Journal profile · History & Philosophy Of Science
Biology & Philosophy
ISSN 0169-3867 · eISSN 1572-8404 · Springer Netherlands · NETHERLANDS · Bimonthly · Founded 1986
Biology & Philosophy: CAS Zone 3 · Philosophy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.26; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,190; median 310 days to acceptance (60 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 28 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI, AHCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Biology & Philosophy is published by Springer Netherlands and is in Zone 3 of Philosophy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Philosophy and History of Science, Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation and Evolution and Genetic Dynamics, together about 51.1% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
What we publish Biology & Philosophy aims to publish the best original work in philosophy of biology, broadly understood to span conceptual, theoretical, and methodological issues in the biological sciences. It is aimed at a broad readership across the sciences and humanities, and welcomes submissions from authors in these disciplines. Biology & Philosophy publishes Original Research articles. There is no fixed word count or page length, however the content of the article should warrant the length. In our experience this means articles are usually above 5,000 words and below 15,000 words. We are open to receive submissions that have a different length as long as the content and form adheres to that of a research article. Professional Standards Manuscripts submitted in Biology & Philosophy should take into account the existing literature on the topic of submission. Submissions that do not this will not be published. Blind Review Papers submitted to Biology & Philosophy should be prepared for blind review. Those that are not blinded will be returned to the author.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): History & Philosophy Of Science
Editor-in-chief Rachael BrownPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 26, Australia 5, United Kingdom 4, Canada 2, Mainland China 1 (44 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Philosophy and History of ScienceArts and Humanities23%
- Evolutionary Game Theory and CooperationSocial Sciences19.1%
- Evolution and Genetic DynamicsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology9.1%
- Evolution and Science EducationArts and Humanities5.7%
- Origins and Evolution of LifePhysics and Astronomy4.3%
- Language and cultural evolutionSocial Sciences4.1%
- Psychology of Moral and Emotional JudgmentNeuroscience3.2%
- Gene Regulatory Network AnalysisBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology2.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Philosophy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | History & Philosophy Of Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Philosophy Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | History & Philosophy Of Science | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Philosophy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | History & Philosophy Of Science | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIAHCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
ERIH PLUSCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
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
- 1.26LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.3Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.5LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.68LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.21LetPub ·
- h-index
- 45LetPub ·
- h-index
- 104OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 965OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.12OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 52.63%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 28LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 337,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,955 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 23 | 13 | 8 |
| 2025 | 28 | 23 | 35 |
| 2024 | 39 | 27 | 148 |
| 2023 | 48 | 37 | 351 |
| 2022 | 59 | 42 | 718 |
| 2021 | 56 | 34 | 1,036 |
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 Crossref · to
310 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 206 days – 371 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 20 days (60 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 339 days
- Sample
- 60 articles with submission and acceptance dates (64 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)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 18 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 3,190 / EUR 2,590 / GBP 2,290 | — | — |
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 prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 10,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted2, with length limits
- editorialDouble-blind peer review This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout p…Length not stated
- standard research articlees. Most of the articles we publish are standard research articles of 10,000 words or fewer. Occasionally, Biology & Philosophy will publish tmain text ≤ 10,000 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Biology & Philosophy, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Double-blind peer review
This journal follows a double-blind reviewing procedure. This means that the author will remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout peer review. It is the responsibility of the author to anonymize the manuscript and any associated materials. Author names, affiliations and any other potentially identifying information should be removed from the manuscript text and any accompanying files (such as …
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
- Springer Netherlands
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1986
- ISSN
- 0169-3867
- Electronic ISSN
- 1572-8404
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Biology & Philosophy
What CAS zone is Biology & Philosophy in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Biology & Philosophy is in Zone 3 of Philosophy, and in Zone 3 of the minor category History & Philosophy Of Science. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Philosophy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Biology & Philosophy?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.26; CiteScore 3.5, h-index 104.
How long does peer review take at Biology & Philosophy?
Based on the dates recorded on 60 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 310 days (interquartile range 206–371 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 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 Biology & Philosophy?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 10,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Optional. 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 & Philosophy based?
Of the 44 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 2%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (26), Australia (5) and United Kingdom (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Biology & Philosophy?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Biology & Philosophy is indexed in SCIE, SSCI, AHCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists ERIH PLUS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Biology & Philosophy open access, and what is the APC?
Biology & Philosophy is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,190.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; 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: .