Journal profile · Virology
International Journal of Medical Microbiology
ISSN 1438-4221 · eISSN 1618-0607 · Urban und Fischer Verlag GmbH und Co. KG · GERMANY · Bimonthly · Founded 2000
International Journal of Medical Microbiology: CAS Zone 2 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.16; fully open access; APC about USD 3,480; median 124 days to acceptance (102 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: moderate; 54 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
International Journal of Medical Microbiology is published by Urban und Fischer Verlag GmbH und Co. KG and is in Zone 2 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus, Escherichia coli research studies and Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing, together about 24.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Infectious Diseases. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
International Journal of Medical Microbiology (IJMM) is a fully Gold Open Access journal. Authors who publish in IJMM will be able to make their work immediately, permanently, and freely accessible.Pathogen genome sequencing projects have provided a wealth of data that need to be set in context to pathogenicity and the outcome of infections. In addition, the interplay between a pathogen and its host cell has become increasingly important to understand and interfere with diseases caused by microbial pathogens. IJMM meets these needs by focussing on genome and proteome analyses, studies dealing with the molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity and the evolution of pathogenic agents, the interactions between pathogens and host cells ("cellular microbiology"), and molecular epidemiology. More recently, IJMM now welcomes virological submissions.To help the reader keeping up with the rapidly evolving new findings in the field of medical microbiology, IJMM publishes original articles, case studies and topical, state-of-the-art mini-reviews in a well balanced fashion. All articles are strictly peer-reviewed. Special Issues are welcome on important and emerging topics. In addition, at irregular intervals, current opinions on recent or future developments in medical microbiology are presented in an editorial section.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Virology
Editor-in-chief Ulrich DobrindtPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 3%); most named Germany 13, United Kingdom 5, France 5, United States 2, Mainland China 1 (33 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Antimicrobial Resistance in StaphylococcusMedicine8.7%
- Escherichia coli research studiesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.9%
- Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.7%
- Antibiotic Resistance in BacteriaBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.2%
- Vector-borne infectious diseasesImmunology and Microbiology6.1%
- Bacterial Genetics and BiotechnologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.9%
- Vibrio bacteria research studiesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.4%
- Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiologyMedicine4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Virology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Virology | Zone 2 |
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 | Virology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
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
- 3.16LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.93LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.96LetPub ·
- h-index
- 82LetPub ·
- h-index
- 130OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,567OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.74OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 51LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,277 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 45 | 45 | 10 |
| 2025 | 54 | 54 | 88 |
| 2024 | 45 | 45 | 296 |
| 2023 | 22 | 22 | 247 |
| 2022 | 16 | 16 | 266 |
| 2021 | 57 | 57 | 1,310 |
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
124 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 91 days – 171 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (102 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 128 days
- Sample
- 102 articles with submission and acceptance dates (104 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)
- ModerateLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 56 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 111 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 17 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 3,480 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 3,410 / EUR 3,190 / GBP 2,730 / JPY 422,940 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,310 | — | — |
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
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, 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 ·- 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 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
- Urban und Fischer Verlag GmbH und Co. KG
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 2000
- ISSN
- 1438-4221
- Electronic ISSN
- 1618-0607
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about International Journal of Medical Microbiology
What CAS zone is International Journal of Medical Microbiology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, International Journal of Medical Microbiology is in Zone 2 of Medicine, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Virology / Microbiology. 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 International Journal of Medical Microbiology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.16; CiteScore 4.2, h-index 130.
How long does peer review take at International Journal of Medical Microbiology?
Based on the dates recorded on 102 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 124 days (interquartile range 91–171 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Moderate”. 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 Medical Microbiology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Author–date; 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 International Journal of Medical Microbiology based?
Of the 33 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 3%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Germany (13), United Kingdom (5) and France (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index International Journal of Medical Microbiology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, International Journal of Medical Microbiology is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is International Journal of Medical Microbiology open access, and what is the APC?
International Journal of Medical Microbiology is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 3,480.
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: .