Journal profile · Genetics & Heredity
Plasmid
ISSN 0147-619X · eISSN 1095-9890 · Academic Press Inc. · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 1977
Plasmid: CAS Zone 4 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.29; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,920; median 135 days to acceptance (16 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy (Elsevier website: 44%); 16 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Plasmid is published by Academic Press Inc. and is in Zone 4 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology, Bacteriophages and microbial interactions and Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria, together about 40.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
A Journal of Mobile Genes and GenomesPlasmid publishes original research on genetic elements in all kingdoms of life with emphasis on maintenance, transmission and evolution of extrachromosomal elements. Objects of interest include plasmids, bacteriophages, mobile genetic elements, organelle DNA, and genomic and pathogenicity islands.Plasmid welcomes topics such as horizontal gene transfer, including antibiotic resistance transfer, and molecular aspects of microbial ecology. It also welcomes applications of plasmid biology to biotechnology and medicine, and of bioinformatics for studies of genomes. The journal is a bi-monthly that publishes full articles, short communications and reviews.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Genetics & Heredity
Editor-in-chief Elisabeth GrohmannPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 7, Australia 6, France 4, United Kingdom 2, Spain 2 (28 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Bacterial Genetics and BiotechnologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology19.8%
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactionsEnvironmental Science12.5%
- Antibiotic Resistance in BacteriaBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8.5%
- Genomics and Phylogenetic StudiesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.5%
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.3%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.2%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering4.2%
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing SymbiosisAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Genetics & Heredity | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Genetics & Heredity | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Genetics & Heredity | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Microbiology | 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
- 2.29LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.7LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.7Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.06LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.67LetPub ·
- h-index
- 54LetPub ·
- h-index
- 121OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,684OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.9OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 57.14%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 11LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,682 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 | 16 | 12 | 14 |
| 2024 | 10 | 5 | 14 |
| 2023 | 21 | 17 | 156 |
| 2022 | 24 | 10 | 177 |
| 2021 | 30 | 7 | 158 |
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
135 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 91 days – 171 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (16 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 136 days
- Sample
- 16 articles with submission and acceptance dates (19 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)
- 44%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 52 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 148 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 2,920 / EUR 2,730 / GBP 2,340 / JPY 362,170 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,050 | — | — |
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)
Open calls for papers3, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare1 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
Article types accepted3
- full articlesThe journal is a bi-monthly that publishes full articles, short communications and reviews.Length not stated
- reviewsThe journal is a bi-monthly that publishes full articles, short communications and reviews.Length not stated
- short communicationsThe journal is a bi-monthly that publishes full articles, short communications and reviews.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 Group authorship
Authorship changes generally not considered after submission Model summary
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 ·- 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 sharing allowed, does not count as prior publication 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.
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
- Academic Press Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1977
- ISSN
- 0147-619X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1095-9890
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Plasmid
What CAS zone is Plasmid in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Plasmid is in Zone 4 of Biology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Genetics & Heredity / Microbiology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Plasmid?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.29; CiteScore 4.7, h-index 121.
How long does peer review take at Plasmid?
Based on the dates recorded on 16 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 135 days (interquartile range 91–171 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy (Elsevier website: 44%)”. 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Plasmid based?
Of the 28 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (7), Australia (6) and France (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Plasmid?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Plasmid is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Plasmid open access, and what is the APC?
Plasmid is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,920.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .