Journal profile · Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Explore-The Journal of Science and Healing
ISSN 1550-8307 · eISSN 1878-7541 · Elsevier Inc. · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 2005
Explore-The Journal of Science and Healing: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.31; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,090; median 78 days to acceptance (79 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 168 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Explore-The Journal of Science and Healing is published by Elsevier Inc. 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 Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies, Acupuncture Treatment Research Studies and Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions, together about 31.4% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Science & HealingEXPLORE: The Journal of Science & Healing addresses the scientific principles behind, and applications of, evidence-based healing practices from a wide variety of sources, including conventional, alternative, and cross-cultural medicine. It is an interdisciplinary journal that explores the healing arts, consciousness, spirituality, eco-environmental issues, and basic science as all these fields relate to health.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Editor-in-chief Ben KliglerPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 2, Germany 2, Italy 2, New Zealand 1 (7 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine StudiesMedicine14.2%
- Acupuncture Treatment Research StudiesMedicine9.5%
- Mindfulness and Compassion InterventionsPsychology7.7%
- Paranormal Experiences and BeliefsPsychology7%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.9%
- Biofield Effects and BiophysicsMedicine4.9%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering4.8%
- Educational Robotics and EngineeringComputer Science4.8%
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 | Integrative & Complementary Medicine | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Integrative & Complementary Medicine | Zone 3 |
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 | Integrative & Complementary Medicine | 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
- 2.31LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.53LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.84LetPub ·
- h-index
- 3LetPub ·
- h-index
- 70OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 607OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.38OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 20.1%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 103LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,849 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 195 | 32 | 40 |
| 2025 | 168 | 41 | 198 |
| 2024 | 132 | 40 | 447 |
| 2023 | 164 | 47 | 857 |
| 2022 | 133 | 25 | 975 |
| 2021 | 122 | 33 | 980 |
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
78 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 20 days – 125 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 1 days (79 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 82 days
- Sample
- 79 articles with submission and acceptance dates (393 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)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 75 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 71 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 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 2,090 / EUR 1,960 / GBP 1,670 / JPY 259,220 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,140 | — | — |
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 prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 5,000 words
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted15, with length limits
- brief reportEXPLORE publishes 8 primary types of articles: Original Research - Manuscripts usually contain between 2500 and 5000 words and are accepted for consideration wi…Length not stated
- brief reportsBrief Reports - These articles-usually pilot studies, brief evaluations, and reviews-must be unique, first-time reports with a typical length of 750 to 1600 wor…Length not stated
- case reportsCase Reports - This is a regularly featured column meant to highlight the clinical applications of alternative or integrative therapies as they are implemented …Length not stated
- hypothesesHypotheses - Critical assessments of alternative therapies discussing potential mechanisms of action and implications for the practice of medicine and the integ…Length not stated
- hypothesisEXPLORE publishes 8 primary types of articles: Original Research - Manuscripts usually contain between 2500 and 5000 words and are accepted for consideration wi…Length not stated
- letters to the editorLetters to the Editor - Letters discussing a recent article published in EXPLORE are welcome.Length not stated
- meta-analysisEXPLORE publishes 8 primary types of articles: Original Research - Manuscripts usually contain between 2500 and 5000 words and are accepted for consideration wi…Length not stated
- original researchEXPLORE publishes 8 primary types of articles: Original Research - Manuscripts usually contain between 2500 and 5000 words and are accepted for consideration wi…main text ≤ 5,000 words
- reflectionsReflections – Reflections are essays that offer important observations about life, health, medicine and/or healing that are of a subjective nature.Length not stated
- research lettersResearch Letters - Letters discussing small pilot studies, anecdotal clinical outcomes or informal case series, most commonly practice based, are welcome.Length not stated
- reviewEXPLORE publishes 8 primary types of articles: Original Research - Manuscripts usually contain between 2500 and 5000 words and are accepted for consideration wi…main text ≤ 1,600 words
- review articleEXPLORE publishes 8 primary types of articles: Original Research - Manuscripts usually contain between 2500 and 5000 words and are accepted for consideration wi…Length not stated
- review articles/systematic reviews/meta-analysesReview articles/Systematic reviews/Meta-analyses - Systematic assessments of medical and health care literature and data sources (including meta-analyses) perta…Length not stated
- surveyEXPLORE publishes 8 primary types of articles: Original Research - Manuscripts usually contain between 2500 and 5000 words and are accepted for consideration wi…Length not stated
- systematic reviewEXPLORE publishes 8 primary types of articles: Original Research - Manuscripts usually contain between 2500 and 5000 words and are accepted for consideration wi…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
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
Elsevier 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
Open access options available Model summary
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
Double anonymized peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double 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 Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 2005
- ISSN
- 1550-8307
- Electronic ISSN
- 1878-7541
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Explore-The Journal of Science and Healing
What CAS zone is Explore-The Journal of Science and Healing in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Explore-The Journal of Science and Healing is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Integrative & Complementary Medicine. 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 Explore-The Journal of Science and Healing?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.31; CiteScore 3.6, h-index 70.
How long does peer review take at Explore-The Journal of Science and Healing?
Based on the dates recorded on 79 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 78 days (interquartile range 20–125 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Explore-The Journal of Science and Healing?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 5,000 words; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: 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 Explore-The Journal of Science and Healing based?
Of the 7 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (2), Germany (2) and Italy (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Explore-The Journal of Science and Healing?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Explore-The Journal of Science and Healing is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Explore-The Journal of Science and Healing open access, and what is the APC?
Explore-The Journal of Science and Healing is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,090.
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: .