Journal profile · Health Professions-Pharmacy
Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy
ISSN 2667-2766 · Elsevier · United States
Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.6 (journal website); fully open access; APC about USD 2,630; median 88 days to acceptance (109 articles, last 24 months); 142 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy is published by Elsevier 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 Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes, Medication Adherence and Compliance and Antibiotic Use and Resistance, together about 50.1% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Evaluating how initial development considerations of a process or new medication-related service can be sustained over time, sometimes explored using qualitative research methods. It includes:
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Health Professions-Pharmacy
Editor-in-chief Shane DessellePublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 21, United Kingdom 13, Australia 6, Malaysia 3, Taiwan, China 2 (61 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient OutcomesMedicine28.4%
- Medication Adherence and ComplianceMedicine13.9%
- Antibiotic Use and ResistanceImmunology and Microbiology7.8%
- Patient Safety and Medication ErrorsHealth Professions4.2%
- Pharmaceutical Economics and PolicyEconomics, Econometrics and Finance3.3%
- Electronic Health Records SystemsHealth Professions3.2%
- Opioid Use Disorder TreatmentMedicine2.8%
- Mobile Health and mHealth ApplicationsHealth Professions2.8%
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 | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 3 |
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)
- 2.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.65LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.94LetPub ·
- h-index
- 25OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 127OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.6OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 140LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 798 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 109 | 109 | 20 |
| 2025 | 142 | 142 | 218 |
| 2024 | 153 | 153 | 812 |
| 2023 | 184 | 184 | 1,229 |
| 2022 | 112 | 112 | 996 |
| 2021 | 98 | 98 | 970 |
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
88 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 56 days – 157 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (109 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 91 days
- Sample
- 109 articles with submission and acceptance dates (303 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 15 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 36 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 97 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 16 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 2,630 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 2,140 / EUR 2,000 / GBP 1,710 / JPY 265,420 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 1,800 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,170 | — | — |
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
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Highlights
- Required
Article types accepted11, with length limits
- book and software reviewsBook and Software Reviews. Book and Software Reviews are brief documents (700-1000 words) that provide a clear understanding of content in a book or software pr…Length not stated
- commentaryEditorials. Editorials are brief papers that typically serve as an introduction to an upcoming series of papers or themed issue of the journal. They are often i…Length not stated
- editorialEditorials. Editorials are brief papers that typically serve as an introduction to an upcoming series of papers or themed issue of the journal. They are often i…Length not stated
- editorialsEditorials. Editorials are brief papers that typically serve as an introduction to an upcoming series of papers or themed issue of the journal. They are often i…Length not stated
- original research articleEditorials. Editorials are brief papers that typically serve as an introduction to an upcoming series of papers or themed issue of the journal. They are often i…Length not stated
- original research paperEditorials. Editorials are brief papers that typically serve as an introduction to an upcoming series of papers or themed issue of the journal. They are often i…Length not stated
- proposed modelsProposed Models. Proposed models are comprehensive, well-executed papers that seek to propose and advance forscholarly discourse a model to guide future researc…Length not stated
- research articleEditorials. Editorials are brief papers that typically serve as an introduction to an upcoming series of papers or themed issue of the journal. They are often i…main text ≤ 2,000 words
- research articlesResearch Articles. Research articles describe experimental or observational investigations that used formal methods for data collection and reporting of results…Length not stated
- reviewEditorials. Editorials are brief papers that typically serve as an introduction to an upcoming series of papers or themed issue of the journal. They are often i…main text ≤ 1,000 words
- systematic reviewEditorials. Editorials are brief papers that typically serve as an introduction to an upcoming series of papers or themed issue of the journal. They are often i…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
1 to 7 keywords required 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 ·- 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 sharing allowed 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
- Country or region
- United States
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2667-2766
- 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 Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy
What CAS zone is Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Pharmacology & Pharmacy. 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 Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 2.6; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 3.6, h-index 25.
How long does peer review take at Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy?
Based on the dates recorded on 109 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 88 days (interquartile range 56–157 days); authors report an average review time of about 15 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 Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Templates: LaTeX and Word; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Highlights: 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 Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy based?
Of the 61 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 2%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (21), United Kingdom (13) and Australia (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy is indexed in ESCI, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy open access, and what is the APC?
Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 2,630.
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: .