Journal profile · Neurosciences
Brain Research Bulletin
ISSN 0361-9230 · eISSN 1873-2747 · Elsevier Inc. · UNITED STATES · Semimonthly · Founded 1976
Brain Research Bulletin: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.48; fully open access; APC about USD 3,280; median 98 days to acceptance (117 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 50%; 484 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Brain Research Bulletin is published by Elsevier Inc. and is in Zone 3 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research, Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior and Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior, together about 29% of its articles. Its main subfields are Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Brain Research Bulletin (BRB) is an open access, peer-reviewed journal which publishes novel, scientifically accurate research across all aspects of neuroscience research. Our journal accepts only clinical and behavioral papers if they demonstrate an impact on a process (or processes) in the brain. The journal sections include Aging Neuroscience, Computational Neuroscience, Mechanisms of Behavior & Cognition, Mechanisms of Neuronal Development and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Neurobiology of Psychiatric Disorders, Neurodegenerative and Neuroinflammatory Disorders, Neurogenetics, Neuroimmune and Neuro-Glia Interactions, Neuropharmacological Mechanisms and Neurotherapeutics, Stem Cells and Neural Repair, Neuroimaging, Translational and Clinical Neuroscience, and Multidisciplinary Brain Research. The Multidisciplinary Brain Research Section is dedicated to the mathematics and physics of the brain and its biological and clinical implications.For research papers we encourage to study males and females. If only one sex or gender has been used, then this limitation needs to be discussed. Full-length western blots need to be shown in supplemental figures. Our journal will not publish work with chemically undefined plant extracts nor electro acupuncture experiments, as they do not provide sufficient mechanistic insights into nervous system function. Moreover, we do not publish bibliometric papers.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Neurosciences
Editor-in-chief Peter GiesePublisher website
Editorial board by country: 11 in mainland China (about 14%); most named United States 26, United Kingdom 14, Mainland China 11, Japan 4, Germany 4 (81 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeuroscience17%
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorPsychology6%
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeuroscience6%
- Neuropeptides and Animal PhysiologyNeuroscience5.4%
- Stress Responses and CortisolNeuroscience5.1%
- Receptor Mechanisms and SignalingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.1%
- Memory and Neural MechanismsNeuroscience4.8%
- Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsNeuroscience4.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 3 |
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
- 4.48LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.25LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.99LetPub ·
- h-index
- 118LetPub ·
- h-index
- 204OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 7,737OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.72OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 449LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 12,196 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 382 | 382 | 169 |
| 2025 | 484 | 484 | 1,671 |
| 2024 | 280 | 280 | 2,418 |
| 2023 | 210 | 210 | 2,621 |
| 2022 | 253 | 107 | 4,468 |
| 2021 | 283 | 57 | 5,384 |
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
98 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 79 days – 151 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (117 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 100 days
- Sample
- 117 articles with submission and acceptance dates (955 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 1.5 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 50%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 46 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 106 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Anonymous peer reviewLetPub
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 accessOpenAlex
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,280 / EUR 3,070 / GBP 2,630 / JPY 406,820 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 3,610 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,610 | — | — |
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)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Not considered
- chemically undefined plant extracts; electro acupuncture experiments; bibliometric papers
Article types accepted4
- registered reportThis journal supports Registered Reports as article type, allowing you to have your research reviewed and pre-registered prior to conducting your experiments. P…Length not stated
- registered reportsThis journal supports Registered Reports as article type, allowing you to have your research reviewed and pre-registered prior to conducting your experiments.Length not stated
- research articlesIn addition to reports of original research, the journal also publishes short actualized reviews on emerging areas of neuroscience, methodological developments,…Length not stated
- reviewsBrain Research Bulletin is dedicated to the rapid publication of significant research articles and reviews in all areas of the neurosciences.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, 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 ·- Data availability
Data statement required at submission Model summary
To foster transparency, you are required to state the availability of any data at submission.
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
- Semimonthly
- Founded
- 1976
- ISSN
- 0361-9230
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-2747
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Brain Research Bulletin
What CAS zone is Brain Research Bulletin in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Brain Research Bulletin is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Neurosciences. 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 Brain Research Bulletin?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.48; CiteScore 5.9, h-index 204.
How long does peer review take at Brain Research Bulletin?
Based on the dates recorded on 117 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 98 days (interquartile range 79–151 days); authors report an average review time of about 1.5 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 50%”. 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 Brain Research Bulletin?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation. 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 Brain Research Bulletin based?
Of the 81 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 11 (about 14%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (26), United Kingdom (14) and Mainland China (11). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Brain Research Bulletin?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Brain Research Bulletin is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Brain Research Bulletin open access, and what is the APC?
Brain Research Bulletin is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 3,280.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .