Journal profile · Mathematical & Computational Biology
IET Systems Biology
ISSN 1751-8849 · eISSN 1751-8857 · Wiley · ENGLAND · Bi-monthly · Founded 2007
IET Systems Biology: CAS Zone 3 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.91; fully open access; APC about USD 2,400; median 89 days to acceptance (97 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 55 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
IET Systems Biology is published by Wiley and is in Zone 3 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Gene Regulatory Network Analysis, Bioinformatics and Genomic Networks and Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction, together about 43.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
IET Systems Biology covers intra- and inter-cellular dynamics, using systems- and signal-oriented approaches. Papers that analyse genomic data in order to identify variables and basic relationships between them are considered if the results provide a basis for mathematical modelling and simulation of cellular dynamics. Manuscripts on molecular and cell biological studies are encouraged if the aim is a systems approach to dynamic interactions within and between cells. The scope includes the following topics: Genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, cells, tissue and the physiome; molecular and cellular interaction, gene, cell and protein function; networks and pathways; metabolism and cell signalling; dynamics, regulation and control; systems, signals, and information; experimental data analysis; mathematical modelling, simulation and theoretical analysis; biological modelling, simulation, prediction and control; methodologies, databases, tools and algorithms for modelling and simulation; modelling, analysis and control of biological networks; synthetic biology and bioengineering based on systems biology; applying control theories to biological systems; modelling and analysis of single cell omics data; quantitative analysis of any biological data for system-level understanding; complex network analysis of biological networks. Abstracting and Indexing Information: COMPENDEX (Elsevier) Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) Embase (Elsevier) INSPEC (IET) MEDLINE/PubMed (NLM) Open Access Journal Index – OAJ (NSLC & CEPIEC) Science Citation Index Expanded (Clarivate Analytics) SCOPUS (Elsevier) Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics) IET Systems Biology deposits all articles in PMC (PubMed Central).
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Mathematical & Computational Biology
Editor-in-chief Kwang-Hyun ChoPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 6 in mainland China (about 21%); most named United States 9, Mainland China 6, United Kingdom 3, South Korea 1, India 1 (28 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Gene Regulatory Network AnalysisBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology22.7%
- Bioinformatics and Genomic NetworksBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology13.6%
- Microbial Metabolic Engineering and BioproductionBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.6%
- Gene expression and cancer classificationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.7%
- Computational Drug Discovery MethodsComputer Science5.3%
- Ferroptosis and cancer prognosisMedicine3.8%
- Cancer-related molecular mechanisms researchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3.5%
- Single-cell and spatial transcriptomicsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Mathematical & Computational Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Mathematical & Computational Biology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Mathematical & Computational Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexWeb of ScienceMEDLINEPMCINSPECEmbasePublisher website
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
- 1.91LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 2.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 2.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.46LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.49LetPub ·
- h-index
- 43LetPub ·
- h-index
- 49OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 281OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.55OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 50LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 52Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 92,824Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 745 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 32 | 32 | 8 |
| 2025 | 55 | 55 | 82 |
| 2024 | 33 | 33 | 96 |
| 2023 | 33 | 33 | 221 |
| 2022 | 20 | 20 | 218 |
| 2021 | 26 | 26 | 215 |
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
89 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 54 days – 133 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 26 days (97 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 128 days
- Sample
- 97 articles with submission and acceptance dates (99 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)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 36%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 36%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 36 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 36 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 73 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 24 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 23 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 2,400 / GBP 1,860 / EUR 2,180 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-ND, CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 2,290 / EUR 2,080 / GBP 1,770 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 2,200 / GBP 1,700 / EUR 2,000 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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 prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Reference style
- Chicago
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
Article types accepted10
- case studyCase Study Report on a specific instance of an interesting or particular phenomenon or instance related to research areas covered by a journal’s scope.Length not stated
- commentaryThe following article types are included in IET Systems Biology: Original Research Paper Report of original research findings and data. Review Critically examin…Length not stated
- industry articleIndustry Article A report from industrial-based scientists undertaking R&D on a new technology, application or technique which may facilitate future product dev…Length not stated
- opinionThe following article types are included in IET Systems Biology: Original Research Paper Report of original research findings and data. Review Critically examin…Length not stated
- original researchThe following article types are included in IET Systems Biology: Original Research Paper Report of original research findings and data. Review Critically examin…Length not stated
- original research paperThe following article types are included in IET Systems Biology: Original Research Paper Report of original research findings and data. Review Critically examin…Length not stated
- perspectiveThe following article types are included in IET Systems Biology: Original Research Paper Report of original research findings and data. Review Critically examin…Length not stated
- research articleThe following article types are included in IET Systems Biology: Original Research Paper Report of original research findings and data. Review Critically examin…Length not stated
- reviewThe following article types are included in IET Systems Biology: Original Research Paper Report of original research findings and data. Review Critically examin…Length not stated
- review articleThe following article types are included in IET Systems Biology: Original Research Paper Report of original research findings and data. Review Critically examin…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use
AI tools not recognised as authors; AI use must be disclosed Model summary
The IET does not recognise AI tools as authors or as able to fulfil authorship criteria, as they cannot take responsibility for the submitted work. If AI tools were used in the preparation of any part of the paper, this should be clearly disclosed in the appropriate section of the paper, and authors take full responsibility for the paper in its entirety.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship
Limit of 5 manuscripts per journal / 10 across IET journals per 12 months Model summary
For a complete overview of our Ethical Policies for the IET journals, please click here. The IET believes in clear, transparent and verifiable authorship. In line with ICMJE guidance, to qualify for authorship, each individual must: Have made a substantial contribution to the concept or design of the article; or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the article; AND Drafted t…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Sharing and Data Availability
Data sharing expected; Wiley data sharing policy applies Model summary
IET journals expects data sharing. Please review Wiley’s Data Sharing policy where you will be able to see and select the data availability statement that is right for your submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Reproduction of Copyright Material
Third-party copyright material requires credit and written permission Model summary
If excerpts from copyrighted works owned by third parties are included, credit must be shown in the contribution. It is your responsibility to also obtain written permission for reproduction from the copyright owners. For more information visit Wiley’s Copyright Terms and Conditions FAQ. The corresponding author is responsible for obtaining written permission to reproduce the material "in print an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access 1. Open Access
All IET journals are Gold Open Access titles. Submissions will be subject to an APC if accepted and published in the journal. You can read more about APCs and whether you may be eligible for waivers or discounts, through your institution, funder, or a country waiver. There is no charge for submitting to IET journals.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review 5. Peer Review and Decisions
IET Systems Biology operates under a single-anonymized peer review model. Papers will only be sent to review if the Editor-in-Chief (or designated Editor) determines that the paper meets the appropriate quality and relevance requirements. Except where otherwise stated, peer review is handled by an Associate Editor, who will engage at least two anonymous reviewers. The final decision to publish is …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint Policy
Preprint policy: preprints accepted Model summary
Please find the Wiley preprint policy here. All IET journals accept articles previously published on preprint servers. All IET journals will consider review articles previously available as preprints. You are requested to update any pre-publication versions with a link to the final published article. You may also post the final published version of the article immediately after 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
- Wiley
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bi-monthly
- Founded
- 2007
- ISSN
- 1751-8849
- Electronic ISSN
- 1751-8857
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 20, Issue 1 (December 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about IET Systems Biology
What CAS zone is IET Systems Biology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, IET Systems Biology is in Zone 3 of Biology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Cell Biology / Mathematical & Computational Biology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of IET Systems Biology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.91; CiteScore 2.8, h-index 49.
How long does peer review take at IET Systems Biology?
Based on the dates recorded on 97 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 89 days (interquartile range 54–133 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 36% (2025). 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 IET Systems Biology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Reference style: Chicago; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not 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 IET Systems Biology based?
Of the 28 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 6 (about 21%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (9), Mainland China (6) and United Kingdom (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index IET Systems Biology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, IET Systems Biology is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, Web of Science, MEDLINE, PMC, INSPEC and Embase; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is IET Systems Biology open access, and what is the APC?
IET Systems Biology is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 2,400.
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: .