Journal profile · Microbiology
Critical Reviews in Microbiology
ISSN 1040-841X · eISSN 1549-7828 · Informa Healthcare · UNITED STATES · Quarterly · Founded 1980
Critical Reviews in Microbiology: CAS Zone 2 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 6.96; hybrid open access; median 182 days to acceptance (97 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: moderate; 55 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Critical Reviews in Microbiology is published by Informa Healthcare and is in Zone 2 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing, Gut microbiota and health and Bacteriophages and microbial interactions, together about 22.6% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Aims and scopeJournal metrics Editorial board Critical Reviews in Microbiology is an international, peer-reviewed journal that publishes authoritative, analytical, and comprehensive reviews across all areas of microbiology relevant to humans, animals, and the environment. The journal seeks contributions from recognized experts who can critically evaluate and synthesize current knowledge, identify gaps, and propose future directions for the field. The scope includes, but is not limited to medical, veterinary, environmental and applied microbiology. Within these areas we welcome reviews exploring: Microbial pathogenesis Engineering biology Molecular biology Immunopathogenicity Vaccine development Microbial physiology Microbial biochemistry Structural microbiology Epidemiology Clinical aspects of bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic diseases. Submissions must go beyond description to provide critical insight, balanced evaluation, and thought-provoking perspectives that advance understanding and guide research or clinical practice. Authors are expected to demonstrate their expertise by drawing on an extensive body of literature and, in their covering letter, provide evidence of their authority in the subject area with reference to at least three relevant publications. We do not accept reviews that are simply a compendium of facts about a subject area. The Editors welcome both uninvited submissions and suggestions for topics accompanied by an abstract. Only review articles will be considered. Peer Review Policy All manuscript submissions are subject to initial appraisal by the Editor, and, if found suitable for further consideration, are peer reviewed by independent, expert referees. All peer review is double anonymized and submission is online via ScholarOne. Read full aims and scope
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Microbiology
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.8%
- Gut microbiota and healthBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.7%
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactionsEnvironmental Science7.1%
- Antibiotic Resistance in BacteriaBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.4%
- Probiotics and Fermented FoodsAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.9%
- Antifungal resistance and susceptibilityMedicine5.4%
- Bacterial Genetics and BiotechnologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.3%
- Vibrio bacteria research studiesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: yes
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: yes
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
- 6.96LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 14.3LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.83LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.86LetPub ·
- h-index
- 76LetPub ·
- h-index
- 148OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 817OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 7.66OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 16.03%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 57LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,015 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 36 | 8 | 25 |
| 2025 | 55 | 20 | 276 |
| 2024 | 55 | 15 | 818 |
| 2023 | 45 | 14 | 1,009 |
| 2022 | 54 | 12 | 1,467 |
| 2021 | 67 | 18 | 3,614 |
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
182 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 130 days – 266 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 12 days (97 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 198 days
- Sample
- 97 articles with submission and acceptance dates (104 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 acceptance (community reports)
- ModerateLetPub ·
- 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.
No source has fee information yet; check the journal's website.
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)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access
- Open access Open access
Overview Open journals Open Select Dove Medical Press F1000Research
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
- Informa Healthcare
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 1980
- ISSN
- 1040-841X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1549-7828
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 52, Issue 5 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Critical Reviews in Microbiology
What CAS zone is Critical Reviews in Microbiology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Critical Reviews in Microbiology is in Zone 2 of Biology, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Microbiology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Critical Reviews in Microbiology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 6.96; CiteScore 14.3, h-index 148.
How long does peer review take at Critical Reviews in Microbiology?
Based on the dates recorded on 97 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 182 days (interquartile range 130–266 days); the community-reported acceptance is “Moderate”. 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.
Which databases index Critical Reviews in Microbiology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Critical Reviews in Microbiology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Critical Reviews in Microbiology open access, and what is the APC?
Critical Reviews in Microbiology is a hybrid journal. Fee information is not available yet; check the journal's website.
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: .