Journal profile · History & Philosophy Of Science
Journal of the History of Biology
ISSN 0022-5010 · eISSN 1573-0387 · Springer Netherlands · NETHERLANDS · Quarterly · Founded 1968
Journal of the History of Biology: CAS Zone 2 · Philosophy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 0.7; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,090; median 227 days to acceptance (13 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 47 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI, AHCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of the History of Biology is published by Springer Netherlands and is in Zone 2 of Philosophy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Philosophy and History of Science, History of Science and Natural History and History of Science and Medicine, together about 38.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are History and Philosophy of Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of the History of Biology is devoted to the history of the biological sciences, with additional interest and concern in the philosophical and social issues confronting biology. The journal invites a diversity of approaches to the history of biology, and welcomes manuscripts dealing with all chronological periods, though it pays particular attention to developments in the modern biological sciences of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The journal serves both the working biologist who needs a fuller understanding of the historical and philosophical basis of their field, as well as the historian of biology interested in the intellectual and cultural processes that shape it.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): History & Philosophy Of Science
Editor-in-chief Nicolas RasmussenPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 3%); most named United States 12, United Kingdom 5, Germany 5, Australia 3, Mexico 2 (32 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Philosophy and History of ScienceArts and Humanities14.4%
- History of Science and Natural HistoryArts and Humanities13.2%
- History of Science and MedicineArts and Humanities11.2%
- Evolution and Science EducationArts and Humanities9.8%
- Diverse Historical and Scientific StudiesArts and Humanities5.9%
- Race, Genetics, and SocietyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.5%
- Freedom of Expression and DefamationSocial Sciences3.5%
- American Sports and LiteratureArts and Humanities3.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Philosophy Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | History & Philosophy Of Science | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Philosophy Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | History & Philosophy Of Science | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Philosophy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | History & Philosophy Of Science | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIAHCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINECAB AbstractsERIH PLUSCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, 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
- 0.7LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 0.7Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 0.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 1.5LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.36LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.32LetPub ·
- h-index
- 27LetPub ·
- h-index
- 74OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 698OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.56OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 14.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 48.53%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 21LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 153,900Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,608 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 22 | 7 | 1 |
| 2025 | 47 | 21 | 20 |
| 2024 | 43 | 16 | 42 |
| 2023 | 59 | 22 | 62 |
| 2022 | 34 | 15 | 126 |
| 2021 | 40 | 17 | 178 |
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
227 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 145 days – 318 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 30 days (77 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 283 days
- Sample
- 13 articles with submission and acceptance dates (80 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)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 5 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 3,090 / EUR 2,490 / GBP 2,190 | — | — | |
| 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)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Generative AI Images
LLMs do not satisfy authorship criteria; use must be documented in Methods. 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 ·- Conflicts of interest Competing Interests
Authors required to disclose financial or non-financial competing interests. Model summary
Authors are requested to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Disclo…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Data availability statement required for all original research. 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
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
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 the History of Biology, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Double anonymous peer review (SNAPP); author details submitted via system interface. Model summary
In order to ensure that the author(s) remain anonymous to the reviewers throughout the peer review process, you will be asked to submit certain information and statements directly in the system’s interface instead of including it in the manuscript or on a separate title page.
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 Netherlands
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 1968
- ISSN
- 0022-5010
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-0387
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 59, Issue 1 (March 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of the History of Biology
What CAS zone is Journal of the History of Biology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of the History of Biology is in Zone 2 of Philosophy, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Biology / History & Philosophy Of Science. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Philosophy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of the History of Biology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 0.7; CiteScore 1.5, h-index 74.
How long does peer review take at Journal of the History of Biology?
Based on the dates recorded on 13 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 227 days (interquartile range 145–318 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 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 the History of Biology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date. 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 the History of Biology based?
Of the 32 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 3%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (12), United Kingdom (5) and Germany (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of the History of Biology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of the History of Biology is indexed in SCIE, SSCI, AHCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, CAB Abstracts, ERIH PLUS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Journal of the History of Biology open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of the History of Biology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,090.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .