Journal profile · Developmental Biology
International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience
ISSN 0736-5748 · eISSN 1873-474X · Elsevier Ltd · ENGLAND · Bimonthly · Founded 1983
International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.43; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,400; median 106 days to acceptance (94 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 106 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience is published by Elsevier Ltd 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 Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research, Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms and Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, together about 28.2% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience publishes original research articles and critical review papers on all fundamental and clinical aspects of nervous system development, renewal and regeneration, as well as on the effects of genetic and environmental perturbations of brain development and homeostasis leading to neurodevelopmental disorders and neurological conditions. Studies describing the involvement of stem cells in nervous system maintenance and disease (including brain tumours), stem cell-based approaches for the investigation of neurodegenerative diseases, roles of neuroinflammation in development and disease, and neuroevolution are also encouraged. Investigations using molecular, cellular, physiological, genetic and epigenetic approaches in model systems ranging from simple invertebrates to human iPSC-based 2D and 3D models are encouraged, as are studies using experimental models that provide behavioural or evolutionary insights. The journal also publishes Special Issues dealing with topics at the cutting edge of research edited by Guest Editors appointed by the Editor in Chief. A major aim of the journal is to facilitate the transfer of fundamental studies of nervous system development, maintenance, and disease to clinical applications. The journal thus intends to disseminate valuable information for both biologists and physicians. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience is owned and supported by The International Society for Developmental Neuroscience (ISDN), an organization of scientists interested in advancing developmental neuroscience research in the broadest sense.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Developmental Biology
Editor-in-chief Stefano StifaniPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 5%); most named United States 4, Canada 4, Sweden 2, Belgium 2, Mainland China 1 (19 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeuroscience11.7%
- Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanismsNeuroscience10%
- Genetics and Neurodevelopmental DisordersBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.4%
- Neonatal and fetal brain pathologyMedicine6%
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorPsychology5.7%
- Stress Responses and CortisolNeuroscience4.8%
- Congenital heart defects researchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.6%
- Autism Spectrum Disorder ResearchNeuroscience4.6%
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 | Developmental Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Developmental Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 4 |
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 | Developmental Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of ScienceMEDLINEPubMedEmbaseCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: EBSCO
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
- 1.43LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 1.4Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 2.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 2.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.5LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.64LetPub ·
- h-index
- 81LetPub ·
- h-index
- 120OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,190OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.43OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 11.61%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 82LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2Publisher website ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 86Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 122,900Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 6,063 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 99 | 45 | 28 |
| 2025 | 106 | 52 | 133 |
| 2024 | 107 | 45 | 284 |
| 2023 | 69 | 32 | 265 |
| 2022 | 88 | 17 | 603 |
| 2021 | 83 | 16 | 769 |
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
106 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 71 days – 165 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 14 days (94 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 132 days
- Sample
- 94 articles with submission and acceptance dates (227 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)
- 6–12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 18%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 18%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 134 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 14 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 3,400 / EUR 2,970 / GBP 2,590 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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 prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 3,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
Article types accepted6, with length limits
- commentaryCommentary 1000 wordsLength not stated
- editorialwords None no more than 2 figures/table Editorial A suggestion of 1000 words. Author Licensing Upon acceptance of an article, the corresmain text ≤ 1,000 words
- letter to the editorords None no more than 3 figures/tables Letter to the Editor 700 words None no more than 2 figures/table Commentary 1000 words None no more than 2 figures/table…main text ≤ 1,000 words
- research articleResearch Article 3,000 (introduction until conclusion)Length not stated
- review articlends; Tables no limits on figures/tables Review Article 3500 None no limits on figures/tables Short Communication 2000 words None no more than 3 figures/tables L…main text ≤ 2,000 words
- short communicationShort Communication 2000 wordsLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Peer review, Plagiarism, Preprints
- Authorship Authorship
ORCID required for submitting author Model summary
The list of authors should accurately illustrate who contributed to the work. All those listed as authors should qualify for authorship according to the following criteria: 1. Have made substantial contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; and 2. Been involved in drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intellectu…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Conflict of Interest Statement
You will be asked to provide a conflict of interest statement during the submission process even if you have no competing interests to declare. Any interest or relationship, financial or otherwise, that might be perceived as influencing authors’ objectivity is considered a potential source of conflict of interest. Potential sources of conflict of interest include, but are not limited to: patent or…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
COPE member Model summary
IJDN is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Reproduction of Copyright Material
Open Access option with Creative Commons License 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 & Conditions FAQ.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review and Acceptance
Single-blind peer review Model summary
Once submitted, papers will be sent to review if the Editor-in-Chief determines that the paper meets appropriate quality and relevance requirements. Articles that are not rejected at this point will be sent to at least two independent peer reviewers for assessment. The Editor-in-Chief will make a publication decision based on comments received from the peer reviewers. The acceptance criteria for a…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism
iThenticate CrossCheck plagiarism screening Model summary
To verify originality, articles will be checked by iThenticate’s CrossCheck software to detect instances of overlapping and text similarity with other published articles.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints
Preprints accepted Model summary
This journal accepts articles previously published on preprint servers.
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 Ltd
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1983
- ISSN
- 0736-5748
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-474X
- Society / sponsor
- International Society for Developmental Neuroscience
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 86, Issue 6 (October 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience
What CAS zone is International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Developmental Biology / Neurosciences. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.43; CiteScore 2.9, h-index 120.
How long does peer review take at International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience?
Based on the dates recorded on 94 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 106 days (interquartile range 71–165 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 18% (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 International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Manuscript length: ≤ 3,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; 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 International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience based?
Of the 19 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 5%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (4), Canada (4) and Sweden (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists Web of Science, MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience open access, and what is the APC?
International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,400.
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: .