Journal profile · Virology
Journal of Virological Methods
ISSN 0166-0934 · eISSN 1879-0984 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Monthly · Founded 1980
Journal of Virological Methods: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.67; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,210; median 82 days to acceptance (107 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 77.5%; 175 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Virological Methods is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology, Animal Virus Infections Studies and Virus-based gene therapy research, together about 25.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Epidemiology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Covering methodology and basic scienceThe Journal of Virological Methods focuses on original, high quality research papers that describe novel and comprehensively tested methods which enhance human, animal, plant, bacterial or environmental virology and prions research and discovery.The methods may include, but not limited to, the study of:Viral components and morphologyVirus isolation, propagation and development of viral vectorsViral pathogenesis, oncogenesis, vaccines and antiviralsVirus replication, host-pathogen interactions and responsesVirus transmission, prevention, control and treatmentViral metagenomics and viromeVirus ecology, adaption and evolutionApplied virology such as nanotechnologyViral diagnosis with novelty and comprehensive evaluationBiomarkers leading to the diagnosis or understanding viral infectionWe seek articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses and laboratory protocols that include comprehensive technical details with statistical confirmations that provide validations against current best practice, international standards or quality assurance programs and which advance knowledge in virology leading to improved medical, veterinary or agricultural practices and management.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Virology
Editor-in-chief Paul K. S.Publisher website
Editorial board by country: 7 in mainland China (about 12%); most named Italy 9, Australia 8, Mainland China 7, Hong Kong, China 5, United Kingdom 3 (58 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiologyMedicine9.4%
- Animal Virus Infections StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences8%
- Virus-based gene therapy researchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.7%
- Plant Virus Research StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.3%
- Viral Infections and Immunology ResearchMedicine6.1%
- Animal Disease Management and EpidemiologyAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.7%
- Herpesvirus Infections and TreatmentsMedicine5.2%
- HIV Research and TreatmentImmunology and Microbiology4.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biochemical Research Methods | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Virology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biochemical Research Methods | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Virology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biochemical Research Methods | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Virology | 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
- 1.67LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 1.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.46LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.6LetPub ·
- h-index
- 91LetPub ·
- h-index
- 145OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 5,873OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.87OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 30.86%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 159LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 9,624 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 104 | 32 | 14 |
| 2025 | 175 | 74 | 250 |
| 2024 | 174 | 81 | 584 |
| 2023 | 126 | 63 | 683 |
| 2022 | 150 | 65 | 1,196 |
| 2021 | 306 | 168 | 3,955 |
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
82 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 65 days – 118 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (107 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 85 days
- Sample
- 107 articles with submission and acceptance dates (333 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 5 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 77.5%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 7 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 56 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 101 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 3,210 / EUR 3,000 / GBP 2,570 / JPY 398,140 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,180 | — | — |
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)
Article types accepted7
- book reviewResearch articles should generally not exceed 25 typewritten pages and should be divided into Summary (on a separate sheet and not exceeding 200 words, followed…Length not stated
- book reviewsBook reviews or meeting reports will be published following an invitation from, or by authors first contacting, the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Paul KS ChanLength not stated
- meeting reportsBook reviews or meeting reports will be published following an invitation from, or by authors first contacting, the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Paul KS ChanLength not stated
- research articleResearch articles should generally not exceed 25 typewritten pages and should be divided into Summary (on a separate sheet and not exceeding 200 words, followed…Length not stated
- research articlesResearch articles should generally not exceed 25 typewritten pages and should be divided into Summary (on a separate sheet and not exceeding 200 words, followed…Length not stated
- short communicationResearch articles should generally not exceed 25 typewritten pages and should be divided into Summary (on a separate sheet and not exceeding 200 words, followed…Length not stated
- short communicationsShort communications, approx. 12 typewritten pages, with a Summary and keywords but without section headings.Length 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
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 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
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1980
- ISSN
- 0166-0934
- Electronic ISSN
- 1879-0984
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Virological Methods
What CAS zone is Journal of Virological Methods in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Virological Methods is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Biochemical Research Methods / Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology / Virology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Virological Methods?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.67; CiteScore 4.2, h-index 145.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Virological Methods?
Based on the dates recorded on 107 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 82 days (interquartile range 65–118 days); authors report an average review time of about 5 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 77.5%”. 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Journal of Virological Methods based?
Of the 58 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 7 (about 12%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Italy (9), Australia (8) and Mainland China (7). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Virological Methods?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Virological Methods is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Journal of Virological Methods open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Virological Methods is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,210.
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: .