Journal profile · Endocrinology & Metabolism
Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology
ISSN 0946-672X · eISSN 1878-3252 · Urban und Fischer Verlag GmbH und Co. KG · GERMANY · Quarterly
Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.08; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,700; median 136 days to acceptance (110 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 225 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology is published by Urban und Fischer Verlag GmbH und Co. KG 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 Trace Elements in Health, Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity and Selenium in Biological Systems, together about 51.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Nutrition and Dietetics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Journal of the Federation of European Societies on Trace Elements and Minerals - FESTEMThe journal provides the reader with a thorough description of theoretical and applied aspects of trace elements in medicine and biology and is devoted to the advancement of scientific knowledge about trace elements and trace element species. Trace elements play essential roles in the maintenance of physiological processes. During the last decades there has been an important progress in scientific investigation about the function and binding of trace elements. The Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology focuses on the description and dissemination of scientific results concerning the biological role and action of trace elements including different fields such as analytical methods, biochemistry, patho-biochemistry of metabolic processes, molecular biology, nutrition, toxicology, environmental toxicology, epidemiology, clinical applications in diagnosis, therapy, food chain and veterinary medicine. Progress in the knowledge of the biological role of trace elements depends, however, on advances in trace elements chemistry. The Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology publishes high quality, evidence-based research and includes only those studies that base their results on proven analytical methods and in which the quality assurance regarding the execution of experiments and achievement of results is guaranteed.The Federation of European Societies on Trace Elements and Minerals (FESTEM) The International Society for Zinc Biology (ISZB)
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Endocrinology & Metabolism
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named Germany 19, United States 8, France 6, United Kingdom 4, Russia 4 (60 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Trace Elements in HealthNursing21.7%
- Heavy Metal Exposure and ToxicityEnvironmental Science20.8%
- Selenium in Biological SystemsNursing9.3%
- Heavy metals in environmentEnvironmental Science5.4%
- Iron Metabolism and DisordersMedicine4.6%
- Mercury impact and mitigation studiesEnvironmental Science4.2%
- Aluminum toxicity and tolerance in plants and animalsAgricultural and Biological Sciences3.9%
- Heavy Metals in PlantsChemistry2.7%
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 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Zone 3 |
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 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Endocrinology & Metabolism | 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
- 4.08LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.7LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.7Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.78LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.98LetPub ·
- h-index
- 61LetPub ·
- h-index
- 115OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,046OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.16OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 15.48%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 216LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,569 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 149 | 32 | 72 |
| 2025 | 225 | 58 | 854 |
| 2024 | 204 | 53 | 1,476 |
| 2023 | 248 | 55 | 3,020 |
| 2022 | 196 | 47 | 2,844 |
| 2021 | 203 | 42 | 3,973 |
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
136 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 88 days – 214 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (110 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 144 days
- Sample
- 110 articles with submission and acceptance dates (457 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)
- 6–12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 7 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 65 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 132 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 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 3,700 / EUR 3,460 / GBP 2,960 / JPY 458,910 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,680 | — | — |
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 prepare9 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted6
- clinical notesClinical notesLength not stated
- original papersOriginal papersLength not stated
- reviewsReviewsLength not stated
- short communicationOriginal papersReviewsClinical notesTechnical notes Short communicationsLength not stated
- short communicationsShort communicationsLength not stated
- technical notesTechnical notesLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, 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 ·- Publication ethics
Follow Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
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 sharing allowed, not prior publication Model summary
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
- Urban und Fischer Verlag GmbH und Co. KG
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- ISSN
- 0946-672X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1878-3252
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology
What CAS zone is Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Biochemistry & Molecular Biology / Endocrinology & Metabolism. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.08; CiteScore 6.7, h-index 115.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology?
Based on the dates recorded on 110 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 136 days (interquartile range 88–214 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; 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 Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Templates: LaTeX and Word; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Optional; 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 Trace Elements in Medicine and 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 Germany (19), United States (8) and France (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,700.
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: .