Journal profile · Biology
Journal of Theoretical Biology
ISSN 0022-5193 · eISSN 1095-8541 · Academic Press Inc. · UNITED STATES · Semimonthly · Founded 1961
Journal of Theoretical Biology: CAS Zone 4 · Mathematics (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.77; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,550; median 162 days to acceptance (105 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 50%; 199 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Theoretical Biology is published by Academic Press Inc. and is in Zone 4 of Mathematics in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Evolution and Genetic Dynamics, Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation and Mathematical and Theoretical Epidemiology and Ecology Models, together about 30.6% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Theoretical Biology is the leading forum for theoretical perspectives that give insight into biological processes. It covers a very wide range of topics and is of interest to biologists in many areas of research, including:• Brain and Neuroscience • Cancer Growth and Treatment • Cell Biology • Developmental Biology • Ecology • Evolution • Immunology, • Infectious and non-infectious Diseases, • Mathematical, Computational, Biophysical and Statistical Modeling • Microbiology, Molecular Biology, and Biochemistry • Networks and Complex Systems • Physiology • Pharmacodynamics • Animal Behavior and Game TheoryAcceptable papers are those that bear significant importance on the biology per se being presented, and not on the mathematical analysis. Papers that include some data or experimental material bearing on theory will be considered, including those that contain comparative study, statistical data analysis, mathematical proof, computer simulations, experiments, field observations, or even philosophical arguments, which are all methods to support or reject theoretical ideas. However, there should be a concerted effort to make papers intelligible to biologists in the chosen field.Whatever the topic of the paper, please note that the biological significance of the problem being studied should be clearly stated. In addition, Highlights are required for each article and they should feature the biological applications as well as any theoretical advancements.Highly speculative papers not based on current biological knowledge will not be accepted. Importantly, papers in which only mathematics is utilized, only technical mathematical results are proved, or standard statistical/bioinformatics methods are applied to existing genomic data, without new theoretical perspective or biologically novel insight will NOT be considered. The journal does not accept unsolicited review papers. Comments on theoretical issues or on papers published specifically in the Journal of Theoretical Biology are welcomed in the form of Letters to the Editors.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biology
Editor-in-chief Mark ChaplainPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 3%); most named United States 15, United Kingdom 15, Japan 9, France 4, Italy 4 (67 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Evolution and Genetic DynamicsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology12.8%
- Evolutionary Game Theory and CooperationSocial Sciences9.8%
- Mathematical and Theoretical Epidemiology and Ecology ModelsMedicine8%
- Gene Regulatory Network AnalysisBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6%
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences6%
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.9%
- Protein Structure and DynamicsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.9%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance3.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Mathematics Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Mathematics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Mathematical & Computational Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Mathematics Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Mathematics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Mathematical & Computational Biology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Mathematics Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Mathematics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Mathematical & Computational 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
- 1.77LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.55LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.72LetPub ·
- h-index
- 139LetPub ·
- h-index
- 285OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 10,913OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.89OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 43.52%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 168LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 18,143 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 135 | 82 | 30 |
| 2025 | 199 | 123 | 319 |
| 2024 | 187 | 112 | 635 |
| 2023 | 189 | 106 | 1,124 |
| 2022 | 246 | 134 | 2,335 |
| 2021 | 276 | 121 | 2,888 |
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
162 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 113 days – 237 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 6 days (105 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 169 days
- Sample
- 105 articles with submission and acceptance dates (389 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 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 50%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 95 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 173 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 8 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 2,550 / EUR 2,390 / GBP 2,040 / JPY 316,280 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 2,580 | — | — |
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 papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare9 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Required
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Required
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted2
- letters to the editorBrief notes may be submitted in the form of Letters to the Editor. Comment on current theoretical issues or papers published in the journal are also welcome.Length not stated
- research articleResearch articleLength 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
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
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Semimonthly
- Founded
- 1961
- ISSN
- 0022-5193
- Electronic ISSN
- 1095-8541
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Theoretical Biology
What CAS zone is Journal of Theoretical Biology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Theoretical Biology is in Zone 4 of Mathematics, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Biology / Mathematical & Computational Biology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Mathematics. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Theoretical Biology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.77; CiteScore 4, h-index 285.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Theoretical Biology?
Based on the dates recorded on 105 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 162 days (interquartile range 113–237 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 50%”. 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 Theoretical Biology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Author–date; Templates: LaTeX and Word; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Required; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Required; 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 Theoretical Biology based?
Of the 67 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 3%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (15), United Kingdom (15) and Japan (9). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Theoretical Biology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Theoretical Biology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Journal of Theoretical Biology open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Theoretical Biology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,550.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .