Journal profile · Developmental Biology
Differentiation
ISSN 0301-4681 · eISSN 1432-0436 · Elsevier BV · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1973
Differentiation: CAS Zone 3 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.93; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,000; median 100 days to acceptance (86 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 55 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Differentiation is published by Elsevier BV and is in Zone 3 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Pluripotent Stem Cells Research, Cellular Mechanics and Interactions and Skin and Cellular Biology Research, together about 20% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Differentiation is a journal published on behalf of the International Society of Differentiation. It publishes articles on cell & tissue differentiation, organogenesis, development, cellular structure and function. Submissions on differentiation at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels, and the use of transgenic, targeted mutagenesis, transcriptomic, computational and synthetic approaches to problems of differentiation are particularly welcomed.Differentiation publishes full-length articles and research reports containing original work in any of these areas. We also welcome reviews and commentaries on topics of current interest, as well as perspectives.The journal publishes topics including: • Embryonic patterning and organogenesis in diverse research organisms • Human development and congenital malformation • Mechanisms of cell lineage commitment • Stem cell differentiation • Cell reprogramming mechanisms • Stability of the differentiated state • Cell and tissue interactions in vivo and in vitro • Signal transduction pathways in development and differentiation • Differentiation in regeneration and ageing • Therapeutic and synthetic applications of differentiation processes
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Developmental Biology
Editor-in-chief Loydie Jerome-MajewskaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 31, Canada 9, India 5, United Kingdom 2, Australia 2 (57 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Pluripotent Stem Cells ResearchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8.4%
- Cellular Mechanics and InteractionsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.8%
- Skin and Cellular Biology ResearchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.8%
- Tissue Engineering and Regenerative MedicineMedicine5.1%
- Animal Genetics and ReproductionBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.1%
- Developmental Biology and Gene RegulationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.8%
- Renal and related cancersBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.6%
- Cell Adhesion Molecules ResearchMedicine4.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Developmental Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Developmental Biology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Developmental Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview 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
- 3.93LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.14LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.03LetPub ·
- h-index
- 90LetPub ·
- h-index
- 147OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,430OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.36OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 25.2%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 47LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,865 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 34 | 12 | 9 |
| 2025 | 55 | 22 | 100 |
| 2024 | 40 | 25 | 324 |
| 2023 | 53 | 24 | 353 |
| 2022 | 43 | 15 | 508 |
| 2021 | 31 | 4 | 245 |
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 68 days – 146 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 1 days (86 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 101 days
- Sample
- 86 articles with submission and acceptance dates (94 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)
- 6–12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 33 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 94 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 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 3,000 / EUR 2,810 / GBP 2,400 / JPY 372,090 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,175 | — | — |
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)
Open calls for papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteArticle types accepted8, with length limits
- editorialDifferentiation will consider original manuscripts multiple areas of cell and developmental biology including:• embryonic patterning and organogenesis in divers…Length not stated
- hypothesisDifferentiation will consider original manuscripts multiple areas of cell and developmental biology including:• embryonic patterning and organogenesis in divers…Length not stated
- original researchDifferentiation will consider original manuscripts multiple areas of cell and developmental biology including:• embryonic patterning and organogenesis in divers…Length not stated
- original research paperDifferentiation will consider original manuscripts multiple areas of cell and developmental biology including:• embryonic patterning and organogenesis in divers…Length not stated
- perspectivePerspectives are intended to raise new ideas, challenge current dogma, or provide opinions on scientific topics relevant to the community. An abstract is requir…Length not stated
- review articleReview ArticleReview articles are intended to reach a broad audience of readers, from established investigators in the field of differentiation to new graduate …Length not stated
- short communicationa single scientific conclusion. Typical short communications are in the range of 2,000-3,000 words. Technical Note With rapid advances in techniques to visualmain text ≤ 3,000 words
- technical noteTechnical NoteWith rapid advances in techniques to visualize and define biological processes, technical notes provide a space for the publication of novel proto…Length 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
Editable source files required; .doc/.docx for Word, .tex for LaTeX; PDF not acceptable. Model summary
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
Follow Elsevier's 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; minimum two reviewers; editors make final decisions; appeal policy applies. 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 and does not count as prior publication. 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.
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 BV
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1973
- ISSN
- 0301-4681
- Electronic ISSN
- 1432-0436
- Society / sponsor
- International Society of Differentiation
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Differentiation
What CAS zone is Differentiation in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Differentiation is in Zone 3 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Developmental Biology / Cell Biology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Differentiation?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.93; CiteScore 4.8, h-index 147.
How long does peer review take at Differentiation?
Based on the dates recorded on 86 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 100 days (interquartile range 68–146 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Differentiation based?
Of the 57 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (31), Canada (9) and India (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Differentiation?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Differentiation is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Differentiation open access, and what is the APC?
Differentiation is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,000.
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: .