Journal profile · MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL
Ochsner Journal
ISSN 1524-5012 · Ochsner Clinic Foundation · United States
Ochsner Journal: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); diamond open access (no APC); no APC; review about 24 weeks (community reports); 50 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Ochsner Journal is published by Ochsner Clinic Foundation and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Innovations in Medical Education, Patient Safety and Medication Errors and Anesthesia and Pain Management, together about 24% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Ochsner Journal is a peer-reviewed quarterly medical journal, published in March, June, September, and December. Since its inception in 1999, the Journal has provided a wide range of peer-reviewed, timely, and practical information. The editorial mix includes original research, literature reviews, reports on quality improvement projects and innovative programs, editorials, case reports, letters, and other articles that span the spectrum of medical practice and scientific research. Most issues are devoted to general medical topics. Submissions from practitioners in all specialties are welcome. The Journal is a pioneer in nonpredatory, open-access publishing: the Journal does not charge authors any fees for publication AND makes the full text of every article completely available online in multiple databases (PubMed Central [with indexing in PubMed], Web of Science, EBSCO, Semantic Scholar, Google Scholar). Such a model is widely known in scholarly publishing as the “platinum model” of open-access publishing. The Journal's open access model has been assessed and certified/approved by the Directory of Open Access Journals, Scopus, and Cabels. Imprint information is here.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 17, Australia 1 (18 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Innovations in Medical EducationMedicine11%
- Patient Safety and Medication ErrorsHealth Professions6.8%
- Anesthesia and Pain ManagementMedicine6.2%
- History of Medical PracticeMedicine5.1%
- Shoulder Injury and TreatmentMedicine4.8%
- Cardiac, Anesthesia and Surgical OutcomesMedicine4.5%
- Ethics in medical practiceHealth Professions4.2%
- Empathy and Medical EducationMedicine4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Medicine, General & Internal | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Medicine, General & Internal | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusDOAJLetPub
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
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.3LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.41LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.74LetPub ·
- h-index
- 34OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 134OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.89OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 99.24%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 40LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 682 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 46 | 46 | 3 |
| 2025 | 50 | 50 | 32 |
| 2024 | 52 | 52 | 97 |
| 2023 | 66 | 66 | 383 |
| 2022 | 79 | 79 | 421 |
| 2021 | 80 | 80 | 674 |
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
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 24 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 24 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Double 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
Diamond open access (no APC)DOAJ
Every article is open access and authors pay no article processing charge.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | No APC | No | CC BY | |
| LetPub | No APC | No | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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 prepare7 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 3
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 5,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Templates
- Word
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted7
- articles about innovative programsOchsner Journal welcomes submissions of original research, systematic literature reviews with meta-analysis, quality improvement studies, articles about innovat…Length not stated
- case reportsOchsner Journal welcomes submissions of original research, systematic literature reviews with meta-analysis, quality improvement studies, articles about innovat…Length not stated
- editorialsOchsner Journal welcomes submissions of original research, systematic literature reviews with meta-analysis, quality improvement studies, articles about innovat…Length not stated
- letters to the editorOchsner Journal welcomes submissions of original research, systematic literature reviews with meta-analysis, quality improvement studies, articles about innovat…Length not stated
- original researchOchsner Journal welcomes submissions of original research, systematic literature reviews with meta-analysis, quality improvement studies, articles about innovat…Length not stated
- quality improvement studiesOchsner Journal welcomes submissions of original research, systematic literature reviews with meta-analysis, quality improvement studies, articles about innovat…Length not stated
- systematic literature reviews with meta-analysisOchsner Journal welcomes submissions of original research, systematic literature reviews with meta-analysis, quality improvement studies, articles about innovat…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Plagiarism
- AI use Policy on Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools in Manuscript Development
AI tools cannot be listed as authors. Model summary
Ochsner Journal strongly discourages the use of artificial intelligence tools in manuscript development. If AI-hallucinated references are discovered during peer review, the submission will be immediately rejected.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship Requirements
All authors must use institutional email addresses as primary email. Model summary
Authors are fully responsible for all statements and for the veracity of their work. Ochsner Journal follows the authorship guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors: each named author must meet all of the following criteria:
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Statement of Conflict of Interest
Conflict of interest exists when an author (or the author’s institution), reviewer, or editor has financial or personal relationships that inappropriately influence his or her actions. The potential for conflict of interest can exist whether or not an individual believes that the relationship affects his or her scientific judgment. Financial relationships (such as employment, consultancies, stock …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Signed patient consent required for all case reports and case series. Model summary
Ochsner Journal requires a signed patient consent form for all case reports and case series, regardless of whether the patient is pictured or how completely the information is de-identified.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright Permission for Republication (if applicable)
If you use a figure or table that has been previously published, you must acknowledge the original source and obtain written permission from the copyright holder to reproduce the material. The written permission must be uploaded with your manuscript submission. Obtaining such permission is the author’s responsibility. We strongly discourage republication of figures and tables.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access No-Fee Open Access Publishing
Fully open access with no publication charges. Model summary
Ochsner Journal is completely open access—no content is behind a paywall—and authors are not charged for publication. Unlike many subscription journals that charge high open access fees, Ochsner Journal does not charge open access fees, article processing fees, or any other types of page/publication fees.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Peer review: at least two referees, blinded to authors' names and institutions. Model summary
All article submissions are peer reviewed by at least two referees who are blinded to the authors' names and institutions.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism Plagiarism
Plagiarism detection software used on all submissions. Model summary
We use plagiarism detection software to check all submissions, including tables and figures, to ensure that none of the material has been previously published. Submissions that are overly duplicative of previously published work will be rejected. Submissions with minor duplication will be returned to the authors for revision prior to peer review.
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
- Ochsner Clinic Foundation
- Country or region
- United States
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1524-5012
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 26, Issue 2 (June 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Ochsner Journal
What CAS zone is Ochsner Journal in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Ochsner Journal is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Medicine, General & Internal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
How long does peer review take at Ochsner Journal?
Authors report an average review time of about 24 weeks. 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 Ochsner Journal?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: ≥ 3; Manuscript length: ≤ 5,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Templates: Word; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Cover letter: 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 Ochsner Journal based?
Of the 18 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (17) and Australia (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Ochsner Journal?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Ochsner Journal is indexed in ESCI, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Ochsner Journal open access, and what is the APC?
Ochsner Journal is a diamond open-access journal (no APC). It charges no article processing charge.
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: .