Journal profile · MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES
Data in Brief
ISSN 2352-3409 · Elsevier · United States
Data in Brief: CAS Zone 4 · Multidisciplinary (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.9 (journal website); fully open access; APC about USD 1,330; median 77 days to acceptance (134 articles, last 24 months); 1,146 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
FAQs Data in Brief .Data in Brief is a multidisciplinary, open access, peer-reviewed journal, which mainly publishes short, digestible data articles that describe and provide access to research data. In addition, it publishes review and perspective articles that elaborate on data sharing practices, and letters to editors that comment on datasets previously published in Data in Brief. Data in Brief contributes contributes to open science and improves reproducibility by making data and the associated research more discoverable, opening doors for collaboration, and reducing duplication of effort.Data in Brief supports the FAIR Data Principles, which state that research data should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. Therefore, the mission of Data in Brief is to make research data accessible, discoverable, citable, comprehensible, reviewed, reproducible and reusable.The journal welcomes submissions from all subject areas. Submissions regarding data from preliminary research, replication studies, proof of concept research, and negative results are also welcome.To merit publication in Data in Brief, data should be collected using a scientific method and have value to the research community. Data in Brief does not accept submissions of data descriptions that have already been published as supplementary material in an original research article. Please see "What data are suitable for Data in Brief?" for more details.If this journal is a good fit for your research data, you can find out more via the Guide for Authors and are invited to submit your manuscript using the Data in Brief template.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES
Editor-in-chief Nicholas PullenPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 13 in mainland China (about 11%); most named United States 28, Italy 14, Mainland China 13, United Kingdom 9, Spain 8 (119 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Genomics and Phylogenetic StudiesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology14.1%
- Smart Agriculture and AIAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.9%
- Microbial Community Ecology and PhysiologyEnvironmental Science5.5%
- Remote Sensing in AgricultureEnvironmental Science5.1%
- Advanced Proteomics Techniques and ApplicationsChemistry5%
- Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry StudiesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.8%
- Spectroscopy and Chemometric AnalysesChemistry4.8%
- Building Energy and Comfort OptimizationEngineering4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Multidisciplinary Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Multidisciplinary Sciences | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Multidisciplinary Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Multidisciplinary Sciences | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusDOAJLetPub
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 (publisher)
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.61LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.22LetPub ·
- h-index
- 81OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,889OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.74OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 10.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 1,084LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 13,195 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 865 | 865 | 249 |
| 2025 | 1,146 | 1,146 | 2,347 |
| 2024 | 1,230 | 1,230 | 6,281 |
| 2023 | 1,050 | 1,050 | 8,352 |
| 2022 | 1,070 | 1,070 | 7,710 |
| 2021 | 1,060 | 1,060 | 8,546 |
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
77 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 42 days – 107 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 5 days (134 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 80 days
- Sample
- 134 articles with submission and acceptance dates (2,368 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 4 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 7 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 48 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 84 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 7 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 15 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
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 accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 1,330 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC | |
| OpenAlex | USD 1,220 / EUR 1,140 / GBP 980 / JPY 151,320 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 530 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 1,600 | — | — |
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Submission fee
- Charged; see the journal's website for the amount
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 prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
Article types accepted9
- data articleData in Brief publishes scientific articles describing datasets or data related practices. Five types of submissions are published by Data in Brief: 1. Data art…Length not stated
- data articlesData articles describe research data that the authors have made publicly available through a repository.Length not stated
- editorialData in Brief publishes scientific articles describing datasets or data related practices. Five types of submissions are published by Data in Brief: 1. Data art…Length not stated
- letter to the editorData in Brief publishes scientific articles describing datasets or data related practices. Five types of submissions are published by Data in Brief: 1. Data art…Length not stated
- letters to the editorData in Brief publishes scientific articles describing datasets or data related practices. Five types of submissions are published by Data in Brief: 1. Data art…Length not stated
- perspectivesPerspectives provide an overview of data-related practices in a specific field, and present recommendations for data management and sharing.Length not stated
- reviewData in Brief publishes scientific articles describing datasets or data related practices. Five types of submissions are published by Data in Brief: 1. Data art…Length not stated
- reviewsReviews provide a general overview of the data-related practices in a specific research field, looking at what has been, or is currently, done.Length not stated
- update articlesUpdate articles describe a significant update to a dataset previously published in Data in Brief.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
Supports FAIR Data Principles Model summary
Data in Brief supports the FAIR Data Principles, which state that research data should be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.
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
Free preprint posting service on SSRN 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
- Country or region
- United States
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2352-3409
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Data in Brief
What CAS zone is Data in Brief in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Data in Brief is in Zone 4 of Multidisciplinary, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Multidisciplinary Sciences. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Multidisciplinary. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Data in Brief?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 1.9; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 3.4, h-index 81.
How long does peer review take at Data in Brief?
Based on the dates recorded on 134 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 77 days (interquartile range 42–107 days); authors report an average review time of about 4 weeks. 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 Data in Brief?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required. 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 Data in Brief based?
Of the 119 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 13 (about 11%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (28), Italy (14) and Mainland China (13). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Data in Brief?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Data in Brief is indexed in ESCI, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Data in Brief open access, and what is the APC?
Data in Brief is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 1,330.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex, DOAJ; 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: .