Journal profile · Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Peptides
ISSN 0196-9781 · eISSN 1873-5169 · Elsevier Inc. · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1980
Peptides: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.54; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,710; median 64 days to acceptance (104 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 25%; 76 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Peptides is published by Elsevier Inc. and is in Zone 3 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology, Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling and Regulation of Appetite and Obesity, together about 41.3% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Peptides is an international journal presenting original contributions and reviews on the genetics, biochemistry, physiology, and pharmacology/pharmaceutics of biological active peptides, as well as their functions that relate to neuroscience, metabolic control, diabetes, clinical aspects in gastroenterology, endocrinology, diabetology, appetite control, cancer, and behavioral & psychological effects.Peptides emphasizes all aspects of high profile peptide research in mammals and non-mammalian vertebrates. Special consideration can be given to plants and invertebrates if related to peptides in general. Submission of articles with clinical relevance is particularly encouraged.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United States 21, Japan 12, Germany 6, Mainland China 3, United Kingdom 3 (72 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Neuropeptides and Animal PhysiologyNeuroscience21.7%
- Receptor Mechanisms and SignalingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology12.2%
- Regulation of Appetite and ObesityNeuroscience7.5%
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorPsychology5.1%
- Antimicrobial Peptides and ActivitiesImmunology and Microbiology4.8%
- Chemical Synthesis and AnalysisBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.8%
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology ResearchNeuroscience4.2%
- Hypothalamic control of reproductive hormonesMedicine3.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Endocrinology & Metabolism | Zone 4 |
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
- 3.54LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.01LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.79LetPub ·
- h-index
- 111LetPub ·
- h-index
- 175OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 7,766OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.18OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 30.74%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 60LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 12,196 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 50 | 10 | 17 |
| 2025 | 76 | 28 | 268 |
| 2024 | 119 | 63 | 738 |
| 2023 | 118 | 54 | 1,171 |
| 2022 | 122 | 42 | 1,159 |
| 2021 | 160 | 59 | 2,948 |
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
64 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 46 days – 86 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (104 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 67 days
- Sample
- 104 articles with submission and acceptance dates (133 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 1 monthLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 25%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 25 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 65 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 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 3,710 / EUR 3,470 / GBP 2,970 / JPY 460,150 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,750 | — | — |
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)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted5
- letter to the editorResearch articles Letter to the Editor Review articlesLength not stated
- research articleResearch articles Letter to the Editor Review articlesLength not stated
- research articlesArticle types Research articles Letter to the Editor Review articlesLength not stated
- review articleResearch articles Letter to the Editor Review articlesLength not stated
- review articlesArticle types Research articles Letter to the Editor Review articlesLength 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
Ethics in publishing Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
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
Open access options available Model summary
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 sharing allowed Model summary
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
- 1980
- ISSN
- 0196-9781
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-5169
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Peptides
What CAS zone is Peptides in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Peptides is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Biochemistry & Molecular Biology / Pharmacology & Pharmacy / Endocrinology & Metabolism. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Peptides?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.54; CiteScore 6.8, h-index 175.
How long does peer review take at Peptides?
Based on the dates recorded on 104 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 64 days (interquartile range 46–86 days); authors report an average review time of about 1 month; the community-reported acceptance is “about 25%”. 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 Peptides?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Required; 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 Peptides based?
Of the 72 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (21), Japan (12) and Germany (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Peptides?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Peptides is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Peptides open access, and what is the APC?
Peptides is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,710.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .