Journal profile · Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Journal of Lipid Research
ISSN 0022-2275 · eISSN 1539-7262 · American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Inc. · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1959
Journal of Lipid Research: CAS Zone 2 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.71; fully open access; APC about USD 3,860; median 107 days to acceptance (102 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 35%; 214 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Lipid Research is published by American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Inc. 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 Cholesterol and Lipid Metabolism, Lipid metabolism and biosynthesis and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors, together about 28.1% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
A journal of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.The Journal of Lipid Research focuses on the science of lipids in health and disease. The journal emphasizes lipid function and the biochemical and genetic regulation of lipid metabolism and aims to be on the forefront of the emerging areas of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and lipidomics as they relate to lipid metabolism and function. In addition, JLR publishes manuscripts on patient-oriented and epidemiological research relating to altered lipid metabolism, including modification of dietary lipids. The editors welcome methods papers that provide new ways of purifying, identifying and quantifying lipids.The following are representative areas covered in the journal: Adipose tissue metabolismAnimal models of lipid abnormalitiesAntioxidants and lipid peroxidationApolipoproteins, lipid transport and metabolismAtherogenesisBile acids and bile acid metabolismBrain lipidsCell signalingCholesterol synthesis and traffickingClinical studies elucidating lipid dysfunctionDietary lipids and disease preventionEicosanoidsFatty acid binding proteins and metabolismGenomics of lipidsInborn errors in lipid metabolismLipases in lipid processingLipid enzymesLipidomicsLipid micelle structure and organizationLipid transfer proteinsLipoproteinsMembrane lipids and structureModel systemsModified lipoproteinsNeutral lipidsOxidized LDLOxysterols and sterol metabolismPhospholipids and phospholipasesProtein-lipid interactionsReceptors for lipidsSphingolipidsJournal MetricsAs of January 2021, JLR is a gold open access journal; the final versions of all articles are free to read without a subscription. The author versions of accepted papers are posted and freely available within 24 hours of acceptance as Papers in Press. Learn more here.JLR is owned by the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Its editorial policies are the responsibility of the editors and associate editors, with the assistance of the editorial board, under the general authority of the ASBMB Publications Committee and Council.For more information, go to https://www.jlr.org/.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Editor-in-chief Nicholas O. DavidsonPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 10 in mainland China (about 10%); most named United States 66, Mainland China 10, France 6, Japan 3, Canada 3 (104 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Cholesterol and Lipid MetabolismMedicine11.5%
- Lipid metabolism and biosynthesisBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8.9%
- Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated ReceptorsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.7%
- Diabetes, Cardiovascular Risks, and LipoproteinsMedicine6.8%
- Fatty Acid Research and HealthNursing5.9%
- Drug Transport and Resistance MechanismsMedicine5.5%
- Lipoproteins and Cardiovascular HealthMedicine4.9%
- Adipose Tissue and MetabolismMedicine4.6%
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 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 2 |
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
- 4.71LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.67LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.1LetPub ·
- h-index
- 172LetPub ·
- h-index
- 326OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 10,882OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.7OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 180LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 13,196 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 165 | 165 | 96 |
| 2025 | 214 | 214 | 790 |
| 2024 | 228 | 228 | 1,969 |
| 2023 | 148 | 148 | 2,152 |
| 2022 | 147 | 147 | 2,468 |
| 2021 | 131 | 131 | 4,591 |
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
107 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 70 days – 195 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 4 days (102 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 115 days
- Sample
- 102 articles with submission and acceptance dates (431 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 1 monthLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 35%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 5 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 26 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 117 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 21 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Double 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 3,860 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 3,430 / EUR 3,210 / GBP 2,750 / JPY 425,420 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,860 | — | — |
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 prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 5–10
- Reference style
- Vancouver
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted8
- communicationsCommunicationsLength not stated
- images in lipid researchImages in Lipid ResearchLength not stated
- methods articleThe Editors will consider significant new/novel contributions in the field of lipid methodology; the paper must provide sufficient details so that the method ca…Length not stated
- methods articlesMethods articlesLength not stated
- patient-oriented and epidemiological research articlesPatient-oriented and epidemiological research articlesLength not stated
- regular research articlesRegular research articlesLength not stated
- review articleThe Journal publishes critical reviews on current, timely topics. Reviews should be concise and should provide a balanced analysis and summary of the topic. The…Length not stated
- review articlesReview articlesLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Plagiarism, Preprints
- Authorship Authorship criteria
Authorship credit based on ICMJE criteria: substantial contributions, drafting/revising, final approval, accountability. All designated authors must meet all four criteria. Acquisition of funding or general supervision alone does not constitute authorship. Model summary
Adapted from the recommendation of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE)Authorship credit should be based on the following:substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data;drafting the article or substantively contributing to revisions in intellectual content;final approval of the version to be published;agreem…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of interest
A Declaration of Interest is required, even if authors have no competing interests to declare. Model summary
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence (bias) their work. Examples of potential competing interests include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. Authors must disclose any interests in two places:…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability
Authors must follow ASBMB's policies for reporting and depositing information related to new sequences, 'omics datasets, and structural data. Model summary
Must indicate where the data described in the manuscript are located. If all data are contained within the manuscript, then the statement should indicate so. If data are to be shared upon request, then the individual along with their contact information (institution and email address) must be indicated.For datasets that were deposited into a publicly accessible repository, the location and identif…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Ethics in publishing information is provided. Model summary
Please see our information on Ethics in publishing.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Upon acceptance, authors complete a License Agreement; permitted third party reuse of open access articles is determined by the author's choice of user license. Model summary
Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to complete a 'License Agreement' (see more information on this). Permitted third party reuse of open access articles is determined by the author's choice of user license.Author rightsAs an author you (or your employer or institution) have certain rights to reuse your work. More information.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
Publication charges:Article Publishing Charges (APCs) for members and non-members are detailed on our Open Access Information page, which includes information about Creative Commons licensing and OA policies. In order to qualify for the member discount, the corresponding author entered in Editorial Manager must be the ASBMB member.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review process
Single-blind peer review: identity of all reviewers remains unknown to the authors. Model summary
Provided that submissions are within the aim and scope of the Journal, manuscripts are assigned by the Editor-in-Chief to an Associate Editor. The Associate Editor sends the submitted manuscript out for evaluation by at least two reviewers. Reviewers are assigned by the Associate Editor handling the manuscript. The Associate Editor makes a decision for acceptance, revision, or declination based no…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism
Articles may be checked by the originality detection service Crossref Similarity Check. Model summary
To verify originality, your article may be checked by the originality detection service Crossref Similarity Check.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprints can be shared anywhere at any time, in line with Elsevier's sharing policy. Sharing preprints on a preprint server will not count as prior publication. Model summary
Please note that preprints can be shared anywhere at any time, in line with Elsevier's sharing policy. Sharing your preprints e.g. on a preprint server will not count as prior publication (see 'Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication' for more information).
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 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1959
- ISSN
- 0022-2275
- Electronic ISSN
- 1539-7262
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- 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 Journal of Lipid Research
What CAS zone is Journal of Lipid Research in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Lipid Research is in Zone 2 of Medicine, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Lipid Research?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.71; CiteScore 6.5, h-index 326.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Lipid Research?
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 107 days (interquartile range 70–195 days); authors report an average review time of about 1 month; the community-reported acceptance is “about 35%”. 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 Journal of Lipid Research?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 5–10; Reference style: Vancouver; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Optional. 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 Journal of Lipid Research based?
Of the 104 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 10 (about 10%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (66), Mainland China (10) and France (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Lipid Research?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Lipid Research is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Journal of Lipid Research open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Lipid Research is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 3,860.
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: .