Journal profile · SURGERY
Journal of Robotic Surgery
ISSN 1863-2483 · eISSN 1863-2491 · Springer Nature · 6 issues per year
Journal of Robotic Surgery: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.2; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,090; median 29 days to acceptance (171 articles, last 24 months); 860 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Robotic Surgery is published by Springer Nature and is in Zone 3 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Surgical Simulation and Training, Minimally Invasive Surgical Techniques and Colorectal Cancer Surgical Treatments, together about 34.4% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Robotic Surgery (JRS) is a peer-reviewed publication dedicated to advancing the field of robotic surgery through the dissemination of cutting-edge research, technological developments, and clinical innovations. Under leadership of David M. Albala, MD, the journal aims to serve as a prominent platform for the exchange of knowledge and ideas among researchers, surgeons, engineers, and healthcare professionals in the field of robotic surgery. Since its establishment in connection with Vipul Patel, MD, the journal has reported on advances in a wide range of surgical specialties including: Advances in robotic surgical techniques and procedures. Clinical outcomes and safety evaluations of robotic-assisted surgeries. Development and assessment of new robotic systems, instruments, and technologies. Integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning in robotic surgery. Simulation and training methods for robotic surgical procedures. Applications of robotic surgery across various medical specialties such as urology, gynecology, cardiology, neurosurgery, and more. Cost-effectiveness and healthcare economics of robotic surgical interventions. The primary audience for the Journal of Robotic Surgery includes researchers, surgeons, medical professionals, engineers, and academics actively involved in the study, development, and practice of robotic surgery. Types of Articles: The Journal of Robotic Surgery welcomes diverse types of articles, including original research papers, clinical studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses and technical notes. We encourage submissions that present novel insights, evidence-based findings, and advancements in the field. Guidelines: Authors interested in submitting their work to Journal of Robotic Surgery are requested to adhere to the journal's submission guidelines, which can be found under the ‘Submission Guidelines’ link to the right. The Journal of Robotic Surgery is committed to promoting excellence in research and fostering collaborations between different stakeholders in the field. By providing a forum for high-quality research, the journal aims to contribute to the ongoing progress of robotic surgery and its impact on patient outcomes and healthcare practices.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): SURGERY
Editor-in-chief David AlbalaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 19, United Kingdom 5, India 4, Italy 3, Mexico 3 (51 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Surgical Simulation and TrainingMedicine17.1%
- Minimally Invasive Surgical TechniquesMedicine10.1%
- Colorectal Cancer Surgical TreatmentsMedicine7.1%
- Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and TreatmentMedicine6.8%
- Anatomy and Medical TechnologyEngineering5.1%
- Renal cell carcinoma treatmentMedicine4.4%
- Soft Robotics and ApplicationsEngineering4%
- Cardiac, Anesthesia and Surgical OutcomesMedicine3.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Surgery | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Surgery | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Surgery | 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
EI CompendexMEDLINEINSPECEmbaseCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, Semantic Scholar
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
- 4.2LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 4.2Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.9LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.94LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.35LetPub ·
- h-index
- 59OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,084OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.25OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 23.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 27.5%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 645LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 910,600Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,927 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 907 | 297 | 468 |
| 2025 | 860 | 232 | 2,725 |
| 2024 | 443 | 136 | 3,998 |
| 2023 | 222 | 68 | 2,422 |
| 2022 | 170 | 51 | 2,361 |
| 2021 | 167 | 48 | 2,457 |
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
29 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 19 days – 41 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 12 days (171 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 45 days
- Sample
- 171 articles with submission and acceptance dates (1,831 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
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double 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 4,090 / EUR 3,090 / GBP 2,690 | — | — |
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 prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 4,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- case reportOriginal Articles - word limit 4000 words, 45 references, no more than 6 figures/tables Review Articles: word limit 10,000 words, 100 references, no more than 1…Length not stated
- case reportsCase Reports: The Journal does not publish case reports.Length not stated
- editorialOriginal Articles - word limit 4000 words, 45 references, no more than 6 figures/tables Review Articles: word limit 10,000 words, 100 references, no more than 1…Length not stated
- editorialsEditorials are by invitation onlyLength not stated
- original articleOriginal Articles - word limit 4000 words, 45 references, no more than 6 figures/tables Review Articles: word limit 10,000 words, 100 references, no more than 1…main text ≤ 4,000 words
- original articlesOriginal Articles - word limit 4000 words, 45 references, no more than 6 figures/tablesLength not stated
- review articleOriginal Articles - word limit 4000 words, 45 references, no more than 6 figures/tables Review Articles: word limit 10,000 words, 100 references, no more than 1…main text ≤ 10,000 words
- review articlesReview Articles: word limit 10,000 words, 100 references, no more than 10 figuresLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
LLMs do not satisfy authorship criteria; use of an LLM should be documented in the Methods section. Model summary
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
Manuscripts must not be previously published or under consideration elsewhere. Model summary
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 ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Research data should be archived in data repositories wherever possible. Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
Submissions reporting on human subjects must include ethical and patient consent statements. Model summary
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Permission from copyright owners is required for previously published material. Model summary
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 Robotic Surgery, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Authors may suggest or request exclusion of reviewers. Model summary
Authors are welcome to suggest suitable reviewers and/or request the exclusion of certain individuals when they submit their manuscripts.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
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 Nature
- Frequency
- 6 issues per year
- ISSN
- 1863-2483
- Electronic ISSN
- 1863-2491
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Robotic Surgery
What CAS zone is Journal of Robotic Surgery in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Robotic Surgery is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 3 of the minor category 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 Robotic Surgery?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.2; CiteScore 4.9, h-index 59.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Robotic Surgery?
Based on the dates recorded on 171 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 29 days (interquartile range 19–41 days). 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 Robotic Surgery?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 4,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Templates: LaTeX and Word; 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 Robotic Surgery based?
Of the 51 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 (19), United Kingdom (5) and India (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Robotic Surgery?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Robotic Surgery is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, MEDLINE, INSPEC, Embase and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Journal of Robotic Surgery open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Robotic Surgery is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,090.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .