Journal profile · Oceanography
Limnology and Oceanography Methods
ISSN 1541-5856 · Wiley-Blackwell · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 2003
Limnology and Oceanography Methods: CAS Zone 4 · Earth Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.17; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,530; median 170 days to acceptance (90 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 105 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Limnology and Oceanography Methods is published by Wiley-Blackwell and is in Zone 4 of Earth Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Marine and coastal ecosystems, Marine Biology and Ecology Research and Fish Ecology and Management Studies, together about 35.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Oceanography. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Limnology and Oceanography: Methods At any given time, some areas of the aquatic sciences will be advancing rapidly in methods development while others rely on a suite of established techniques. If the journal has a large number of articles in a particular topical area one year, it is because that area is in the midst of a methodological revolution. However, the areas of greatest methods development shift constantly, and a methods journal must respond accordingly. We intend to let the field define the content of the journal, rather than attempting to force an unnatural balance among the various aquatic sciences disciplines. The journal will continually evolve and will remain responsive to the changing needs of the community. Abstracting and Indexing Information Aqualine Abstracts (ProQuest) ASFA: Aquatic Sciences & Fisheries Abstracts (ProQuest) Biological Sciences (ProQuest) CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service (ACS) CSA Algology Mycology & Protozoology Abstracts (ProQuest) CSA Entomology Abstracts (ProQuest) CSA Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management Database (ProQuest) Current Contents: Agriculture, Biology & Environmental Sciences (Thomson Reuters) Ecology Abstracts (ProQuest) GeoRef (AGI) Meteorological & Geoastrophysical Abstracts (ProQuest) Oceanic Abstracts (ProQuest) Science Citation Index Expanded (Thomson Reuters) SCOPUS (Elsevier) Water Resources Abstracts (ProQuest) Web of Science (Thomson Reuters) Zoological Record (Thomson Reuters)
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Oceanography
Editor-in-chief Krista LongneckerPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United States 15, Australia 2, Mainland China 1, Hong Kong, China 1, United Kingdom 1 (25 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Marine and coastal ecosystemsEarth and Planetary Sciences21.5%
- Marine Biology and Ecology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences7%
- Fish Ecology and Management StudiesEnvironmental Science6.5%
- Isotope Analysis in EcologyEnvironmental Science5.9%
- Microbial Community Ecology and PhysiologyEnvironmental Science5%
- Ocean Acidification Effects and ResponsesEarth and Planetary Sciences4.3%
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton DynamicsEnvironmental Science4.2%
- Oceanographic and Atmospheric ProcessesEarth and Planetary Sciences4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Earth Sciences Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Limnology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Oceanography | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Earth Sciences Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Limnology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Oceanography | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Earth Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Earth Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Limnology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Oceanography | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of ScienceCASGeoRefCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: ProQuest
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
- 2.17LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.2Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 4.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.77LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.98LetPub ·
- h-index
- 59LetPub ·
- h-index
- 109OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 973OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.51OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 74.29%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 80LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 80Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 345,097Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,799 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 79 | 52 | 13 |
| 2025 | 105 | 79 | 95 |
| 2024 | 81 | 65 | 292 |
| 2023 | 78 | 58 | 545 |
| 2022 | 65 | 41 | 610 |
| 2021 | 79 | 46 | 1,060 |
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
170 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 134 days – 237 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 17 days (90 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 194 days
- Sample
- 90 articles with submission and acceptance dates (176 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)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 53%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 53%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 63 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 63 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 162 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 16 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single-anonymous peer review, at least 1 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 3,530 / EUR 2,820 / GBP 2,120 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 100.75 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Page charges
- USD 70.5
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 prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 5–12
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted5
- comparisons and intercalibration studiesComparisons and intercalibration studies: Studies dealing with comparison and intercalibration of alternative methods are welcome.Length not stated
- descriptions of new methodsDescriptions of new methods: Many manuscripts will fall into this category and will comply to a large extent with the basic structure of a manuscript as describ…Length not stated
- methods evaluationsMethods evaluations: Re-evaluations of existing methods will focus on testing the assumptions or the interpretation of existing methods.Length not stated
- reviewArticles published in Limnology and Oceanography: Methods fall into several categories. Descriptions of new methods: Many manuscripts will fall into this catego…Length not stated
- reviews and metaanalysesReviews and metaanalyses: Critical, objective reviews focused on an assessment of the methodology of a specific topic area are welcome.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Preprints
- AI use Use of AI in preparation of a manuscript:
Generative AI may be used for grammar/clarity with disclosure in Acknowledgments; AI tools may not be listed as an author. Model summary
Authors are permitted to use Generative Artificial Intelligence tools (AI) to correct grammatical errors and improve the clarity of text they composed. If AI is used for this purpose, authors are required to disclose the AI tool and how it was used in the preparation of their manuscript. This disclosure should be placed in Acknowledgments. Each author is responsible for content produced by AI tools…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Sharing, Accessibility, and Citation in L&O Methods
Public data sharing is expected; data and metadata must be archived in a public repository, with a data accessibility statement. Model summary
The sharing of data enables others to reuse experimental results and supports the creation of new work built on previous findings, improving the efficiencies of the research process and supporting the critical goals of transparency and reproducibility. Providing the underlying data and metadata for articles in L&O Methods ensures that sufficient evidence in support of authors’ claims and conclusio…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright Transfer Agreement
Copyright transfer agreement required unless Open Access option selected (Creative Commons licenses). Model summary
Authors must sign the copyright transfer agreement before their paper can be published. If your paper is accepted, the author identified as the formal corresponding author for the paper will receive an email prompting them to login into Author Services; where via the Wiley Author Licensing Service (WALS) they will be able to complete the license agreement on behalf of all authors on the paper. For…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access For authors choosing Open Access:
If the Open Access option is selected the corresponding author will have a choice of the following Creative Commons License Open Access Agreements (OAA): Creative Commons Attribution License OAA Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License OAA Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial -NoDerivs License OAA To preview the terms and conditions of these open access agreements please visit th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint Policy
Preprints are allowed; authors must inform the editorial office and update the preprint upon publication. Model summary
Limnology & Oceanography: Methods will consider submissions that previously have been made publicly available on a preprint server such as arXiv, bioRxiv, or PeerJ Preprints. Authors should inform the editorial office at submission if their paper has been posted to such a preprint server, and they must affirm that the preprint posting is consistent with the copyright transfer agreement (CTA) requi…
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
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 2003
- ISSN
- 1541-5856
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 24, Issue 9 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Limnology and Oceanography Methods
What CAS zone is Limnology and Oceanography Methods in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Limnology and Oceanography Methods is in Zone 4 of Earth Sciences, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Limnology / Oceanography. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Earth Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Limnology and Oceanography Methods?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.17; CiteScore 4.3, h-index 109.
How long does peer review take at Limnology and Oceanography Methods?
Based on the dates recorded on 90 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 170 days (interquartile range 134–237 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 53% (2025). 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 Limnology and Oceanography Methods?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 5–12; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Optional; Graphical abstract: Optional. 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 Limnology and Oceanography Methods based?
Of the 25 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (15), Australia (2) and Mainland China (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Limnology and Oceanography Methods?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Limnology and Oceanography Methods is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists Web of Science, CAS, GeoRef and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Limnology and Oceanography Methods open access, and what is the APC?
Limnology and Oceanography Methods is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,530.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .