Journal profile · Urology & Nephrology
Kidney International
ISSN 0085-2538 · eISSN 1523-1755 · Elsevier Inc. · UNITED STATES · Monthly
Kidney International: CAS Zone 1 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 16.21; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,500; median 73 days to acceptance (171 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly hard; 442 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Kidney International is published by Elsevier Inc. and is in Zone 1 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Chronic Kidney Disease and Diabetes, Dialysis and Renal Disease Management and Renal Diseases and Glomerulopathies, together about 36.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Nephrology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Official Journal of the International Society of NephrologyKidney International ®(KI) is the official journal of the International Society of Nephrology. Under the editorial leadership of Dr. Pierre Ronco (Paris, France), KI is one of the most cited journals in nephrology and widely regarded as the world's premier journal on the development and consequences of kidney disease.KI offers features with premier benefits for both readers and authors. Here you will find some of the most highly cited original articles in nephrology, sharply focused reviews, latest imaging techniques, controversial discussions and much more.KI is devoted to kidney research. It aims to inform the researcher, the clinical investigator, and the practicing nephrologist on all aspects of kidney research. These include:The latest clinical studies on emerging developments in nephrologyThe highest level of original research studies in clinical and basic kidney researchLandmark Communications publish concise but complete reports that present high-quality findings of exceptional interest, novelty, transformative value, and broad significanceNephrology Digest comments on and puts into perspective several areas of new developments in basic and clinical research in nephrology at large, as reported in the recent literature and at scientific meetingsResearch Letters report results of studies similar to original investigations that may involve pilot studies, or research focused on a few critical findingsEditorials that highlight important issues in international nephrologyNephrology sans Frontieres are occasional short articles that discuss matters of local interest to nephrologists around the world, but which we feel need to be known by nephrologists world-wideIn-depth reviews about major issues in kidney researchControversies on hot topics or debated issues written by two opposing authorities with a summary by the editorsNephrology Images which are presentations of interesting images in kidney pathology, radiology chosen for their illustrative nature or simply for their esthetic qualitiesPolicy Forum that features issues of importance to the international renal community including the politics of funding, of organ transplantation, of adequacy of dialysis, of world-wide affordability of end stage patient care and many other topical issuesJournal Club are synopses that bring you the latest research highlights from across a wide spectrum of journals in fields relevant to renal researchYour subscription to Kidney International also includes the companion journal, Kidney International Supplements .
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Urology & Nephrology
Editorial board by country: 5 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 88, Germany 18, Australia 18, France 14, Canada 14 (219 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Chronic Kidney Disease and DiabetesMedicine12.6%
- Dialysis and Renal Disease ManagementMedicine12.2%
- Renal Diseases and GlomerulopathiesMedicine12.1%
- Acute Kidney Injury ResearchMedicine5.7%
- Parathyroid Disorders and TreatmentsMedicine5.2%
- Ion Transport and Channel RegulationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.1%
- Renal and related cancersBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.1%
- Renal Transplantation Outcomes and TreatmentsMedicine3.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Urology & Nephrology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Urology & Nephrology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Urology & Nephrology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEEmbaseCASCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Index Medicus, SciSearch, BIOSIS, Reference Update, CABS, Biological Abstracts, Global Health, Adonis, PASCAL
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
- 16.21LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 21.8Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2024
- 12.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 23.1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 23.1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 5.56LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 4.81LetPub ·
- h-index
- 250LetPub ·
- h-index
- 392OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 16,463OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 12.56OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 43.31%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 139LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 25,349 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 446 | 185 | 310 |
| 2025 | 442 | 197 | 2,563 |
| 2024 | 446 | 224 | 13,887 |
| 2023 | 418 | 248 | 6,035 |
| 2022 | 466 | 412 | 10,950 |
| 2021 | 500 | 498 | 19,034 |
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
73 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 28 days – 169 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 41 days (133 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 173 days
- Sample
- 171 articles with submission and acceptance dates (876 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 ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 37 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single-anonymous peer review, at least 2 reviewersPublisher website · model-extracted
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 3,500 / EUR 3,270 / GBP 2,800 / JPY 434,110 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 165 | — | — |
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 prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Keywords
- ≥ 3
- Reference style
- AMA
- Graphical abstract
- Required
Article types accepted20, with length limits
- clinical journey in translational medicineCLINICAL JOURNEY IN TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINELength not stated
- commentaryCommentaries discuss a paper published in a specific issue and should set the problems addressed by the paper in the wider context of the field. Disclosure stat…abstract ≤ 75 words · figures and tables ≤ 1
- commentary (by invitation only)COMMENTARY (BY INVITATION ONLY)Length not stated
- editorialProposals for Editorials must be submitted to the Editorial Office (lueg@wustl.edu); cc: pmorriss@wustl.edu). Authors should send only an outline of the propose…main text ≤ 150 words · abstract ≤ 150 words
- editorial (by invitation only)EDITORIAL (BY INVITATION ONLY)Length not stated
- editorial: special report (by invitation only)EDITORIAL: SPECIAL REPORT (BY INVITATION ONLY)Length not stated
- landmark communicationLANDMARK COMMUNICATIONLength not stated
- letter to the editorProposals for Letters to the Editor must be submitted to the Editorial Office (small_s@wustl.edu) for initial consideration. Letters to the Editor will be consi…Length not stated
- letter to the editor (by invitation only)LETTER TO THE EDITOR (BY INVITATION ONLY)Length not stated
- make your diagnosis (by invitation only)MAKE YOUR DIAGNOSIS (BY INVITATION ONLY)Length not stated
- meeting report (by invitation only)MEETING REPORT (BY INVITATION ONLY)Length not stated
- nephrologists sans frontières (by invitation only)NEPHROLOGISTS SANS FRONTIÈRES (BY INVITATION ONLY)Length not stated
- nephrology digest (by invitation only)NEPHROLOGY DIGEST (BY INVITATION ONLY)Length not stated
- nephrology image (by invitation only)NEPHROLOGY IMAGE (BY INVITATION ONLY)Length not stated
- original researchORIGINAL RESEARCHLength not stated
- policy forum (by invitation only)POLICY FORUM (BY INVITATION ONLY)Length not stated
- research letter (basic or clinical)RESEARCH LETTER (Basic or Clinical)Length not stated
- reviewReviews are comprehensive analyses of specific topics in nephrology that are solicited by the Editors. Proposals for UNSOLICITED reviews ARE NOT ACCEPTED. Unsol…main text ≤ 250 words · abstract ≤ 250 words
- review (by invitation only)REVIEW (BY INVITATION ONLY)Length not stated
- technical noteAppropriate subject matter includes descriptions of new laboratory or clinical methods, new apparatus, or critical modifications of established techniques. Orga…main text ≤ 300 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Declaration of generative AI in scientific writing
Authors must declare the use of generative AI in manuscript preparation upon submission; AI tools must never be used as a substitute for human critical thinking; AI tools must not be listed or cited as an author or co-author. Model summary
Authors must declare the use of generative AI in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Elsevier recognizes the potential of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI Tools”), when used responsibly, to help researchers work efficiently, gain critical insights fast and achieve better outcomes. Increasingly, these tools, including AI agents and deep research tools, are…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship
Requirements for all categories of articles should conform to the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals," developed by the ICMJE (https://www.icmje.org).Each author must have contributed sufficiently to the intellectual content of the submission. The corresponding author should list all authors and their contributions to the work. The corresponding author must conf…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Editor disclosures
Kidney International follows the ICMJE Guidelines for Disclosures and Conflicts of Interest. Editors and editorial staff must not use information gained through working with manuscripts for private gain. Editor disclosure forms about potential conflicts of interests related to their own commitments are collected annually and kept on file in the editorial office. Authors and reviewers who require t…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data sharing policy
Kidney International endorses the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and re-usable) Data Principles as a framework to promote the broadest reuse of research data. Our journal requires and enables you to share data that supports your research publication and enables you to interlink the data with your published articles. Research data refers to the results of observations or experimentation …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Journal is a member of and subscribes to the principles of COPE. Model summary
This journal is a member of, and subscribes to the principles of, the Committee on Publications Ethics (COPE) http://www.publicationethics.org.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to complete a 'Journal Publishing Agreement' (see more information on this). An e-mail will be sent to the corresponding author confirming receipt of the manuscript together with a 'Journal Publishing Agreement' form or a link to the online version of this agreement.Subscribers may reproduce tables of contents or prepare lists of articles includ…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
Authors should add Twitter Handle and ORCID to their user account in Editorial Manager. Model summary
Please visit our Open Access page for more information about open access publishing in this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process; Editor-in-Chief responsible for all decisions regarding acceptance or rejection of articles; member of COPE. Model summary
This journal operates a single, anonymized review process. All contributions are initially assessed by the Editor for suitability in the journal. Submissions deemed suitable are then typically sent to two independent expert reviewers to aid in the assessment of the article’s scientific quality. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for all decisions regarding acceptance or rejection of articles. The …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint references
Where a preprint has subsequently become available as a peer-reviewed publication, the formal publication should be used as the reference. If there are preprints that are central to your work or that cover crucial developments in the topic, but are not yet formally published, these may be referenced. Preprints should be clearly marked as such, for example by including the word preprint, or the nam…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Reporting guidelines
KI requires authors to completely, accurately, and transparently report their findings. Authors submitting articles to KI should refer to the Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research (EQUATOR) Network website (http://www.equator-network.org/), which provides a central repository of reporting guidelines and other resources to assist authors.Authors of the following study types are …
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 Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Monthly
- ISSN
- 0085-2538
- Electronic ISSN
- 1523-1755
- Society / sponsor
- International Society of Nephrology
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Kidney International
What CAS zone is Kidney International in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Kidney International is in Zone 1 of Medicine, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Urology & Nephrology; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Kidney International?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 16.21; CiteScore 23.1, h-index 392.
How long does peer review take at Kidney International?
Based on the dates recorded on 171 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 73 days (interquartile range 28–169 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 Kidney International?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Keywords: ≥ 3; Reference style: AMA; Graphical abstract: 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 Kidney International based?
Of the 219 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 5 (about 2%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (88), Germany (18) and Australia (18). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Kidney International?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Kidney International is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, Embase, CAS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Kidney International open access, and what is the APC?
Kidney International is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,500.
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: .