Journal profile · Behavioral Sciences
Hormones and Behavior
ISSN 0018-506X · eISSN 1095-6867 · Academic Press Inc. · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1969
Hormones and Behavior: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.61; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,640; median 148 days to acceptance (103 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly hard; 125 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Hormones and Behavior is published by Academic Press Inc. 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 Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior, Stress Responses and Cortisol and Animal Behavior and Reproduction, together about 43% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Official Journal of the Society for Behavioral NeuroendocrinologyHormones and Behavior publishes original research articles, reviews, commentaries, perspectives and special issues concerning hormone-brain-behavior relationships, broadly defined. The journal welcomes studies conducted on species ranging from invertebrates to mammals, including studies of humans. Also included is work addressing neuroendocrine-behavior relationships, neuroendocrine and endocrine mechanisms controlling the development or adult expression of behavior as well as studies of the environmental control and evolutionary significance of hormone-brain-behavior relationships. Studies with an emphasis on molecular, neuroanatomical, or non-neural systems are also welcome when relevant to endocrine signaling and behavior.The journal's scope ranges from laboratory and field studies concerning neuroendocrine as well as endocrine mechanisms controlling the development or adult expression of behavior to studies concerning the environmental control and evolutionary significance of hormone-behavior relationships.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Behavioral Sciences
Editorial board by country: 5 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United States 88, Canada 12, Mainland China 5, Germany 4, Mexico 3 (129 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorPsychology18.7%
- Stress Responses and CortisolNeuroscience12.8%
- Animal Behavior and ReproductionAgricultural and Biological Sciences11.5%
- Hypothalamic control of reproductive hormonesMedicine7.5%
- Evolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorPsychology5.8%
- Hormonal and reproductive studiesMedicine4%
- Estrogen and related hormone effectsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3.4%
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences3.1%
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 | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Endocrinology & Metabolism | 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 | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Zone 3 |
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
- 2.61LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.88LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.98LetPub ·
- h-index
- 126LetPub ·
- h-index
- 203OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 4,286OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.9OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 37.31%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 106LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 5,724 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 74 | 50 | 17 |
| 2025 | 125 | 79 | 284 |
| 2024 | 136 | 102 | 672 |
| 2023 | 116 | 75 | 1,171 |
| 2022 | 132 | 77 | 1,548 |
| 2021 | 114 | 62 | 1,587 |
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
148 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 117 days – 226 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 9 days (103 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 161 days
- Sample
- 103 articles with submission and acceptance dates (209 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)
- 3–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly hardLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 55 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 167 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 9 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 3,640 / EUR 3,410 / GBP 2,910 / JPY 451,470 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,590 | — | — |
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 websiteWhat to prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 2,000 words
Article types accepted13, with length limits
- commentaryResearch Paper — Full-length original research papers that report significant, new and confirmed findings. These are the primary publications in Hormones and Be…main text ≤ 1,500 words
- correspondenceResearch Paper — Full-length original research papers that report significant, new and confirmed findings. These are the primary publications in Hormones and Be…Length not stated
- discussions / commentariesDiscussions / Commentaries — the Journal publishes discussions or commentaries up to a maximum of 1,500 words on published articles. The goal of the commentary …Length not stated
- letter to the editorResearch Paper — Full-length original research papers that report significant, new and confirmed findings. These are the primary publications in Hormones and Be…Length not stated
- original research articleResearch Paper — Full-length original research papers that report significant, new and confirmed findings. These are the primary publications in Hormones and Be…Length not stated
- original research paperResearch Paper — Full-length original research papers that report significant, new and confirmed findings. These are the primary publications in Hormones and Be…Length not stated
- perspectiveResearch Paper — Full-length original research papers that report significant, new and confirmed findings. These are the primary publications in Hormones and Be…Length not stated
- research paperResearch Paper — Full-length original research papers that report significant, new and confirmed findings. These are the primary publications in Hormones and Be…Length not stated
- reviewResearch Paper — Full-length original research papers that report significant, new and confirmed findings. These are the primary publications in Hormones and Be…Length not stated
- review articleResearch Paper — Full-length original research papers that report significant, new and confirmed findings. These are the primary publications in Hormones and Be…Length not stated
- short communicationResearch Paper — Full-length original research papers that report significant, new and confirmed findings. These are the primary publications in Hormones and Be…main text ≤ 2,000 words
- short communicationsShort Communications — Describe a significant finding whose magnitude is insufficient to support an Original Research Article. Short Communications are limited …Length not stated
- special issuesSpecial Issues — The journal welcomes proposals for special issues on topics that fall within the scope of the journal.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
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. 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; 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. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
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
- Academic Press Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1969
- ISSN
- 0018-506X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1095-6867
- Society / sponsor
- Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Hormones and Behavior publishes original research articles
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Hormones and Behavior
What CAS zone is Hormones and Behavior in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Hormones and Behavior is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Behavioral Sciences / Endocrinology & Metabolism. 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 Hormones and Behavior?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.61; CiteScore 4.6, h-index 203.
How long does peer review take at Hormones and Behavior?
Based on the dates recorded on 103 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 148 days (interquartile range 117–226 days); authors report an average review time of 3–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly hard”. 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 Hormones and Behavior?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 2,000 words. 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 Hormones and Behavior based?
Of the 129 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 5 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (88), Canada (12) and Mainland China (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Hormones and Behavior?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Hormones and Behavior is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Hormones and Behavior open access, and what is the APC?
Hormones and Behavior is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,640.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .