Journal profile · Neuroscience-Cognitive Neuroscience
Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences
ISSN 2352-1546 · eISSN 2352-1554 · Elsevier Ltd · United Kingdom
Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences: CAS Zone 2 · Psychology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.35; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,360; review about 123 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 114 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences is published by Elsevier Ltd and is in Zone 2 of Psychology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Neural dynamics and brain function, Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies and Memory and Neural Mechanisms, together about 26.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Cognitive Neuroscience. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences publishes invited short annotated reviews by leading experts on recent developments in the behavioral sciences.Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences takes a unique and valuable approach in designating each special issue around a topic of scientific and/or societal interest, and then bringing together leading international experts studying that topic, but from diverse methodologies and perspectives, e.g. human and animal laboratory testingsurvey and observational researchbehavioral and neuroscientific research with both healthy adults and special populationscomputational and genetic approachesThese experts write short reviews of recent (2-5 years) developments in the topic, as well as pointing out select individual papers of particular significance.The journal is thus an important resource allowing researchers and educators to quickly gain an overview and rich understanding of complex and current issues in the behavioral sciences.Journal Content The journal consists of 6 issues per year. Four issues cover topics in the following recurring categories: Cognition and PerceptionEmotion, Motivation, Personality and Social SciencesEvolution, Development and GeneticsMethodological, Computational and Translational AdvancesIn addition, 2 issues are allocated to Hot Topics.What Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences publishes - COBEHA distinctly publishes curated short review articles in the area of behavioral science in a Special Issue format. Each Special Issue focuses on a specific area of research with a broad appeal falls within the aims and scope of the journal. Special Issues provide an opportunity to integrate knowledge about the designated theme area from different subdisciplines and methodologies, examine previously unaddressed aspects, propose and develop new approaches, exchange perspectives, and encourage novel lines of research and debate.Expertise & the Editorial Process - The two Editors in Chief and the Editorial Board bring the depth and breadth of their experience and expertise to our journal. The Co-Editors in Chief do an initial review of unsolicited topic proposals sent to the journal and determine which should be put forward to the Editorial Board for consideration. They also work with the Editorial Board to identify important areas of research for which proposals should be invited, and to identify and vet the appropriate guest editors for each topic. The invited Guest Editors then create an author invite list, which the Co-Editors in Chief and Editorial Board review and augment to ensure appropriate coverage in topics, perspectives, and geographic and gender diversity.The editorial staff determines the suitability for review of manuscripts submitted by the invited authors for special issues. These manuscripts are then sent for external peer review by the Guest Editor via Editorial Manager. Each submission must be reviewed by no fewer than two independent experts who assess the quality, originality, and novelty of the work.To ensure thorough and fair review, COBEHA Guest Editors are not allowed to handle the review of their own contributions, nor are they privy to the referees' names or affiliations for any submission under consideration where a Guest Editor is a contributor. Guest Editors are required to declare any potential conflicts of interest for any submission, and to inform the journal Editors. The Co-Editors in Chief then determine the appropriate course of action. For additional information about the role and responsibility of Guest Editors, please review the Elsevier Guest Editor Guide.Once the issue has been compiled with all articles accepted the Editors in Chief perform a final evaluation of the articles to ensure that they are of suitable quality and that the Guest Editors have properly employed the peer review process.Discoverability - Articles get high visibility and maximum exposure on an industry-leading platform that reaches a vast global audience.Current
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Neuroscience-Cognitive Neuroscience
Editor-in-chief Verity BrownPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United Kingdom 7, United States 6, Canada 4, Japan 2, Switzerland 2 (26 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Neural dynamics and brain functionNeuroscience10.1%
- Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeuroscience8.5%
- Memory and Neural MechanismsNeuroscience8.4%
- Functional Brain Connectivity StudiesNeuroscience5.9%
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorPsychology5.8%
- Stress Responses and CortisolNeuroscience5%
- Mental Health Research TopicsPsychology5%
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeuroscience4.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Psychology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Psychology, Experimental | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: yes
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Psychology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Psychology, Experimental | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Psychology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Psychology, Experimental | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: yes
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
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
- 4.35LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 7.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 7.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.36LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.47LetPub ·
- h-index
- 122OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,064OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 6.19OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 9.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 56.49%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 101LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,569 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 31 | 24 | 8 |
| 2025 | 114 | 76 | 384 |
| 2024 | 106 | 76 | 1,161 |
| 2023 | 53 | 35 | 504 |
| 2022 | 106 | 58 | 2,020 |
| 2021 | 170 | 92 | 7,950 |
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
Too few articlesOnly 1 articles from the last 24 months carry both submission and acceptance dates, too few for a median
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".
Figures by source
- Submission to first decision
- 13 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 62 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 123 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 24 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 4,360 / EUR 4,080 / GBP 3,490 / JPY 540,770 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 2,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted2, with length limits
- opinionKey requirements for authors to take into account when preparing a Current Opinion paper:2000 word limit (excluding abstract, references and figure captions) ex…main text ≤ 2,000 words
- reviewKey requirements for authors to take into account when preparing a Current Opinion paper:2000 word limit (excluding abstract, references and figure captions) ex…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, 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 ·- 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 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.
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 Ltd
- Country or region
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2352-1546
- Electronic ISSN
- 2352-1554
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences
What CAS zone is Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences is in Zone 2 of Psychology, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Behavioral Sciences / Neurosciences / Psychology, Experimental. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Psychology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.35; CiteScore 7.5, h-index 122.
How long does peer review take at Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences?
The publisher reports about 123 days (submission to acceptance). 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 Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 2,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Required; 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 Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences based?
Of the 26 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (7), United States (6) and Canada (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Is Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences open access, and what is the APC?
Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,360.
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: .