Journal profile · Ophthalmology
Graefe s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology
ISSN 0721-832X · eISSN 1435-702X · Springer Berlin Heidelberg · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1854
Graefe s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.76; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,990; median 128 days to acceptance (128 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 337 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Graefe s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology is published by Springer Berlin Heidelberg and is in Zone 3 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Glaucoma and retinal disorders, Retinal Diseases and Treatments and Retinal and Macular Surgery, together about 34.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are Ophthalmology and Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology is a distinguished international journal that presents original clinical reports and clinically relevant experimental studies. Founded in 1854 by Albrecht von Graefe to serve as a source of useful clinical information and a stimulus for discussion, the journal has published articles by leading ophthalmologists and vision research scientists for more than a century.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Ophthalmology
Editor-in-chief Antonia M. JoussenPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 13 in mainland China (about 8%); most named Japan 37, Germany 21, United States 17, Mainland China 13, United Kingdom 10 (157 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Glaucoma and retinal disordersMedicine13.7%
- Retinal Diseases and TreatmentsMedicine11.3%
- Retinal and Macular SurgeryMedicine9.5%
- Corneal surgery and disordersMedicine6.4%
- Ophthalmology and Visual Impairment StudiesMedicine6.2%
- Intraocular Surgery and LensesMedicine6.1%
- Ocular Diseases and Behçet’s SyndromeMedicine5.1%
- Ocular Surface and Contact LensMedicine4.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ophthalmology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ophthalmology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ophthalmology | Zone 3 |
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, 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
- 2.76LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.8Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.2LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.07LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.27LetPub ·
- h-index
- 89LetPub ·
- h-index
- 147OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 7,983OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.27OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 3.6%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 37.8%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 312LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 1,400,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 18,219 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 463 | 193 | 82 |
| 2025 | 337 | 146 | 586 |
| 2024 | 374 | 168 | 1,993 |
| 2023 | 399 | 167 | 3,375 |
| 2022 | 437 | 185 | 4,366 |
| 2021 | 474 | 200 | 6,090 |
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
128 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 91 days – 167 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 13 days (128 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 148 days
- Sample
- 128 articles with submission and acceptance dates (869 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)
- 3–6 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 10 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 2,990 / EUR 4,790 | — | — |
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 prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–350 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 4,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Required
Article types accepted13, with length limits
- brief reportAccepted Article Types: Research Papers should have an abstract, must not exceed 4,000 words, including an abstract of no more than 250 words, references, table…Length not stated
- brief reportsBrief Reports are short and concise reports of research studies.Length not stated
- editorialAccepted Article Types: Research Papers should have an abstract, must not exceed 4,000 words, including an abstract of no more than 250 words, references, table…Length not stated
- editorialsEditorials are usually invited papers dealing with subjects of general informative interest and are mainly written by members of the Editorial Board or by Guest…Length not stated
- letterAccepted Article Types: Research Papers should have an abstract, must not exceed 4,000 words, including an abstract of no more than 250 words, references, table…Length not stated
- matters arisingMatters Arising should concern an article recently published in the journal.Length not stated
- mini reviewAccepted Article Types: Research Papers should have an abstract, must not exceed 4,000 words, including an abstract of no more than 250 words, references, table…main text ≤ 4,000 words
- mini reviewsMini Reviews articles should not exceed 4,000 words including an abstract of no more than 350 words, references, tables and figures.Length not stated
- research paperAccepted Article Types: Research Papers should have an abstract, must not exceed 4,000 words, including an abstract of no more than 250 words, references, table…Length not stated
- research papersResearch Papers should have an abstract, must not exceed 4,000 words, including an abstract of no more than 250 words, references, tables and figures.Length not stated
- reviewAccepted Article Types: Research Papers should have an abstract, must not exceed 4,000 words, including an abstract of no more than 250 words, references, table…Length not stated
- review articleAccepted Article Types: Research Papers should have an abstract, must not exceed 4,000 words, including an abstract of no more than 250 words, references, table…main text ≤ 10,000 words
- review articlesReview articles should not exceed 10,000 words including an abstract of no more than 350 words, references, tables and figures.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, 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
Keywords: 4 to 6 keywords for indexing purposes. 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 Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Research data should be archived in data repositories wherever possible. Model summary
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 ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
Manuscript must be original, not under consideration elsewhere, and approved by all co-authors and responsible authorities. Model summary
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Permission required for previously published figures, tables, or text passages. 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 Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Authors may suggest suitable reviewers and/or request exclusion of certain individuals at submission. Model summary
Authors are welcome to suggest suitable reviewers and/or request the exclusion of certain individuals when they submit their manuscripts.
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 Berlin Heidelberg
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1854
- ISSN
- 0721-832X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1435-702X
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 264, Issue 9 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Graefe s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology
What CAS zone is Graefe s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Graefe s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Ophthalmology. 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 Graefe s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.76; CiteScore 5.2, h-index 147.
How long does peer review take at Graefe s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology?
Based on the dates recorded on 128 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 128 days (interquartile range 91–167 days); authors report an average review time of 3–6 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 Graefe s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–350 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 4,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: Optional; 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 Graefe s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology based?
Of the 157 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 13 (about 8%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Japan (37), Germany (21) and United States (17). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Graefe s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Graefe s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology 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 Graefe s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology open access, and what is the APC?
Graefe s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,990.
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: .