Journal profile · MEDICAL ETHICS
Neuroethics
ISSN 1874-5490 · eISSN 1874-5504 · Springer Netherlands · NETHERLANDS · Founded 2008
Neuroethics: CAS Zone 3 · Philosophy (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.71; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,090; median 191 days to acceptance (102 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 60 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Neuroethics is published by Springer Netherlands and is in Zone 3 of Philosophy in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Neuroethics, Human Enhancement, Biomedical Innovations, Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment and Free Will and Agency, together about 47.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Cognitive Neuroscience. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Aims and Scope Neuroethics is an international, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to academic articles on the ethical, legal, political, social and philosophical questions provoked by research in the contemporary sciences of the mind and brain; especially, but not only, neuroscience, psychiatry and psychology. The journal publishes articles on questions raised by the sciences of the brain and mind, and on the ways in which the sciences of the brain and mind illuminate longstanding debates in ethics and philosophy. Neuroethics welcomes submissions on topics such as: Ways in which the sciences of the brain and mind illuminate traditional moral and philosophical problems, such as the nature of free will and moral responsibility, self-deception, weakness of the will, personal identity, and the nature of personhood. Conceptual and ethical questions posed by psychiatric, neurological, and developmental disorders, their research and treatment, and implications for social and policy responses. Ethical issues raised by social and environmental influences on individuals’ psychology, such as nudges and other behavioural interventions. Ethical issues raised by technologies that monitor or manipulate the brain (such as psycho-pharmaceuticals, neural recoding, and stimulation devices), and their particular societal applications. Examples include: the use of brain scans or recording of neural activity for criminal justice, education or employment purposes; brain monitoring or intervention in military contexts; the use of drugs and devices in any competitive domain, including sport and professional environments. Analysis of, and proposals for, the regulation of technologies and behavioural interventions that modify brains and behaviour. Socio-ethical implications of new neuroscientific information regarding, for example, risk factors for neurodegenerative or neurodevelopmental conditions. Implications of neuroscientific research for our understanding of animal minds, the moral status of animals, and our moral obligations to them. The status of, and our possible moral obligations to, new model systems, including neural organoids, and computer systems running artificial intelligence and deep learning algorithms. The scope of the journal is broad and this list is not exhaustive. We welcome submissions from a range of philosophical traditions and geo-cultural contexts. Whilst we do accept submissions with an empirical component, any such content must be included principally to
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): MEDICAL ETHICS
Editor-in-chief Adrian CarterPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 25, United Kingdom 12, Canada 4, Australia 4, Germany 2 (55 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Neuroethics, Human Enhancement, Biomedical InnovationsNeuroscience24.9%
- Psychology of Moral and Emotional JudgmentNeuroscience13%
- Free Will and AgencyNeuroscience9.5%
- Mental Health and PsychiatryArts and Humanities6.2%
- Neurological disorders and treatmentsMedicine5%
- Psychosomatic Disorders and Their TreatmentsMedicine3.9%
- Traumatic Brain Injury ResearchMedicine3.6%
- EEG and Brain-Computer InterfacesNeuroscience3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Philosophy Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Medical Ethics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ethics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Biomedical | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Philosophy Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Ethics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Medical Ethics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Biomedical | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Philosophy Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Philosophy | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Ethics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Medical Ethics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Social Sciences, Biomedical | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EmbasePsycINFOCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
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
- 3.71LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.7Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.2LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.07LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.01LetPub ·
- h-index
- 24LetPub ·
- h-index
- 61OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 350OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.07OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 13.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 64.96%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 47LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 340,100Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 736 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 48 | 33 | 21 |
| 2025 | 60 | 48 | 122 |
| 2024 | 39 | 33 | 308 |
| 2023 | 43 | 20 | 381 |
| 2022 | 36 | 26 | 784 |
| 2021 | 22 | 15 | 343 |
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
191 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 146 days – 262 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 16 days (102 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 209 days
- Sample
- 102 articles with submission and acceptance dates (99 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)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 22 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double 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 3,090 / EUR 2,490 / GBP 2,190 | — | — |
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 papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 10,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- book reviewResearch article (no longer than 10000 words, excluding references) Research articles are works containing unique and innovative theses, arguments, or data on a…main text ≤ 3,000 words
- brief correspondenceBrief Correspondence (no longer than 3000 words, excluding references) Brief Correspondence provides a brief overview or argument regarding a narrow topic withi…main text ≤ 3,000 words
- commentComment (no longer than 3000 words, excluding references) Comments on published articles that the EiC find suitable for the journal may be submitted.main text ≤ 3,000 words
- correspondenceResearch article (no longer than 10000 words, excluding references) Research articles are works containing unique and innovative theses, arguments, or data on a…main text ≤ 3,000 words
- research articleResearch article (no longer than 10000 words, excluding references) Research articles are works containing unique and innovative theses, arguments, or data on a…main text ≤ 10,000 words
- reviewResearch article (no longer than 10000 words, excluding references) Research articles are works containing unique and innovative theses, arguments, or data on a…main text ≤ 10,000 words
- review articleResearch article (no longer than 10000 words, excluding references) Research articles are works containing unique and innovative theses, arguments, or data on a…main text ≤ 10,000 words
- surveyResearch article (no longer than 10000 words, excluding references) Research articles are works containing unique and innovative theses, arguments, or data on a…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Neuroethics, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review Taxonomy
Double anonymized peer review for original articles, review articles, short communication Model summary
The following summary describes the peer review process for this journal for original articles, review articles, short communication: Identity transparency: Double Anonymized - Reviewer identity is not made visible to author, author identity is not made visible to reviewer, reviewer and author identity is visible to (decision-making) editor Reviewer interacts with: Editor Review information publis…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
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
- Springer Netherlands
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Founded
- 2008
- ISSN
- 1874-5490
- Electronic ISSN
- 1874-5504
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Neuroethics
What CAS zone is Neuroethics in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Neuroethics is in Zone 3 of Philosophy, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Medical Ethics / Ethics / Social Sciences, Biomedical. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Philosophy. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Neuroethics?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.71; CiteScore 6.2, h-index 61.
How long does peer review take at Neuroethics?
Based on the dates recorded on 102 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 191 days (interquartile range 146–262 days); authors report an average review time of over 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 Neuroethics?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 10,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: 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 Neuroethics based?
Of the 55 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (25), United Kingdom (12) and Canada (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Neuroethics?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Neuroethics is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists Embase, PsycINFO and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Neuroethics open access, and what is the APC?
Neuroethics is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,090.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; 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: .