research. For more specific information regarding the affiliations and associations that must be disclosed, please see our Journal Policies page. Authors without financial or competing interests should explicitly assert this and include the statement ‘N…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Endorses Force 11 Data Citation Principles. Model summary
BiO endorses the Force 11 Data Citation Principles and recommends that references to datasets should also be included in the reference list with DOIs/accession numbers and hyperlinks, where available.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Fast & Fair peer review
Supports ICMJE policies. Model summary
We are excited to be launching the next phase of our Fast & Fair peer review initiative: offering high-quality peer review within 7 working days. Our goal is to minimise delays associated with peer review while maintaining the highest standards of rigour and integrity. To learn more about our progress and future plans, read the Editorial by Daniel Gorelick, or visit the Fast & Fair peer review pag…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint server
Baillie-Johnson, P., van den Brink, S. C., Balayo, T., Turner, D. A. and Martinez Arias, A. (2014). Generation of aggregates of mouse ES cells that show symmetry breaking, polarisation and emergent collective behaviour in vitro. bioRxiv doi:10.1101/005215. PhD thesis Jones, A. R. (2016). Title of thesis. PhD thesis, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Dataset with persistent identifier Zheng, L…
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
- Company of Biologists Ltd
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2046-6390
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 15, Issue 8 (August 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Biology Open
What CAS zone is Biology Open in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Biology Open is in Zone 4 of Biology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Biology. 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 Biology Open?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.74; CiteScore 2.8, h-index 78.
How long does peer review take at Biology Open?
Based on the dates recorded on 98 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 84 days (interquartile range 43–133 days); authors report an average review time of about 8 weeks. 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 Biology Open?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 200 words; Keywords: ≥ 3; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,000 words; Reference style: Harvard; 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 Biology Open based?
Of the 57 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 5%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (19), United Kingdom (19) and Mainland China (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Biology Open?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Biology Open is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Biology Open open access, and what is the APC?
Biology Open is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 2,500.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex, DOAJ; 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: .