Journal profile · Surgery
Journal of Pediatric Surgery
ISSN 0022-3468 · eISSN 1531-5037 · W.B. Saunders Ltd · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1966
Journal of Pediatric Surgery: CAS Zone 2 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.2; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,430; median 92 days to acceptance (130 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 638 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Pediatric Surgery is published by W.B. Saunders Ltd 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 Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Studies, Intestinal Malrotation and Obstruction Disorders and Urological Disorders and Treatments, together about 22.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Surgery. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Pediatric Surgery is the premier, international source of content that advances the surgical science and patient care of pediatric patients and their families, including their unique physical and non-physical needs. The Journal’s scope encompasses all basic science, translational and clinical topics relevant to pediatric surgery, including fetal and neonatal, thoracic, abdominal, urologic, oncologic, trauma/burns, practice management, global surgery, advocacy, education and other pediatric surgical conditionsThe Journal of Pediatric Surgery is the official journal of theThe Section on Surgery of the American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Pediatric Surgical Association,The British Association of Paediatric Surgeons, The Canadian Association of Paediatric Surgeons, The International Pediatric Endosurgery Group,The Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons.Case studies with five or fewer patients should be submitted to the Journal's open access companion title, Journal of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports. Another companion publication, Journal of Pediatric Surgery Open, publishes articles and case series of more than five patients. Both of these journals are excellent venues for papers that describe a new operative technique.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Surgery
Editor-in-chief G.W. Holcomb IIIPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 93, Canada 10, United Kingdom 9, Australia 6, Finland 4 (148 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia StudiesMedicine8.3%
- Intestinal Malrotation and Obstruction DisordersMedicine7.6%
- Urological Disorders and TreatmentsMedicine7%
- Congenital gastrointestinal and neural anomaliesMedicine6.9%
- Esophageal and GI PathologyMedicine6.7%
- Congenital Anomalies and Fetal SurgeryMedicine5.9%
- Tracheal and airway disordersMedicine5.3%
- Pediatric Hepatobiliary Diseases and TreatmentsMedicine5%
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 | Pediatrics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Surgery | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Pediatrics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Surgery | 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 | Pediatrics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Surgery | Zone 2 |
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
- 2.2LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.81LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.29LetPub ·
- h-index
- 118LetPub ·
- h-index
- 198OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 15,986OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.95OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 17.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 13.22%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 446LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 37,363 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 509 | 119 | 132 |
| 2025 | 638 | 166 | 1,079 |
| 2024 | 540 | 133 | 2,080 |
| 2023 | 447 | 111 | 2,731 |
| 2022 | 472 | 105 | 4,117 |
| 2021 | 504 | 100 | 5,880 |
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
92 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 61 days – 145 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 6 days (130 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 98 days
- Sample
- 130 articles with submission and acceptance dates (1,434 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)
- 2–3 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 39 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 81 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 6 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 4,430 / EUR 4,140 / GBP 3,550 / JPY 549,450 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,100 | — | — |
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
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 5,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Not considered
- Case Reports; Surgical Images
Article types accepted15
- case reportOriginal Research Articles are preferred and should be in the format of Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Original articles must include a structur…Length not stated
- commentaryOriginal Research Articles are preferred and should be in the format of Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Original articles must include a structur…Length not stated
- editorialOriginal Research Articles are preferred and should be in the format of Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Original articles must include a structur…Length not stated
- invited commentaryThe Editors may request an Invited Commentary, usually from one of the reviewers, which will accompany a highlighted original article.Length not stated
- letters to the editorOriginal Research Articles are preferred and should be in the format of Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Original articles must include a structur…Length not stated
- meta-analysisOriginal Research Articles are preferred and should be in the format of Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Original articles must include a structur…Length not stated
- original articleOriginal Research Articles are preferred and should be in the format of Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Original articles must include a structur…Length not stated
- original research articleOriginal Research Articles are preferred and should be in the format of Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Original articles must include a structur…Length not stated
- original research articlesOriginal Research Articles are preferred and should be in the format of Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion.Length not stated
- perspectiveOriginal Research Articles are preferred and should be in the format of Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Original articles must include a structur…Length not stated
- perspectivesThe journal publishes Perspectives articles which allow readers to comment on areas of general interest in pediatric surgery.Length not stated
- randomized clinical trialsRandomized clinical trials should be clearly identified as such in both the title and the abstract.Length not stated
- reviewOriginal Research Articles are preferred and should be in the format of Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Original articles must include a structur…Length not stated
- reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and guidelinesReviews, Systematic Reviews, Meta-Analyses, and Guidelines must include a structured abstract of 250 words or less, and should not exceed 4,000 words of text, 7…Length not stated
- systematic reviewOriginal Research Articles are preferred and should be in the format of Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Original articles must include a structur…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, 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
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 ·- 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
- W.B. Saunders Ltd
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1966
- ISSN
- 0022-3468
- Electronic ISSN
- 1531-5037
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Pediatric Surgery
What CAS zone is Journal of Pediatric Surgery in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Pediatric Surgery is in Zone 2 of Medicine, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Pediatrics / Surgery. 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 Pediatric Surgery?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.2; CiteScore 4.4, h-index 198.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Pediatric Surgery?
Based on the dates recorded on 130 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 92 days (interquartile range 61–145 days); authors report an average review time of 2–3 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Journal of Pediatric Surgery?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 5,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation. 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 Pediatric Surgery based?
Of the 148 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (93), Canada (10) and United Kingdom (9). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Pediatric Surgery?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Pediatric Surgery is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Journal of Pediatric Surgery open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Pediatric Surgery is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,430.
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: .