Journal profile · Endocrinology & Metabolism
Bone
ISSN 8756-3282 · eISSN 1873-2763 · Elsevier Inc. · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1985
Bone: CAS Zone 2 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.91; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,960; median 100 days to acceptance (123 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 301 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Bone is published by Elsevier Inc. 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 Bone health and osteoporosis research, Bone health and treatments and Bone Metabolism and Diseases, together about 51.1% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
BONE is an interdisciplinary forum for the rapid publication of original articles and reviews on basic, translational, and clinical aspects of bone and mineral metabolism, including rare bone diseases. The Journal also encourages submissions related to interactions of bone with other organ systems, including cartilage, tendon and other connective tissues, endocrine, muscle, fat, neural, vascular, gastrointestinal, hematopoietic, and immune systems. Particular attention is placed on the application of artificial intelligence and experimental studies to clinical practice.US National Institutes of Health (NIH) voluntary posting ("Public Access") policy.BONE and Elsevier facilitate the author's response to the NIH Public Access Policy. For more details please see the Guide for authors.Original research articles and case reports can also be submitted to BONE's Gold Open Access companion title, Bone Reports.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Endocrinology & Metabolism
Editor-in-chief Peter EbelingPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 13 in mainland China (about 9%); most named United States 60, Mainland China 13, Australia 12, Japan 10, Canada 10 (143 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Bone health and osteoporosis researchMedicine22%
- Bone health and treatmentsMedicine16%
- Bone Metabolism and DiseasesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology13.1%
- Bone and Joint DiseasesMedicine4.9%
- Parathyroid Disorders and TreatmentsMedicine4.2%
- Vitamin D Research StudiesMedicine4%
- Bone fractures and treatmentsMedicine3.7%
- Hip and Femur FracturesMedicine3%
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 | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Endocrinology & Metabolism | 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 | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
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.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.91LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 7.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 7.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.34LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.38LetPub ·
- h-index
- 183LetPub ·
- h-index
- 271OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 8,242OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.59OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 35.83%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 257LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 19,333 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 276 | 146 | 83 |
| 2025 | 301 | 168 | 842 |
| 2024 | 285 | 164 | 2,166 |
| 2023 | 221 | 131 | 2,332 |
| 2022 | 237 | 119 | 3,853 |
| 2021 | 359 | 192 | 7,133 |
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
100 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 76 days – 149 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 3 days (123 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 106 days
- Sample
- 123 articles with submission and acceptance dates (691 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
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 37 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 89 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 3 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 3,960 / EUR 3,700 / GBP 3,170 / JPY 491,160 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,180 | — | — |
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 prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Not considered
- Bibliometric Analysis; Mendelian Randomization
Article types accepted15, with length limits
- announcementsAnnouncementsLength not stated
- case reportCase ReportLength not stated
- editorial or commentaryEditorial or CommentaryLength not stated
- erratum/corrigendumErratum/CorrigendumLength not stated
- hypothesisTypes of articles Bone accepts include:MemoriamEditorial or CommentaryReviewOriginal ArticlesRegistered ReportsRapid CommunicationCase ReportTechnical NoteLette…Length not stated
- letterTypes of articles Bone accepts include:MemoriamEditorial or CommentaryReviewOriginal ArticlesRegistered ReportsRapid CommunicationCase ReportTechnical NoteLette…Length not stated
- letters and response to letter to the editorLetters and Response to Letter to the EditorLength not stated
- memoriamMemoriamLength not stated
- original articlesOriginal ArticlesLength not stated
- rapid communicationRapid CommunicationLength not stated
- registered reportTypes of articles Bone accepts include:MemoriamEditorial or CommentaryReviewOriginal ArticlesRegistered ReportsRapid CommunicationCase ReportTechnical NoteLette…Length not stated
- registered reportsRegistered ReportsLength not stated
- reviewReviewLength not stated
- review articleTypes of articles Bone accepts include:MemoriamEditorial or CommentaryReviewOriginal ArticlesRegistered ReportsRapid CommunicationCase ReportTechnical NoteLette…main text ≤ 10,000 words
- technical noteTechnical NoteLength 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. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
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 Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1985
- ISSN
- 8756-3282
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-2763
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Bone
What CAS zone is Bone in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Bone is in Zone 2 of Medicine, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Endocrinology & Metabolism. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Bone?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.91; CiteScore 7.5, h-index 271.
How long does peer review take at Bone?
Based on the dates recorded on 123 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 100 days (interquartile range 76–149 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 Bone?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Optional; Graphical abstract: 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 Bone based?
Of the 143 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 13 (about 9%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (60), Mainland China (13) and Australia (12). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Bone?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Bone is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Bone open access, and what is the APC?
Bone is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,960.
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: .