Journal profile · Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Journal of Structural Biology
ISSN 1047-8477 · eISSN 1095-8657 · Academic Press Inc. · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1990
Journal of Structural Biology: CAS Zone 3 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.23; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,350; median 98 days to acceptance (103 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly hard; 94 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Structural Biology is published by Academic Press Inc. 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 Advanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and Applications, Enzyme Structure and Function and Diverse Scientific and Economic Studies, together about 29.7% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Structural Biology (JSB) publishes papers dealing with the experimental structural analysis of biological material at every level of organization by all methods that lead to an understanding of biological function in terms of molecular and supramolecular structure. Advancements in computational and other structure analysis methods will also be considered by the journal.Techniques covered include:• Light microscopy including confocal microscopy • All types of electron microscopy • X-ray and neutron diffraction • Nuclear magnetic resonance • Scanning force microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, and tunneling microscopy • Digital image processing • Computational analysis of structural information that result in increased insights into the functioning of the biological materialsThe field covered by the journal extends from the structural organization of cells and tissues, their membranes, compartments, organelles and supramolecular assemblies, to the structure and conformation of proteins and nucleic acids from the molecular to the atomic level. Purely computational approaches on drug binding and drug development are outside the scope of the journal.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Editor-in-chief José María CarazoPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 21, Germany 9, India 6, United Kingdom 3, Netherlands 3 (60 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Advanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and ApplicationsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology12.6%
- Enzyme Structure and FunctionMaterials Science10.1%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance7%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering6.8%
- Protein Structure and DynamicsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.6%
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.5%
- Electron and X-Ray Spectroscopy TechniquesMaterials Science6%
- Educational Robotics and EngineeringComputer Science4.2%
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 | Biophysics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biophysics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | 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 | Biophysics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | 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
- 2.23LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.99LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.72LetPub ·
- h-index
- 132LetPub ·
- h-index
- 192OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,591OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.6OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 36.67%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 83LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 5,272 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 80 | 44 | 15 |
| 2025 | 94 | 44 | 186 |
| 2024 | 93 | 63 | 492 |
| 2023 | 95 | 53 | 807 |
| 2022 | 86 | 56 | 1,062 |
| 2021 | 118 | 67 | 2,901 |
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
98 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 68 days – 138 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (103 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 104 days
- Sample
- 103 articles with submission and acceptance dates (191 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)
- 3–6 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly hardLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 38 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 100 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 3 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 4,350 / EUR 4,070 / GBP 3,480 / JPY 539,530 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,020 | — | — |
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 prepare7 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 2,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted7
- hypothesisTechnical Notes and Structure ReportsIn addition to regular full-length papers, the Journal of Structural Biology publishes Technical Notes and Structure Report…Length not stated
- letterTechnical Notes and Structure ReportsIn addition to regular full-length papers, the Journal of Structural Biology publishes Technical Notes and Structure Report…Length not stated
- opinionTechnical Notes and Structure ReportsIn addition to regular full-length papers, the Journal of Structural Biology publishes Technical Notes and Structure Report…Length not stated
- regular paperTechnical Notes and Structure ReportsIn addition to regular full-length papers, the Journal of Structural Biology publishes Technical Notes and Structure Report…Length not stated
- reviewTechnical Notes and Structure ReportsIn addition to regular full-length papers, the Journal of Structural Biology publishes Technical Notes and Structure Report…Length not stated
- review articleTechnical Notes and Structure ReportsIn addition to regular full-length papers, the Journal of Structural Biology publishes Technical Notes and Structure Report…Length not stated
- technical noteTechnical Notes and Structure ReportsIn addition to regular full-length papers, the Journal of Structural Biology publishes Technical Notes and Structure Report…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 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. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
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
- Academic Press Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1990
- ISSN
- 1047-8477
- Electronic ISSN
- 1095-8657
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Structural Biology
What CAS zone is Journal of Structural Biology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Structural Biology is in Zone 3 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Biophysics / Biochemistry & Molecular Biology / Cell Biology. 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 Structural Biology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.23; CiteScore 4.6, h-index 192.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Structural Biology?
Based on the dates recorded on 103 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 98 days (interquartile range 68–138 days); authors report an average review time of 3–6 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly hard”. 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 Structural Biology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 2,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: 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 Structural Biology based?
Of the 60 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 (21), Germany (9) and India (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Structural Biology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Structural Biology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Journal of Structural Biology open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Structural Biology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,350.
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: .