Journal profile · Behavioral Sciences
Physiology & Behavior
ISSN 0031-9384 · eISSN 1873-507X · Elsevier Inc. · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1966
Physiology & Behavior: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.65; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,500; median 98 days to acceptance (101 articles, last 24 months); 319 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Physiology & Behavior 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 Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior, Stress Responses and Cortisol and Regulation of Appetite and Obesity, together about 30.9% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Physiology & Behavior is aimed at the causal physiological mechanisms of behavior and its modulation by environmental factors. The journal invites original reports in the broad area of behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, where the interaction of physiology and behavior is the prerequisite for all published material. The range of subjects includes behavioral neuroendocrinology, psychoneuroimmunology, learning and memory, ingestion, taste, social behavior, exercise (as it relates to behavior), studies related to the mechanisms of psychopathology and studies using animal models with the purpose of translating the findings to humans. Purely pharmacological studies (either using natural compounds or synthetic chemicals), studies on improving human performance beyond physiological adaptations, or studies on improving livestock production are not in the focus of the Journal.We also welcome contemporary reviews and theoretical articles, and the Editors invite such proposals from interested authors. Thematic issues and more comprehensive studies are also considered for publication, subject to the same review standards and process. All articles will be published in English.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Behavioral Sciences
Editor-in-chief Derek DanielsPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 13 in mainland China (about 15%); most named United States 50, Mainland China 13, Australia 5, Germany 3, France 3 (89 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behaviorPsychology12%
- Stress Responses and CortisolNeuroscience10.6%
- Regulation of Appetite and ObesityNeuroscience8.3%
- Biochemical Analysis and Sensing TechniquesNursing6.6%
- Olfactory and Sensory Function StudiesNeuroscience6%
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeuroscience5.4%
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeuroscience4.8%
- Memory and Neural MechanismsNeuroscience4.6%
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 | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Psychology, Biological | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Psychology, Biological | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Behavioral Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Psychology, Biological | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
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
- 2.65LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.83LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.91LetPub ·
- h-index
- 144LetPub ·
- h-index
- 255OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 14,572OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.47OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 3.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 26.57%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 296LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 21,059 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 230 | 93 | 48 |
| 2025 | 319 | 135 | 620 |
| 2024 | 244 | 106 | 1,288 |
| 2023 | 282 | 140 | 2,460 |
| 2022 | 277 | 108 | 3,216 |
| 2021 | 285 | 132 | 4,263 |
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
98 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 74 days – 135 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 1 days (101 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 99 days
- Sample
- 101 articles with submission and acceptance dates (622 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)
- 75%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 43 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 102 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 1 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 3,500 / EUR 3,270 / GBP 2,800 / JPY 434,110 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,530 | — | — |
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 prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 3,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted5, with length limits
- original research articleOriginal Research Article The journal invites original reports in the broad area of behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, where the interaction of physiology a…Length not stated
- reviewThe journal welcomes contemporary reviews and theoretical articles (including Critical Reviews and Meta-Analyses). In-depth reviews of recent developments in fa…Length not stated
- reviewsReviews The journal welcomes contemporary reviews and theoretical articles (including Critical Reviews and Meta-Analyses).Length not stated
- short communicationthe form of a regular Research Article. Short communications have a general word limit of 3,000 words and should not contain more than two figures or tables. Itmain text ≤ 3,000 words
- short communicationsShort Communications are intended for preliminary reports of original, significant research results that are limited in scope and, thus, do not warrant publicat…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, 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 ·- 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. 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 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
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1966
- ISSN
- 0031-9384
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-507X
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Physiology & Behavior
What CAS zone is Physiology & Behavior in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Physiology & Behavior is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Behavioral Sciences / Psychology, Biological. 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 Physiology & Behavior?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.65; CiteScore 4.8, h-index 255.
How long does peer review take at Physiology & Behavior?
Based on the dates recorded on 101 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 98 days (interquartile range 74–135 days); authors report an average review time of about 1 month. 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 Physiology & Behavior?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 3,000 words; 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 Physiology & Behavior based?
Of the 89 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 13 (about 15%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (50), Mainland China (13) and Australia (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Physiology & Behavior?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Physiology & Behavior is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Is Physiology & Behavior open access, and what is the APC?
Physiology & Behavior is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,500.
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: .