Journal profile · Genetics & Heredity
Journal of Heredity
ISSN 0022-1503 · eISSN 1465-7333 · Oxford University Press · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 1914
Journal of Heredity: CAS Zone 2 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.19; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,560; median 145 days to acceptance (101 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 110 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Heredity is published by Oxford University Press and is in Zone 2 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Genetic diversity and population structure, Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock and Plant and animal studies, together about 25.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Genetics and Plant Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Over the last 100 years, the Journal of Heredity has established and maintained a tradition of scholarly excellence in the publication of genetics research. Virtually every major figure in the field has contributed to the journal. Established in 1903, Journal of Heredity covers organismal genetics across a wide range of disciplines and taxa. Articles include such rapidly advancing fields as conservation genetics of endangered species, population structure and phylogeography, molecular evolution and speciation, molecular genetics of disease resistance in plants and animals, genetic biodiversity and relevant computer programs.
Source: LetPub
Research area (LetPub): Genetics & Heredity
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Genetic diversity and population structureBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology10.2%
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestockBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8.6%
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences7%
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and AnimalsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.9%
- Horticultural and Viticultural ResearchAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.7%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance5.5%
- Plant Reproductive BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.3%
- Chromosomal and Genetic VariationsAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Evolutionary Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Genetics & Heredity | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Evolutionary Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Genetics & Heredity | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Evolutionary Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Genetics & Heredity | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
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
- 2.19LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.1LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.96LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.91LetPub ·
- h-index
- 86LetPub ·
- h-index
- 173OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 5,189OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.88OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 44.09%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 98LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 14,576 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 83 | 53 | 34 |
| 2025 | 110 | 56 | 134 |
| 2024 | 76 | 49 | 339 |
| 2023 | 87 | 66 | 657 |
| 2022 | 67 | 45 | 1,058 |
| 2021 | 77 | 47 | 1,599 |
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
145 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 107 days – 188 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 5 days (40 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 140 days
- Sample
- 101 articles with submission and acceptance dates (234 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 ·
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 3,560 | — | — |
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.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1914
- ISSN
- 0022-1503
- Electronic ISSN
- 1465-7333
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Heredity
What CAS zone is Journal of Heredity in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Heredity is in Zone 2 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Evolutionary Biology / Genetics & Heredity. 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 Heredity?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.19; CiteScore 5.1, h-index 173.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Heredity?
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 145 days (interquartile range 107–188 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; 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.
Which databases index Journal of Heredity?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Heredity is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Journal of Heredity open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Heredity is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,560.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, 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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .