Journal profile · Plant Sciences
Journal of Plant Research
ISSN 0918-9440 · eISSN 1618-0860 · Springer Singapore · JAPAN · Bimonthly · Founded 1972
Journal of Plant Research: CAS Zone 3 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.16; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,890; median 145 days to acceptance (91 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 71 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Plant Research is published by Springer Singapore and is in Zone 3 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Plant and animal studies, Plant Diversity and Evolution and Plant Molecular Biology Research, together about 27.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology and Plant Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Plant Research is an international journal dedicated to the dissemination of fundamental knowledge in all areas (see below disciplines) of basic plant sciences. In addition, the journal welcomes papers in interdisciplinary areas and in newly developing areas of basic plant biology. The journal especially encourages publication of work based on unique approaches and those reporting unprecedented findings. Papers that are purely descriptive with no clear hypothesis are not suitable for this journal. Manuscripts in the area of applied plant sciences, such as agricultural or medicinal research, are accepted only if the manuscripts contribute to basic plant sciences. (Disciplines) taxonomy, phylogeny, evolutionary biology, morphology, anatomy, structural biology, ecology, ecophysiology, environmental biology, genetics, developmental biology, physiology, cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, bioinformatics, theoretical biology, and systems biology.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Plant Sciences
Editor-in-chief Noriko InadaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 8 in mainland China (about 8%); most named Japan 70, Mainland China 8, Taiwan, China 2, Germany 2, Brazil 2 (97 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences10.1%
- Plant Diversity and EvolutionAgricultural and Biological Sciences9.3%
- Plant Molecular Biology ResearchAgricultural and Biological Sciences8.4%
- Plant Reproductive BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.9%
- Photosynthetic Processes and MechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.6%
- Plant Stress Responses and ToleranceAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.9%
- Plant and Fungal Species DescriptionsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.9%
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEnvironmental Science4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINECASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Astrophysics Data System, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
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
- 2.16LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.2Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.5LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.67LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.9LetPub ·
- h-index
- 59LetPub ·
- h-index
- 107OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,091OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.39OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 25.23%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 66LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 423,100Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,031 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 71 | 39 | 6 |
| 2025 | 71 | 29 | 103 |
| 2024 | 98 | 32 | 464 |
| 2023 | 81 | 36 | 509 |
| 2022 | 70 | 25 | 830 |
| 2021 | 121 | 45 | 1,913 |
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
145 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 93 days – 206 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 20 days (91 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 172 days
- Sample
- 91 articles with submission and acceptance dates (168 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 easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 8 daysPublisher 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 3,890 / EUR 2,890 / GBP 2,490 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Page charges
- No page charges
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
- 150–300 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted15, with length limits
- commentaryThe journal publishes contributions in the following categories: Regular Papers, Technical Notes, Reviews, Milestones in Plant Research, JPR Symposium, and Lett…Length not stated
- hypothesisThe journal publishes contributions in the following categories: Regular Papers, Technical Notes, Reviews, Milestones in Plant Research, JPR Symposium, and Lett…Length not stated
- jpr symposiumJPR Symposium is a special feature, providing an opportunity to publish regular papers and reviews on specific topics.Length not stated
- letterThe journal publishes contributions in the following categories: Regular Papers, Technical Notes, Reviews, Milestones in Plant Research, JPR Symposium, and Lett…Length not stated
- lettersLetters present opinions, commentaries and challenges to papers published in the Journal of Plant Research. They should include no tables, no figures and no mor…Length not stated
- milestones in plant researchMilestones in Plant Research is a category for articles recording facts and information about historical achievements that contributed to the development of pla…Length not stated
- opinionThe journal publishes contributions in the following categories: Regular Papers, Technical Notes, Reviews, Milestones in Plant Research, JPR Symposium, and Lett…Length not stated
- original researchThe journal publishes contributions in the following categories: Regular Papers, Technical Notes, Reviews, Milestones in Plant Research, JPR Symposium, and Lett…Length not stated
- perspectiveThe journal publishes contributions in the following categories: Regular Papers, Technical Notes, Reviews, Milestones in Plant Research, JPR Symposium, and Lett…Length not stated
- regular paperThe journal publishes contributions in the following categories: Regular Papers, Technical Notes, Reviews, Milestones in Plant Research, JPR Symposium, and Lett…Length not stated
- regular papersThe journal publishes contributions in the following categories: Regular Papers, Technical Notes, Reviews, Milestones in Plant Research, JPR Symposium, and Lett…Length not stated
- reviewThe journal publishes contributions in the following categories: Regular Papers, Technical Notes, Reviews, Milestones in Plant Research, JPR Symposium, and Lett…Length not stated
- reviewsReviews summarize the current state of a certain topic in basic plant science. Authors’ original perspectives on that topic should be included.Length not stated
- technical noteThe journal publishes contributions in the following categories: Regular Papers, Technical Notes, Reviews, Milestones in Plant Research, JPR Symposium, and Lett…main text ≤ 6,500 words
- technical notesTechnical Notes report on new methodologies that contribute to exploring new aspects of plant sciences. Technical notes should not exceed 6,500 words or 10 prin…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Preprints
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Journal of Plant Research, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints
Preprint policy Model summary
Authors retain the right to make a pre-print, the author’s version of the manuscript before peer-review has taken place, available on a legally compliant, non-commercial pre-print server prior to acceptance for 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
- Springer Singapore
- Country or region
- JAPAN
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1972
- ISSN
- 0918-9440
- Electronic ISSN
- 1618-0860
- Society / sponsor
- Botanical Society of Japan
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 139, Issue 4 (July 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Plant Research
What CAS zone is Journal of Plant Research in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Plant Research is in Zone 3 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Plant Sciences. 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 Plant Research?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.16; CiteScore 4.5, h-index 107.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Plant Research?
Based on the dates recorded on 91 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 145 days (interquartile range 93–206 days); authors report an average review time of about 1 month; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly 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 Plant Research?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–300 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; 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 Plant Research based?
Of the 97 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 8 (about 8%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Japan (70), Mainland China (8) and Taiwan, China (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Plant Research?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Plant Research is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Journal of Plant Research open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Plant Research is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,890.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; 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: .