Journal profile · Medical Ethics
Journal of Bioethical Inquiry
ISSN 1176-7529 · eISSN 1872-4353 · Springer Singapore · NEW ZEALAND · Tri-annual · Founded 2004
Journal of Bioethical Inquiry: CAS Zone 4 · Philosophy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.1; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,590; median 131 days to acceptance (101 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 104 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Bioethical Inquiry is published by Springer Singapore and is in Zone 4 of Philosophy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Ethics in medical practice, Ethics and Legal Issues in Pediatric Healthcare and Ethics in Clinical Research, together about 33.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
AIMS The Journal of Bioethical Inquiry: An interdisciplinary forum for ethical and legal debate (JBI) fosters an interdisciplinary approach to bioethics by publishing original research at the intersection of ethics, social theory, philosophy and other disciplines represents the variety of contemporary perspectives on ethical issues in health and medicine seeks new approaches to old problems identifies common ground by creating a forum for dialogue across conventional academic boundaries. SCOPE The JBI welcomes both reports of empirical research and articles that increase theoretical understanding of medicine and health care, the health professions and the biological sciences. The JBI is also open to critical reflections on medicine and conventional bioethics, the nature of health, illness and disability, the sources of ethics, the nature of ethical communities, and possible implications of new developments in science and technology for social and cultural life and human identity. We welcome contributions from perspectives that are less commonly published in existing journals in the field and reports of empirical research studies using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The JBI accepts contributions from authors working in or across disciplines including – but not limited to – the following: philosophy bioethics economics social theory law public health and epidemiology anthropology psychology feminism gay and lesbian studies linguistics and discourse analysis cultural studies disability studies history literature and literary studies environmental sciences theology and religious studies Contributions discussing bioethical issues in different geographical and cultural settings are welcomed. The Journal of Bioethical Inquiry is the official journal of the Australasian Bioethics Association, the Bioethics Centre of the University of Otago and the Australian Institute of Health Law and Ethics. Now included in the ISI/Science Citation Index.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Medical Ethics
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 21, Australia 19, United Kingdom 8, Singapore 2, South Africa 2 (64 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Ethics in medical practiceHealth Professions17.8%
- Ethics and Legal Issues in Pediatric HealthcareMedicine8.8%
- Ethics in Clinical ResearchMedicine6.8%
- Palliative Care and End-of-Life IssuesMedicine6.3%
- Reproductive Health and TechnologiesMedicine6.2%
- Biomedical Ethics and RegulationMedicine5.7%
- Patient Dignity and PrivacyMedicine5.2%
- Neuroethics, Human Enhancement, Biomedical InnovationsNeuroscience4.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Philosophy Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Ethics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Medical Ethics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Social Issues | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Biomedical | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Philosophy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ethics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Medical Ethics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Social Issues | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Biomedical | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Philosophy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ethics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Medical Ethics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Social Issues | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Biomedical | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEPsycINFOERIH PLUSPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, Semantic 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
- 2.1LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.1Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.6LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.61LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.97LetPub ·
- h-index
- 19LetPub ·
- h-index
- 58OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 458OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.85OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 14.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 59.4%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 84LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 596,400Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,665 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 107 | 57 | 12 |
| 2025 | 104 | 55 | 169 |
| 2024 | 82 | 51 | 360 |
| 2023 | 98 | 77 | 581 |
| 2022 | 73 | 49 | 688 |
| 2021 | 81 | 48 | 1,010 |
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
131 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 86 days – 237 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 119 days (101 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 246 days
- Sample
- 101 articles with submission and acceptance dates (226 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)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 23 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double 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 4,590 / EUR 3,590 / GBP 2,890 | — | — |
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 prepare1 items from the author guidelines
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Plagiarism, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Competing Interests
Authors are requested to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Disclo…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Authors must ensure data, materials, software, and code support published claims and comply with field standards. Model summary
All authors are requested to make sure that all data and materials as well as software application or custom code support their published claims and comply with field standards.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Journal is a COPE member and follows COPE guidelines for misconduct. Model summary
This journal is committed to upholding the integrity of the scientific record. As a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) the journal will follow the COPE guidelines on how to deal with potential acts of misconduct.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Authors grant exclusive licence or transfer copyright depending on journal ownership. Model summary
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
Open Choice articles retain author copyright under a Creative Commons license. Model summary
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Authors may suggest or exclude reviewers at submission. Model summary
Authors are welcome to suggest suitable reviewers and/or request the exclusion of certain individuals when they submit their manuscripts.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism
Journal may use software to screen for plagiarism. Model summary
Important note: the journal may use software to screen for plagiarism.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
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
- Springer Singapore
- Country or region
- NEW ZEALAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Tri-annual
- Founded
- 2004
- ISSN
- 1176-7529
- Electronic ISSN
- 1872-4353
- Society / sponsor
- Australasian Bioethics Association
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 23, Issue 2 (June 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Bioethical Inquiry
What CAS zone is Journal of Bioethical Inquiry in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Bioethical Inquiry is in Zone 4 of Philosophy, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Ethics / Medical Ethics / Social Issues / Social Sciences, Biomedical. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Philosophy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Bioethical Inquiry?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.1; CiteScore 3.6, h-index 58.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Bioethical Inquiry?
Based on the dates recorded on 101 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 131 days (interquartile range 86–237 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “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 Bioethical Inquiry based?
Of the 64 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 2%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (21), Australia (19) and United Kingdom (8). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Bioethical Inquiry?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Bioethical Inquiry is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, PsycINFO and ERIH PLUS; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Journal of Bioethical Inquiry open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Bioethical Inquiry is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,590.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; 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: .