Journal profile · Biology
Mathematical Biosciences
ISSN 0025-5564 · eISSN 1879-3134 · Elsevier Inc. · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1967
Mathematical Biosciences: CAS Zone 4 · Mathematics (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.55; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,660; median 186 days to acceptance (106 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 151 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Mathematical Biosciences is published by Elsevier 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 Mathematical and Theoretical Epidemiology and Ecology Models, Evolution and Genetic Dynamics and COVID-19 epidemiological studies, together about 40.8% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Mathematical Biosciences publishes work providing new concepts or new understanding of biological systems using mathematical models, or methodological articles likely to find application to multiple biological systems. Papers are expected to present a major research finding of broad significance for the biological sciences, or mathematical biology. Mathematical Biosciences welcomes original research articles, letters, reviews and perspectives.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biology
Editor-in-chief Abba GumelPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 8 in mainland China (about 11%); most named United States 36, United Kingdom 12, Mainland China 8, Canada 4, Australia 3 (75 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Mathematical and Theoretical Epidemiology and Ecology ModelsMedicine19.3%
- Evolution and Genetic DynamicsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology13.2%
- COVID-19 epidemiological studiesMathematics8.3%
- Mathematical Biology Tumor GrowthMathematics7.2%
- Gene Regulatory Network AnalysisBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.8%
- Evolutionary Game Theory and CooperationSocial Sciences4.7%
- Educational Robotics and EngineeringComputer Science4.4%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance3.4%
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 3 |
| Minor | Mathematical & Computational Biology | Zone 3 |
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
- 2.55LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.7LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.93LetPub ·
- h-index
- 82LetPub ·
- h-index
- 180OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,041OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.44OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 33.92%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 133LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 6,310 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 147 | 53 | 40 |
| 2025 | 151 | 64 | 272 |
| 2024 | 144 | 95 | 767 |
| 2023 | 96 | 51 | 603 |
| 2022 | 73 | 34 | 579 |
| 2021 | 85 | 49 | 1,091 |
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
186 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 124 days – 255 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 4 days (106 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 193 days
- Sample
- 106 articles with submission and acceptance dates (322 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)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 70 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 160 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 11 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 2,660 / EUR 2,490 / GBP 2,130 / JPY 329,920 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 2,590 | — | — |
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 prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Templates
- LaTeX
Article types accepted7
- letterMathematical Biosciences welcomes original research articles, letters, reviews and perspectives.Review Article guidelines for authors:Purpose and Scope: Review …Length not stated
- original research articleMathematical Biosciences welcomes original research articles, letters, reviews and perspectives.Review Article guidelines for authors:Purpose and Scope: Review …Length not stated
- perspectiveMathematical Biosciences welcomes original research articles, letters, reviews and perspectives.Review Article guidelines for authors:Purpose and Scope: Review …Length not stated
- research articleMathematical Biosciences welcomes original research articles, letters, reviews and perspectives.Length not stated
- reviewMathematical Biosciences welcomes original research articles, letters, reviews and perspectives.Review Article guidelines for authors:Purpose and Scope: Review …Length not stated
- review articleMathematical Biosciences welcomes original research articles, letters, reviews and perspectives.Review Article guidelines for authors:Purpose and Scope: Review …Length not stated
- viewpointMathematical Biosciences welcomes original research articles, letters, reviews and perspectives.Review Article guidelines for authors:Purpose and Scope: Review …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 Ethical Considerations:
Ensure that all sources and references are properly cited to avoid plagiarism. Disclose any potential conflicts of interest.
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 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 Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1967
- ISSN
- 0025-5564
- Electronic ISSN
- 1879-3134
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Mathematical Biosciences
What CAS zone is Mathematical Biosciences in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Mathematical Biosciences 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 Mathematical Biosciences?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.55; CiteScore 3.2, h-index 180.
How long does peer review take at Mathematical Biosciences?
Based on the dates recorded on 106 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 186 days (interquartile range 124–255 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “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 Mathematical Biosciences?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Templates: LaTeX. 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 Mathematical Biosciences based?
Of the 75 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 8 (about 11%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (36), United Kingdom (12) and Mainland China (8). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Mathematical Biosciences?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Mathematical Biosciences is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Mathematical Biosciences open access, and what is the APC?
Mathematical Biosciences is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,660.
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: .