Journal profile · Behavioral Sciences
Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior
ISSN 0091-3057 · eISSN 1873-5177 · Elsevier Inc. · ENGLAND · Monthly · Founded 1973
Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior: CAS Zone 3 · Psychology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.38; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,650; median 89 days to acceptance (108 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 117 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior is published by Elsevier Inc. and is in Zone 3 of Psychology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior, Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research and Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling, together about 42.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Pharmacology Biochemistry & Behavior publishes original reports in the areas of psychiatry, neurology, and addiction in which the primary emphasis and theoretical context are behavioral. Contributions may involve clinical, preclinical, or basic research. Purely biochemical or toxicological studies will not be considered for publication.Papers focusing on physiological processes (e.g., peripheral pain mechanisms, body temperature regulation, or seizure activity) are not accepted, as we wish to maintain the journal's focus on behavior and its interaction with the biochemistry and neurochemistry of the central nervous system.Studies describing the effects of plant-derived materials will be considered provided that the active ingredients are characterized, the extraction methods are clearly described, and the doses tested are well defined.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Behavioral Sciences
Editor-in-chief Guy GriebelPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 41, Japan 6, Poland 5, United Kingdom 2, Spain 2 (65 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeuroscience20.3%
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeuroscience13.9%
- Receptor Mechanisms and SignalingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8.1%
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorPsychology7.4%
- Stress Responses and CortisolNeuroscience6.4%
- Memory and Neural MechanismsNeuroscience5.5%
- Neuropeptides and Animal PhysiologyNeuroscience5%
- Pain Mechanisms and TreatmentsMedicine3.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Psychology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Psychology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Psychology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Psychology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Neurosciences | 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
- 2.38LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.75LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.66LetPub ·
- h-index
- 126LetPub ·
- h-index
- 212OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 11,546OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.97OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 17.58%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 104LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 17,059 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 68 | 20 | 12 |
| 2025 | 117 | 42 | 203 |
| 2024 | 165 | 68 | 824 |
| 2023 | 113 | 57 | 712 |
| 2022 | 128 | 70 | 1,610 |
| 2021 | 132 | 57 | 2,413 |
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
89 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 63 days – 168 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 3 days (108 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 93 days
- Sample
- 108 articles with submission and acceptance dates (238 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)
- 3–6 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 44 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 92 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 4 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 3,650 / EUR 3,410 / GBP 2,920 / JPY 452,710 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,560 | — | — |
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 prepare9 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 5,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- mini-reviewsMini-Reviews Mini-Reviews should generally be no more than 5000 words (excluding references) and 60 references.Length not stated
- opinionwill both inform and stimulate debate. Opinion articles should generally be less than 1500 words or 3 printed pages including references. They should includmain text ≤ 1,500 words
- opinion papersOpinion Papers These papers present a personal, authoritative, viewpoint on a research-related topic that will both inform and stimulate debate.Length not stated
- original investigationsOriginal Investigations Original high-quality research reports of systematic, comprehensive studies; preliminary data will not be published.Length not stated
- reviewg tables, figures, and references. Mini-Reviews Mini-Reviews should generally be no more than 5000 words (excluding references) and 60 references. Figures and T…main text ≤ 5,000 words
- review articleA limited number of relevant and timely theoretical review articles and results of symposia will be published. Generally these review articles will be solicited…Length not stated
- review articlesReview Articles A limited number of relevant and timely theoretical review articles and results of symposia will be published.Length not stated
- special issuesSpecial Issues A limited number of special issues reflecting timely new research areas or topics will be published.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 Authorship
By adhering to the authorship requirements stated above, authors meet the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) criteria [updated version January 2024] on authorship.
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
Authors must follow Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy. 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
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; submissions initially assessed by editors, then typically reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers; decision made by editors. 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 per Elsevier policy; free preprint posting service on SSRN offered. 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
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1973
- ISSN
- 0091-3057
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-5177
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior
What CAS zone is Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior is in Zone 3 of Psychology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Behavioral Sciences / Neurosciences / Pharmacology & Pharmacy. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Psychology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.38; CiteScore 4.6, h-index 212.
How long does peer review take at Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior?
Based on the dates recorded on 108 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 89 days (interquartile range 63–168 days); authors report an average review time of 3–6 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 Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 5,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional; 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 Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior based?
Of the 65 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 2%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (41), Japan (6) and Poland (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior open access, and what is the APC?
Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,650.
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: .