Journal profile · Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nucleic Acids Research
ISSN 0305-1048 · eISSN 1362-4962 · Oxford University Press · ENGLAND · Semimonthly
Nucleic Acids Research: CAS Zone 2 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 14.81; fully open access; APC about USD 4,192; median 183 days to acceptance (116 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 43.75%; 1,537 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Nucleic Acids Research is published by Oxford University Press and is in Zone 2 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms, RNA modifications and cancer and DNA and Nucleic Acid Chemistry, together about 33.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Nucleic Acids Research provides rapid publication of papers on physical, chemical, biochemical and biological aspects of nucleic acids and proteins involved in nucleic acid metabolism and/or interactions. All manuscripts must present some novel development and meet the general criteria of originality, timeliness, significance and scientific excellence. The Journal publishes the following types of papers: Standard research articles Methods articles Critical Reviews and Perspectives Database articles Web Server articles More information can be found via the journal's Scope and Criteria for Consideration page.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology16.5%
- RNA modifications and cancerBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8.5%
- DNA and Nucleic Acid ChemistryBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8%
- RNA Research and SplicingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8%
- DNA Repair MechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.9%
- Genomics and Phylogenetic StudiesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.6%
- Genomics and Chromatin DynamicsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.6%
- Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniquesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
PMCPubMedPublisher website
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
- 14.81LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 29.8LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 8.11LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 5.1LetPub ·
- h-index
- 452LetPub ·
- h-index
- 885OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 45,234OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 16.95OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 99.74%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 1,375LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 56,067 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 952 | 952 | 761 |
| 2025 | 1,537 | 1,537 | 11,599 |
| 2024 | 1,320 | 1,320 | 52,206 |
| 2023 | 1,285 | 1,285 | 59,750 |
| 2022 | 1,239 | 1,239 | 109,579 |
| 2021 | 1,318 | 1,318 | 136,838 |
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
183 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 108 days – 245 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 23 days (8 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 81 days
- Sample
- 116 articles with submission and acceptance dates (3,090 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)
- 43.75%LetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 7 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
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
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 4,192 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC | |
| OpenAlex | USD 3,992 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 3,802 | Yes | — |
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Discounts
- % 20
- Submission fee
- USD 3,625
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 prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 200 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Required
Article types accepted5
- critical reviews and perspectivesThe Journal publishes the following types of papers: Standard research articles Methods articles Critical Reviews and Perspectives Database articles Web Server …Length not stated
- database articlesThe Journal publishes the following types of papers: Standard research articles Methods articles Critical Reviews and Perspectives Database articles Web Server …Length not stated
- methods articlesThe Journal publishes the following types of papers: Standard research articles Methods articles Critical Reviews and Perspectives Database articles Web Server …Length not stated
- standard research articlesThe Journal publishes the following types of papers: Standard research articles Methods articles Critical Reviews and Perspectives Database articles Web Server …Length not stated
- web server articlesThe Journal publishes the following types of papers: Standard research articles Methods articles Critical Reviews and Perspectives Database articles Web Server …Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints, Self-archiving
- Authorship Authorship
Authorship is limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the design and execution of the work described. Any contributors whose participation does not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged but not listed as an author. The Journal will contact all listed authors at the point of submission to confirm their role. For a detailed definition of authorship, please see …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest
Authors The Journal requires all authors to disclose any potential conflict of interest at the point of submission. It is the responsibility of the corresponding author to ensure that conflicts of interest of all authors are declared to the Journal. A conflict of interest exists when the position, activities, or relationships of an individual, whether direct or indirect, financial or non-financial…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Availability of data and materials
The Journal requires all authors, where ethically possible, to publicly release all data and software code underlying any published paper as a condition of publication. Authors are required to include a data availability statement in their paper. When data and software underlying the research article are available in an online source, authors should include a full citation in their reference list.…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Screening for misconduct
Manuscripts may be screened using iThenticate to help detect publication misconduct including plagiarism and redundant publication. The Journal uses ScholarOne's Unusual Activity Detection tool to build confidence in the identity of authors and reviewers. Manuscripts may also be screened, including with services provided by third parties, to help detect integrity issues such as inappropriate image…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright Licence
Upon receipt of accepted manuscripts at OUP, authors will be invited to complete an online copyright licence to publish. If the form has not been received by the time we receive author corrections, publication of your manuscript will be delayed. As part of the licence agreement, authors may use their own material in other publications provided that the Journal is acknowledged as the original place…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access charges
Please see the details of open access licences and charges. As the Journal is fully open access, you must pay the open access charge or request to use an institutional agreement to pay the open access charge through our licencing and payment portal, SciPris. Please note that prices are subject to change. All stated charges are exclusive of any applicable value added tax, goods and services tax and…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review process
Single anonymized peer review Model summary
The Journal uses the ANSI/NISO Standard Terminology for Peer Review. If you would like further description of the peer review terms used here, please refer to the most recent standard definitions. If further clarification is needed, please contact the editorial office at nar.editorialmanager@oup.com. Peer review summary: Identity transparency: single anonymized Reviewer interacts with: editor Revi…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
As an author, you retain the right to make an Author’s Original Version (preprint) available through various channels and this does not prevent submission to the Journal. If accepted, you are required to update the status of any preprint, including adding your published paper’s DOI. For full details on allowed channels and updating your preprint, please see our Author self-archiving policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Self-archiving Self-archiving
Self-archiving refers to posting a copy of your work on a publicly accessible website or repository. Under certain circumstances, you may self-archive versions of your work on your own webpages, on institutional webpages, and in other repositories. For information about the Journal's policy, and to learn which version(s) of your paper are acceptable for self-archiving, please see our Author self-a…
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
- Oxford University Press
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Semimonthly
- ISSN
- 0305-1048
- Electronic ISSN
- 1362-4962
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Nucleic Acids Research
What CAS zone is Nucleic Acids Research in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Nucleic Acids Research is in Zone 2 of Biology, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Nucleic Acids Research?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 14.81; CiteScore 29.8, h-index 885.
How long does peer review take at Nucleic Acids Research?
Based on the dates recorded on 116 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 183 days (interquartile range 108–245 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 43.75%”. 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 Nucleic Acids Research?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 200 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Templates: LaTeX and Word; Suggested reviewers: Optional; 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.
Which databases index Nucleic Acids Research?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Nucleic Acids Research is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists PMC and PubMed; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Nucleic Acids Research open access, and what is the APC?
Nucleic Acids Research is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 4,192.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, DOAJ, 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: .