Journal profile · Endocrinology & Metabolism
Journal of Pineal Research
ISSN 0742-3098 · eISSN 1600-079X · Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 1984
Journal of Pineal Research: CAS Zone 1 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 7.44; hybrid open access; APC about USD 5,000; median 94 days to acceptance (73 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly hard; 88 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Pineal Research is published by Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd and is in Zone 1 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Circadian rhythm and melatonin, Sleep and Wakefulness Research and Birth, Development, and Health, together about 52.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Physiology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Journal of Pineal Research is a forum for the original scientific results of basic, applied, and clinical research involving any aspect of the pineal gland or its hormonal products in all vertebrate species. The journal also fully considers the biological functions and activities of melatonin in non-vertebrate species, plants and microorganisms. Essential criteria for publication are scientific importance, novelty, and timeliness, as well as clarity of presentation. Experimental data that are contrary to currently accepted thinking or divergent from actual dogma will be considered, provided the findings are based on solid, new experimental observations. All submitted papers must be complete in themselves. Case reports will be considered if the findings contribute significantly to an understanding of some aspect of the pineal gland and melatonin research. It is the expressed aim of the journal to serve pineal gland and melatonin researchers in all disciplines.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Endocrinology & Metabolism
Editor-in-chief Gianluca Tosini AtlantaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United States 17, France 8, Germany 3, Australia 3, Brazil 3 (50 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Circadian rhythm and melatoninNeuroscience43.2%
- Sleep and Wakefulness ResearchNeuroscience4.7%
- Birth, Development, and HealthMedicine4.2%
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology ResearchNeuroscience4%
- Spaceflight effects on biologyMedicine3.6%
- Photoreceptor and optogenetics researchNeuroscience3.4%
- Dietary Effects on HealthMedicine3.2%
- Light effects on plantsAgricultural and Biological Sciences2.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physiology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physiology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physiology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEPubMedPsycINFOCAB AbstractsPublisher website
Other: EBSCO
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
- 7.44LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 7.5Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 7.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 12.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 12.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 12.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.8LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.54LetPub ·
- h-index
- 113LetPub ·
- h-index
- 193OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,636OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 6.4OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 36.55%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 64LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 70Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 459,117Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,725 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 85 | 38 | 28 |
| 2025 | 88 | 47 | 370 |
| 2024 | 117 | 79 | 1,458 |
| 2023 | 77 | 45 | 1,008 |
| 2022 | 74 | 30 | 2,049 |
| 2021 | 81 | 36 | 2,722 |
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
94 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 64 days – 151 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 11 days (88 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 103 days
- Sample
- 73 articles with submission and acceptance dates (192 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)
- Fairly hardLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 25%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 25%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 100 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 12 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 5,000 / EUR 4,150 / GBP 3,350 | — | — | |
| 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 prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 3,500 words
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
Article types accepted11, with length limits
- commentariesCommentaries: evidence-based opinion pieces involving areas of broad interest (1500 word limit) and invited commentaries (1,000 word limit).Length not stated
- commentaryOriginal Papers: reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge (3,500 word limit). Commentaries: evi…main text ≤ 1,500 words
- editorialOriginal Papers: reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge (3,500 word limit). Commentaries: evi…Length not stated
- editorial articlesEditorial articles: these are usually commissioned or written by the Editor but unsolicited material may be considered too.Length not stated
- meta-analysisOriginal Papers: reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge (3,500 word limit). Commentaries: evi…Length not stated
- opinionOriginal Papers: reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge (3,500 word limit). Commentaries: evi…Length not stated
- original paperOriginal Papers: reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge (3,500 word limit). Commentaries: evi…Length not stated
- original papersOriginal Papers: reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge (3,500 word limit).Length not stated
- reviewOriginal Papers: reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge (3,500 word limit). Commentaries: evi…main text ≤ 5,000 words
- reviewsReviews: Reviews are submitted by invitation only, or with the prior approval of the Editor in Chief. Critical reviews of the literature, including systematic r…Length not stated
- systematic reviewOriginal Papers: reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge (3,500 word limit). Commentaries: evi…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Publication ethics, Peer review, Preprints
- Authorship Authorship
The Journal of Pineal Research mandates that authors submit a short description of all contributions to their manuscript. The contributions of each author must be summarized in brief, to appear immediately before the references and as an individual file uploaded during submission. Authorship credit might include contributions to concept/design, acquisition of data, data analysis/interpretation, dr…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics 5. EDITORIAL POLICIES AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Peer Review and AcceptanceThe acceptance criteria for all papers are the quality and originality of the research and its significance to journal readership. Except where otherwise stated, manuscripts are single-blind peer reviewed. Papers will only be sent to review if the Editor-in-Chief determines that the paper meets the appropriate quality and relevance requirements. All revisions are then sen…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Peer review type: single-blind peer review. Model summary
Except where otherwise stated, manuscripts are single-blind peer reviewed.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints
Preprint policy: considers preprint articles for review. 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 ·
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
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1984
- ISSN
- 0742-3098
- Electronic ISSN
- 1600-079X
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 78, Issue 5 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Pineal Research
What CAS zone is Journal of Pineal Research in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Pineal Research is in Zone 1 of Medicine, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Endocrinology & Metabolism / Neurosciences / Physiology; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Pineal Research?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 7.44; CiteScore 12.6, h-index 193.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Pineal Research?
Based on the dates recorded on 73 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 94 days (interquartile range 64–151 days); authors report an average review time of about 1 month; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly hard”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 25% (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 Pineal Research?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Manuscript length: ≤ 3,500 words; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not 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 Pineal Research based?
Of the 50 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (17), France (8) and Germany (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Pineal Research?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Pineal Research is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO and CAB Abstracts; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Journal of Pineal Research open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Pineal Research is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 5,000.
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: .