Journal profile · Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Journal of Molecular Recognition
ISSN 0952-3499 · eISSN 1099-1352 · John Wiley and Sons Ltd · ENGLAND · Bimonthly · Founded 1988
Journal of Molecular Recognition: CAS Zone 4 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.64; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,800; median 150 days to acceptance (42 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: moderate; 36 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Molecular Recognition is published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd and is in Zone 4 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies Research, Protein purification and stability and Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques, together about 24.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Journal of Molecular Recognition (JMR) publishes original research papers and reviews describing substantial advances in our understanding of molecular recognition phenomena in life sciences, covering all aspects from biochemistry, molecular biology, medicine, and biophysics. The research may employ experimental, theoretical and/or computational approaches. The focus of the journal is on recognition phenomena involving biomolecules and their biological / biochemical partners rather than on the recognition of metal ions or inorganic compounds. Molecular recognition involves non-covalent specific interactions between two or more biological molecules, molecular aggregates, cellular modules, or organelles, as exemplified by receptor-ligand, antigen-antibody, nucleic acid-protein or sugar-lectin interactions, to mention just a few of the possible interactions. The journal invites manuscripts that aim to achieve a complete description of molecular recognition mechanisms between well-characterized biomolecules in terms of structure, dynamics, and biological activity. Such studies may help the future development of new drugs and vaccines, although the experimental and clinical testing of new drugs and vaccines falls outside the scope of the journal. Medical and clinical studies solely based on correlations between drugs or compounds and observed biological effects without consideration and description of the underlying molecular causes will not be considered. Manuscripts that describe the application of standard approaches and techniques to design or model new molecular entities or to describe interactions between biomolecules, but do not provide new insights into molecular recognition processes will not be considered. Similarly, manuscripts involving biomolecules uncharacterized at the sequence level (e.g., calf thymus DNA) will not be considered. Typical experimental techniques include synthesis of topological mimics, site directed mutagenesis or molecular imprinting, together with biophysical methods for the quantitative measurement of molecular interactions. Specific methods such as AFM, Optical Tweezers, SPR, Biosensors and Microcalorimetry, and the range of analytical methods such as NMR, MRI, MS, GC, LC, HPLC, PET, and Crystallography may be used to establish the mechanisms, dynamics, and forces of molecular recognition processes. Mechanistic understanding at a molecular level can be aided by computational approaches such as molecular electrostatic analysis
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Editor-in-chief MARC VAN REGENMORTEL ADVISORYPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 18, United Kingdom 5, Germany 5, France 4, Canada 2 (49 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies ResearchMedicine13.3%
- Protein purification and stabilityBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.8%
- Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniquesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.6%
- Glycosylation and Glycoproteins ResearchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.5%
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.4%
- DNA and Nucleic Acid ChemistryBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5%
- Protein Structure and DynamicsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.8%
- Analytical Chemistry and ChromatographyChemistry4.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biophysics | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biophysics | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biophysics | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of ScienceMEDLINEPubMedCASCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: ProQuest
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
- 2.64LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 6.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.48LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.72LetPub ·
- h-index
- 74LetPub ·
- h-index
- 102OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,250OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.96OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 3.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 12.62%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 16LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 21Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 90,562Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,579 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 30 | 14 | 5 |
| 2025 | 36 | 15 | 74 |
| 2024 | 43 | 18 | 135 |
| 2023 | 78 | 34 | 475 |
| 2022 | 71 | 7 | 579 |
| 2021 | 76 | 11 | 677 |
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
150 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 113 days – 202 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 16 days (42 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 168 days
- Sample
- 42 articles with submission and acceptance dates (62 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)
- ModerateLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 10%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 143 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 14 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single-anonymous peer reviewPublisher website · model-extracted
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 3,800 / EUR 3,170 / GBP 2,550 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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 prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Graphical abstract
- Required
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted9, with length limits
- commentaryi. Research ArticlesPage limit: Between 15 and 20 pages in length (double spaced), not including figures.Abstract: 250 words maximum; unstructuredManuscript Str…Length not stated
- letteri. Research ArticlesPage limit: Between 15 and 20 pages in length (double spaced), not including figures.Abstract: 250 words maximum; unstructuredManuscript Str…Length not stated
- letters to the editoriv. Letters to the Editor Description: Short responses to published articlesLength not stated
- opinioni. Research ArticlesPage limit: Between 15 and 20 pages in length (double spaced), not including figures.Abstract: 250 words maximum; unstructuredManuscript Str…Length not stated
- perspectivei. Research ArticlesPage limit: Between 15 and 20 pages in length (double spaced), not including figures.Abstract: 250 words maximum; unstructuredManuscript Str…main text ≤ 3,000 words
- research articlesi. Research Articles Page limit: Between 15 and 20 pages in length (double spaced), not including figures.Length not stated
- reviewi. Research ArticlesPage limit: Between 15 and 20 pages in length (double spaced), not including figures.Abstract: 250 words maximum; unstructuredManuscript Str…Length not stated
- reviewsii. Reviews Page limit: Maximum of 50 double-spaced pages of text, includes text, footnotes, literature citations, tables, and legends, plus formulas, schemes, …Length not stated
- viewpointi. Research ArticlesPage limit: Between 15 and 20 pages in length (double spaced), not including figures.Abstract: 250 words maximum; unstructuredManuscript Str…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, Peer review, Preprints, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- Authorship Authorship
The list of authors should accurately illustrate who contributed to the work and how. All those listed as authors should qualify for authorship according to the following criteria: 1. Have made substantial contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; 2. Been involved in drafting the manuscript or revising it critically for important intell…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Conflict of Interest
The journal requires that all authors disclose any potential sources of conflict of interest. Any interest or relationship, financial or otherwise that might be perceived as influencing an author's objectivity is considered a potential source of conflict of interest. These must be disclosed when directly relevant or directly related to the work that the authors describe in their manuscript. Potent…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Publication Ethics
COPE member Model summary
This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Note this journal uses iThenticate’s CrossCheck software to detect instances of overlapping and similar text in submitted manuscripts. Read Wiley’s Top 10 Publishing Ethics Tips for Authors here. Wiley’s Publication Ethics Guidelines can be found here.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review and Acceptance
Participates in Wiley's Refer & Transfer program Model summary
The acceptance criteria for all papers are the quality and originality of the research and its significance to journal readership. Papers will only be sent to review if the Editor-in-Chief determines that the paper meets the appropriate quality and relevance requirements. Wiley's policy on the confidentiality of the review process is available here. Data Sharing and Data Accessibility The journal …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints
Preprints allowed Model summary
This journal will consider for review articles previously available as preprints on non-commercial servers such as ArXiv, bioRxiv, psyArXiv, SocArXiv, engrXiv, etc.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The journal requires that clinical trials are prospectively registered in a publicly accessible database and clinical trial registration numbers should be included in all papers that report their results. Authors are asked to include the name of the trial register and the clinical trial registration number at the end of the abstract. If the trial is not registered, or was registered retrospectivel…
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
- John Wiley and Sons Ltd
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1988
- ISSN
- 0952-3499
- Electronic ISSN
- 1099-1352
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Molecular Recognition
What CAS zone is Journal of Molecular Recognition in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Molecular Recognition is in Zone 4 of Biology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Biochemistry & Molecular Biology / Biophysics. 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 Molecular Recognition?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.64; CiteScore 6.4, h-index 102.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Molecular Recognition?
Based on the dates recorded on 42 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 150 days (interquartile range 113–202 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Moderate”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 10% (2025). 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 Molecular Recognition?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Reference style: Author–date; Graphical abstract: Required; 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 Journal of Molecular Recognition based?
Of the 49 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 (18), United Kingdom (5) and Germany (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Molecular Recognition?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Molecular Recognition is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists Web of Science, MEDLINE, PubMed, CAS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Journal of Molecular Recognition open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Molecular Recognition is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,800.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, 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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .