Journal profile · Neurosciences
Journal of Neuroscience Methods
ISSN 0165-0270 · eISSN 1872-678X · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Semimonthly · Founded 1979
Journal of Neuroscience Methods: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.43; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,900; median 99 days to acceptance (109 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 50%; 227 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Neuroscience Methods is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Neural dynamics and brain function, Neuroscience and Neural Engineering and Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research, together about 32.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience and Cognitive Neuroscience. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Neuroscience Methods publishes papers that describe new methods that are specifically for neuroscience research conducted in invertebrates, vertebrates or in man. Major methodological improvements or important refinements of established neuroscience methods are also considered for publication. The Journal's Scope includes all aspects of contemporary neuroscience research, including anatomical, behavioural, biochemical, cellular, computational, molecular, invasive and non-invasive imaging, optogenetic, and physiological research investigations.The Journal no longer publishes papers that exclusively deal with research on skin, muscle (and muscle function, evoked muscle activity, EMG, motor evoked potentials, kinematics, motor learning, rehabilitation) and eye (retina, EOG, hand-eye co-ordination). Analytical and binding methods for neuroactive drugs/neurotransmitters/other endogenous nervous system substances, as well as manuscripts that deal with language, toxicology, clinical trials and case reports are also not considered for publication.Manuscripts based exclusively on the reanalysis of publicly available datasets will only be considered if they provide significant methodological innovation, rigorous benchmarking or comparison of methods, or novel insights of clear relevance to experimental neuroscience methodology.Finally, manuscripts dealing exclusively with new algorithms/softwares or new tools. Software without a scientific/research component are not considered for publication in this Journal.Regarding review articles, the Journal primarily considers critical methodological reviews with substantial methodological analysis. The Journal does not generally publish scoping reviews, descriptive literature surveys, or systematic reviews that lack a strong methodological focus. Review articles should critically evaluate methodologies, discuss their strengths and limitations, address issues of validation, reproducibility, standardization, and benchmarking, and provide practical guidance and future methodological directions for researchers.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Neurosciences
Editor-in-chief Giuseppe Di GiovanniPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 19 in mainland China (about 23%); most named Mainland China 19, United States 19, United Kingdom 10, Italy 8, France 6 (81 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Neural dynamics and brain functionNeuroscience11.8%
- Neuroscience and Neural EngineeringNeuroscience10.4%
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeuroscience10.2%
- EEG and Brain-Computer InterfacesNeuroscience9.1%
- Functional Brain Connectivity StudiesNeuroscience6.7%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.4%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering4.2%
- Nerve injury and regenerationNeuroscience3.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biochemical Research Methods | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biochemical Research Methods | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biochemical Research Methods | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 4 |
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
- 2.43LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.79LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.89LetPub ·
- h-index
- 133LetPub ·
- h-index
- 231OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 6,799OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.84OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 34.75%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 213LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 11,337 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 183 | 82 | 39 |
| 2025 | 227 | 116 | 502 |
| 2024 | 213 | 115 | 1,231 |
| 2023 | 159 | 87 | 1,142 |
| 2022 | 192 | 104 | 2,871 |
| 2021 | 280 | 146 | 4,604 |
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
99 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 71 days – 157 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (109 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 105 days
- Sample
- 109 articles with submission and acceptance dates (455 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 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 50%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 7 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 41 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 96 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single 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 3,900 / EUR 3,650 / GBP 3,120 / JPY 483,720 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,680 | — | — |
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)
Open calls for papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Not considered
- language, toxicology, clinical trials and case reports; Software without a scientific/research component
Article types accepted15, with length limits
- case reporta) Research Articles are considered for publication provided that they describe new methods or significant developments of recognized methods.b) Short Communica…Length not stated
- commentariesf) Commentaries - The Journal publishes 1-2 page critical Commentaries on published articles.Length not stated
- commentarya) Research Articles are considered for publication provided that they describe new methods or significant developments of recognized methods.b) Short Communica…Length not stated
- mini- review articlesd) Mini- Review articles are shorter reviews intended either to draw attention to developments in a specific field or burgeoning field.Length not stated
- perspectivea) Research Articles are considered for publication provided that they describe new methods or significant developments of recognized methods.b) Short Communica…Length not stated
- research articlea) Research Articles are considered for publication provided that they describe new methods or significant developments of recognized methods.b) Short Communica…Length not stated
- research articlesa) Research Articles are considered for publication provided that they describe new methods or significant developments of recognized methods.Length not stated
- reviewa) Research Articles are considered for publication provided that they describe new methods or significant developments of recognized methods.b) Short Communica…Length not stated
- review articlea) Research Articles are considered for publication provided that they describe new methods or significant developments of recognized methods.b) Short Communica…Length not stated
- review articlesc) Review Articles are exhaustive reviews on a specific topic. Authors should always endeavor to make their reviews understandable to neuroscientists of other d…Length not stated
- short communicationa) Research Articles are considered for publication provided that they describe new methods or significant developments of recognized methods.b) Short Communica…main text ≤ 3,000 words
- short communicationsb) Short Communications are short research articles for preliminary accounts of work and significant case reports. They must contain original experimental resul…Length not stated
- special issuesg) Special Issues - The journal welcomes proposals for special issues on topics that fall within the scope of the journal.Length not stated
- surveya) Research Articles are considered for publication provided that they describe new methods or significant developments of recognized methods.b) Short Communica…Length not stated
- systematic reviewa) Research Articles are considered for publication provided that they describe new methods or significant developments of recognized methods.b) Short Communica…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
1 to 7 keywords required Model summary
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Publishing ethics policy Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
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
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Semimonthly
- Founded
- 1979
- ISSN
- 0165-0270
- Electronic ISSN
- 1872-678X
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Neuroscience Methods
What CAS zone is Journal of Neuroscience Methods in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Neuroscience Methods is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Biochemical Research Methods / Neurosciences. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Neuroscience Methods?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.43; CiteScore 5.4, h-index 231.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Neuroscience Methods?
Based on the dates recorded on 109 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 99 days (interquartile range 71–157 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 50%”. 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 Neuroscience Methods?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Author–date. 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 Neuroscience Methods based?
Of the 81 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 19 (about 23%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (19), United States (19) and United Kingdom (10). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Neuroscience Methods?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Neuroscience Methods is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Journal of Neuroscience Methods open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Neuroscience Methods is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,900.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .