Journal profile · Medicine-Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Integrative Medicine Research
ISSN 2213-4220 · eISSN 2213-4239 · Elsevier · SOUTH KOREA
Integrative Medicine Research: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.84; diamond open access (no APC); no APC; median 74 days to acceptance (92 articles, last 24 months); 98 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Integrative Medicine Research is published by Elsevier 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 Acupuncture Treatment Research Studies, Traditional Chinese Medicine Studies and Complementary and Alternative Medicine Studies, together about 48.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Complementary and alternative medicine. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Integrative Medicine Research (IMR) is the official journal of Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM). The journal is a quarterly, single-blind peer-reviewed, open access journal focused on evidence-based scientific research in integrative medicine, traditional medicine, and complementary and alternative medicine. The journal aims to provide new research perspectives on holistic integrative health, innovative health preservation approaches, and convergence for clinical medicine and biomedical sciences.IMR aims to publish high-quality papers that are of high interest to an international readership, consisting of researchers, clinical practitioners, and others concerned with clinical practice, research methodology, and education and policy development in integrative medicine. The current focus of the journal is globally diversified and IMR welcomes papers of international research collaborations and papers from around the world.IMR publishes articles of basic science research and clinical research, including randomized controlled trials, intervention studies, cohort studies, observational studies, diagnostic test accuracy and reliability studies, qualitative and mixed method studies, animal studies, systematic reviews and narrative reviews. The types of publications considered are review articles, original articles, letters to the editor, commentaries, and short communications relating to integrative medicine.IMR is also an official journal of the International Society for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine Research (ISCMR).Visit KIOM / Visit ISCMR
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Medicine-Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Editor-in-chief Seong-Gyu KoPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 23 in mainland China (about 20%); most named South Korea 26, Mainland China 23, United States 20, Australia 13, Hong Kong, China 6 (115 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Acupuncture Treatment Research StudiesMedicine19.2%
- Traditional Chinese Medicine StudiesMedicine15.9%
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine StudiesMedicine13.1%
- Healthcare and Venom ResearchMedicine9.8%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance3.8%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering3.4%
- Educational Robotics and EngineeringComputer Science3.1%
- Pharmacological Effects of Natural CompoundsPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics3%
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 | Integrative & Complementary Medicine | Zone 3 |
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
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of SciencePMCEmbasePublisher website
Other: Journal Citation Reports (JCR), Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED), Korea Citation Index (KCI), ScienceDirect, Google 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
- 4.84LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.84LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.17LetPub ·
- h-index
- 55OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 357OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.9OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 77LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,411 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 70 | 70 | 30 |
| 2025 | 98 | 98 | 250 |
| 2024 | 64 | 64 | 392 |
| 2023 | 58 | 58 | 869 |
| 2022 | 51 | 51 | 704 |
| 2021 | 68 | 68 | 805 |
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
74 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 48 days – 148 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 1 days (92 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 76 days
- Sample
- 92 articles with submission and acceptance dates (151 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 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 49 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 83 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 1 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 19 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
Diamond open access (no APC)DOAJ
Every article is open access and authors pay no article processing charge.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | No APC | No | CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 1,700 / EUR 1,590 / GBP 1,360 / JPY 210,850 | — | — | |
| LetPub | No APC | Yes | — |
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 prepare7 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 3–5
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted7, with length limits
- commentariesThese are short, opinion articles which focus on current research topics and highlight articles of interest previously published elsewhere. Commentaries are gen…Length not stated
- editorialsEditorials are invited articles or comments concerning a specific paper in the Journal or a topical issue in the field. Although editorials are normally invited…Length not stated
- letters to the editorThese include brief constructive comments concerning previously published articles in the journal or very brief research reports. Letters are edited, sometimes …Length not stated
- original articlesThese may be clinical trials, cohort studies, diagnostic test accuracy studies, cost-effectiveness analyses, surveys, animal studies, and other research studies…Length not stated
- review articlesThese should aim to provide the reader with a balanced overview of an important and topical subject within the Journal's aims and scope. The review should have …Length not stated
- short communicationThese are short reports of significant research. Short communications may include up to 2 figures or tables.figures and tables ≤ 2
- short communicationsThese are short reports of significant research. Short communications may include up to 2 figures or tables.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Declaration of generative AI in scientific writing
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 Changes to authorship
Authors are expected to consider carefully the list and order of authors before submitting their manuscript and provide the definitive list of authors at the time of the original submission. Any addition, deletion or rearrangement of author names in the authorship list should be made only before the manuscript has been accepted and only if approved by the journal Editors. To request such a change …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability
To foster transparency, stating the availability of the data is mandatory for the journal. If authors choose to publish their data, the data can be placed in a repository of their choice and its DOI can be stated in the data availability statement. Other options, for example, are to state that "The data will be made available upon request." With the data statement, the authors can be transparent a…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Published manuscripts become the permanent property of Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, and must not be published elsewhere without written permission. All articles published in the Journal are protected by copyright, which covers the exclusive rights to reproduce and distribute the article, as well as translation rights. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
Every peer-reviewed article appearing in this journal will be published open access. This means that the article is universally and freely accessible via the internet in perpetuity, in an easily readable format immediately after publication. The author does not have any publication charges for open access. Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine will pay to make the article open access.All articles p…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review The editorial and peer review process
As a general rule, the receipt of a manuscript will be acknowledged within 2 weeks of submission; authors will be provided with a manuscript reference number for future correspondence. If an acknowledgment is not received in a reasonable period of time, the author should contact the Editorial Office ([email protected]).Submissions are reviewed by the Editorial Office to ensure that it contains all…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprints: can be shared anywhere at any time; sharing preprints will not count as prior publication. Model summary
Please note that preprints can be shared anywhere at any time, in line with Elsevier's sharing policy. Sharing your preprints e.g. on a preprint server will not count as prior publication (see 'Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication' for more information).
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Reporting guidelines
Authors are required to adhere their manuscripts to recognized reporting guidelines where appropriate, and submit a relevant, completed checklist. Depending on the research design used, more specific extensions may be necessary. Below is the list of sample reporting guidelines:Randomized controlled trials - CONSORTSystematic review or meta-analysis - PRISMAObservational studies - STROBEAnimal rese…
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
- SOUTH KOREA
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2213-4220
- Electronic ISSN
- 2213-4239
- Society / sponsor
- Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Integrative Medicine Research
What CAS zone is Integrative Medicine Research in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Integrative Medicine Research is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 3 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 Integrative Medicine Research?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.84; CiteScore 5.4, h-index 55.
How long does peer review take at Integrative Medicine Research?
Based on the dates recorded on 92 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 74 days (interquartile range 48–148 days); authors report an average review time of about 12 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 Integrative Medicine Research?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 3–5; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Optional; 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 Integrative Medicine Research based?
Of the 115 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 23 (about 20%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are South Korea (26), Mainland China (23) and United States (20). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Integrative Medicine Research?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Integrative Medicine Research is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists Web of Science, PMC and Embase; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Integrative Medicine Research open access, and what is the APC?
Integrative Medicine Research is a diamond open-access journal (no APC). It charges no article processing charge.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .