Journal profile · Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Digestive Diseases and Sciences
ISSN 0163-2116 · eISSN 1573-2568 · Springer US · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1956
Digestive Diseases and Sciences: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.81; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,390; median 50 days to acceptance (116 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 41.66%; 827 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Digestive Diseases and Sciences is published by Springer US and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Helicobacter pylori-related gastroenterology studies, Gastrointestinal motility and disorders and Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment, together about 24.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Surgery. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Digestive Diseases and Sciences publishes high-quality, peer-reviewed, original papers addressing aspects of basic/translational and clinical research in gastroenterology, hepatology, and related fields. This well-illustrated journal features comprehensive coverage of basic pathophysiology, new technological advances, and clinical breakthroughs; insights from prominent academicians and practitioners concerning new scientific developments and practical medical issues; and discussions focusing on the latest changes in local and worldwide social, economic, and governmental policies that affect the delivery of care within the disciplines of gastroenterology and hepatology.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Editor-in-chief Jonathan D. KaunitzPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 61, South Korea 5, Japan 4, Italy 3, India 2 (85 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Helicobacter pylori-related gastroenterology studiesMedicine9%
- Gastrointestinal motility and disordersMedicine7.7%
- Liver Disease Diagnosis and TreatmentMedicine7.6%
- Gastroesophageal reflux and treatmentsMedicine7.4%
- Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.4%
- Liver Disease and TransplantationMedicine5.1%
- Pancreatitis Pathology and TreatmentMedicine4.8%
- Microscopic ColitisMedicine4.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Gastroenterology & Hepatology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Gastroenterology & Hepatology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Gastroenterology & Hepatology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEEmbaseCASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, Semantic Scholar
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
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
- 2.81LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.8Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.4LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.92LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.89LetPub ·
- h-index
- 113LetPub ·
- h-index
- 205OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 13,921OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.88OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 3.6%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 24.79%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 490LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 5Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 2,300,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 24,175 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 625 | 227 | 195 |
| 2025 | 827 | 290 | 1,257 |
| 2024 | 572 | 205 | 2,359 |
| 2023 | 408 | 191 | 2,852 |
| 2022 | 458 | 199 | 4,332 |
| 2021 | 598 | 237 | 7,878 |
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
50 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 13 days – 97 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 13 days (116 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 65 days
- Sample
- 116 articles with submission and acceptance dates (1,607 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 monthLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 41.66%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 7 daysPublisher website ·
- 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.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,390 / EUR 3,690 / GBP 2,890 | — | — |
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 prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Not considered
- case reports
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- case reportDigestive Diseases and Sciences is dedicated to publishing novel and groundbreaking science pertaining the fields of gastroenterology and hepatology. In general…Length not stated
- correspondenceConcise opinions on papers published in DDS online within the past six months. CORRESPONDENCE MANUSCRIPT DETAILS: Maximum 500 words. Authors are required to upl…main text ≤ 500 words
- current clinical controversiesBrief reviews addressing a controversial area of current interest to the GI community, providing incisive conclusions based on the best available evidence.Length not stated
- editorialProposed articles must receive approval by section editors or the editor-in-chief prior to submission. Please email the specified section, proposed title and au…Length not stated
- fellows and young gis sectionA series of mini-reviews on the topics of education and training, with an emphasis toward trainees and young GIs, bringing to the forefront the evidence availab…Length not stated
- mentored reviewsReviews basic disease mechanisms or pathophysiology or clinical topics and must be co-authored by a trainee/postdoc/fellow and a faculty mentor.Length not stated
- original articleDigestive Diseases and Sciences is dedicated to publishing novel and groundbreaking science pertaining the fields of gastroenterology and hepatology. In general…main text ≤ 250 words · abstract ≤ 250 words
- reviewDigestive Diseases and Sciences is dedicated to publishing novel and groundbreaking science pertaining the fields of gastroenterology and hepatology. In general…main text ≤ 250 words · abstract ≤ 250 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
Originality and exclusivity of submitted work Model summary
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Competing Interests
Authors are requested to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Disclo…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Permissions for previously published material Model summary
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Digestive Diseases and Sciences, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Manuscript Quality and Review Process
Manuscripts submitted to Digestive Diseases and Sciences (DDS) should be concise, well organized, and clearly written. Acceptance of manuscripts will be based on originality and importance to the field of digestive diseases. Submitted manuscripts are reviewed by the editor-in-chief and associate editors and, in the majority of cases, by two or more experts in the field. The editors can choose to r…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
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
- Springer US
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1956
- ISSN
- 0163-2116
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-2568
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 71, Issue 10 (October 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Digestive Diseases and Sciences
What CAS zone is Digestive Diseases and Sciences in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Digestive Diseases and Sciences is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 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 Digestive Diseases and Sciences?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.81; CiteScore 5.4, h-index 205.
How long does peer review take at Digestive Diseases and Sciences?
Based on the dates recorded on 116 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 50 days (interquartile range 13–97 days); authors report an average review time of about 1 month; the community-reported acceptance is “about 41.66%”. 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 Digestive Diseases and Sciences?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: 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 Digestive Diseases and Sciences based?
Of the 85 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (61), South Korea (5) and Japan (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Digestive Diseases and Sciences?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Digestive Diseases and Sciences is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, Embase, CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Digestive Diseases and Sciences open access, and what is the APC?
Digestive Diseases and Sciences is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,390.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .