Journal profile · Microbiology
Journal of Bacteriology
ISSN 0021-9193 · eISSN 1098-5530 · American Society for Microbiology · UNITED STATES · Semimonthly
Journal of Bacteriology: CAS Zone 3 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.78; diamond open access (no APC); no APC; median 73 days to acceptance (68 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 244 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Bacteriology is published by American Society for Microbiology 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 Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology, Bacteriophages and microbial interactions and RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms, together about 41.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
After an article has been published, errors may be noted that require correction of that final publication, the version of record. ASM staff and Editors will review requests for correction to ensure that any needed changes follow the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Posting needed changes, which are permanent and transparent, to the article version of record ensures the integrity of the scientific record. Any necessary changes published will be accompanied with a notice permanently bidirectionally linked to the original article so that readers are aware of necessary changes. Notices can take the form of Errata, Author Corrections, Expressions of Concern, Retractions, or Matters Arising. Authors may notify ASM upon finding errors in a published article, especially those that could affect the interpretation of data or reliability of the information. If you believe that a correction, retraction, or Matter Arising is necessary for your article, email the specific journal.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Microbiology
Editor-in-chief George A. O'ToolePublisher website
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 40%); most named Mainland China 2, Hong Kong, China 1, India 1, Denmark 1 (5 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Bacterial Genetics and BiotechnologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology21.9%
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactionsEnvironmental Science10.7%
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8.6%
- Enzyme Structure and FunctionMaterials Science5.3%
- Genomics and Phylogenetic StudiesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.5%
- Antibiotic Resistance in BacteriaBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3.6%
- Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3.6%
- Microbial Metabolic Engineering and BioproductionBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3.5%
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 | Microbiology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| 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
- 3.78LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.8LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.4LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.11LetPub ·
- h-index
- 222LetPub ·
- h-index
- 399OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 45,392OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.34OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 59.1%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 235LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 3Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 5,977,470Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 55,340 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 185 | 185 | 94 |
| 2025 | 244 | 244 | 978 |
| 2024 | 193 | 193 | 1,630 |
| 2023 | 169 | 169 | 2,096 |
| 2022 | 225 | 225 | 2,952 |
| 2021 | 282 | 282 | 4,625 |
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
73 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 41 days – 114 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 32 days (68 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 117 days
- Sample
- 68 articles with submission and acceptance dates (494 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 2 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 12 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Editorial review, Double anonymous peer review, Single anonymous peer review, Unspecified 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 | Yes | CC BY |
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)
Article types accepted1
- reviewFor a review of some common errors associated with statistical analyses and reports, plus guidelines on how to avoid them, see the articles by Olsen (Infect Imm…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- Authorship
ASM does not edit supplemental material; authors are responsible for its accuracy, and post-publication changes follow the correction and erratum process. Model summary
ASM does not edit supplemental material. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of their supplemental material.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Editors Conflict of Interest Policy
Editors are experienced researchers who conduct an initial assessment of manuscripts and oversee the peer review process, guiding submissions through evaluation to support high-quality publication. Anirban Banerjee (2030) IIT BombayResearch Interests: Host-pathogen interactions, bacterial pathogenesis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, phenotypic heterogeneity, pore-forming toxins, cell autonomous immune …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
ASM encourages depositing extensive or intricate data sets in recognized public repositories rather than submitting them as supplemental material. Model summary
ASM encourages depositing extensive or intricate data sets in recognized public repositories over supplemental material submission.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright After Acceptance — Fees, Corrections, and Copyright
Authors retain copyright of supplemental material, with a license permitting posting by ASM included in the copyright transfer agreement or license to publish. Model summary
Publication Fees We charge fees to publish supplemental material across most ASM journals. Modifications and Corrections to Supplemental Material ASM does not edit supplemental material. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of their supplemental material. All post-publication changes follow the correction and erratum process. Copyright and Supplemental Material Authors retain copyright of supp…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access ASM Achieves S2O Open Access Target for 2026
All six primary research journals remain open access—unlocking more opportunities for authors and expanding access for readers, fueling collaboration and innovation across the microbial sciences. Read the Press Release
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review and Publishing of Supplemental Material
Supplemental material is peer reviewed with the manuscript; editors decide whether it is published with the accepted manuscript. Model summary
Reviewing Supplemental Material Supplemental material will be peer reviewed with the manuscript. Editors decide whether supplemental material will be published with the accepted manuscript.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Wang Y, Rozen D. 2016. Colonization and transmission of the gut microbiota of the burying beetle, Nicrophorus vespilloides, through development. bioRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/091702.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Reporting Guidelines
ASM Journals endorses the NIH Principles and Guidelines for Reporting Preclinical Research. Authors should provide a comprehensive description of their research design, methodology and analysis. Study-type-specific reporting guidelines can be found via the EQUATOR Network library or the FAIRsharing registry. Key reporting guidelines are listed below: Randomized Clinical Trials: CONSORT guidelines …
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
- American Society for Microbiology
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Semimonthly
- ISSN
- 0021-9193
- Electronic ISSN
- 1098-5530
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 208 (August 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- 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 Journal of Bacteriology
What CAS zone is Journal of Bacteriology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Bacteriology is in Zone 3 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Microbiology. 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 Journal of Bacteriology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.78; CiteScore 5.8, h-index 399.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Bacteriology?
Based on the dates recorded on 68 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 73 days (interquartile range 41–114 days); authors report an average review time of about 2 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”. 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Journal of Bacteriology based?
Of the 5 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 40%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (2), Hong Kong, China (1) and India (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Bacteriology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Bacteriology is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Journal of Bacteriology open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Bacteriology 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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .