Journal profile · PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Prevention Science
ISSN 1389-4986 · eISSN 1573-6695 · Springer Nature · 8 issues per year
Prevention Science: CAS Zone 2 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.43; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,790; median 272 days to acceptance (57 articles, last 24 months); 105 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Prevention Science is published by Springer Nature and is in Zone 2 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development, Health Policy Implementation Science and Community Health and Development, together about 31.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are General Health Professions. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The official publication of the Society for Prevention Research, Prevention Science is an interdisciplinary journal that disseminates developments in the theory, research, and practice of prevention. Prevention sciences encompassing etiology, epidemiology, and intervention are represented through peer-reviewed original research articles on a variety of health and social problems, including but not limited to substance abuse, mental health, teenage pregnancy, STDs, HIV/AIDS, violence, accidents, suicide, delinquency, chronic illness, obesity, diet/nutrition, and exercise. The journal also has a strong commitment to health equity and addresses a range of prevention research topics related to health equity and implementation science. Prevention Science publishes literature reviews, theoretical articles, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, brief reports, replication studies, and papers concerning new developments in methodology.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Editor-in-chief Catherine P. BradshawPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 71, Canada 3, Australia 3, United Kingdom 2, Netherlands 2 (83 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentPsychology15.7%
- Health Policy Implementation ScienceHealth Professions8.5%
- Community Health and DevelopmentHealth Professions7.4%
- Substance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesMedicine6.9%
- Early Childhood Education and DevelopmentSocial Sciences5.7%
- Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive HealthHealth Professions4.8%
- Child Abuse and TraumaPsychology4.8%
- Homelessness and Social IssuesHealth Professions3.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Public, Environmental & Occupational Health | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Public, Environmental & Occupational Health | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Public, Environmental & Occupational Health | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
SCIEMEDLINEPsycINFOCAB AbstractsERICERIH PLUSCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, Semantic Scholar
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
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
- 2.43LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.5Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 7LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.48LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.47LetPub ·
- h-index
- 132OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,363OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.21OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 12%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 50%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 103LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 844,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,097 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 120 | 79 | 42 |
| 2025 | 105 | 73 | 191 |
| 2024 | 131 | 97 | 554 |
| 2023 | 154 | 124 | 1,301 |
| 2022 | 144 | 97 | 2,335 |
| 2021 | 138 | 79 | 3,491 |
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 Crossref · to
272 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 195 days – 349 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 17 days (100 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 288 days
- Sample
- 57 articles with submission and acceptance dates (258 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
- Submission to first decision
- 25 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer review, Double 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 3,790 / EUR 2,890 / GBP 2,490 | — | — |
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 prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Reference style
- APA
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Not considered
- Protocols
Article types accepted11
- brief reportPrevention Science publishes the following article types: Brief reports are preferred for reporting on early-stage, small-scale, or exploratory research (select…Length not stated
- brief reportsBrief reports are preferred for reporting on early-stage, small-scale, or exploratory research (select the “Brief Report” article type in Editorial Manager)Length not stated
- commentariesCommentaries (by invitation only)Length not stated
- commentaryPrevention Science publishes the following article types: Brief reports are preferred for reporting on early-stage, small-scale, or exploratory research (select…Length not stated
- editorialPrevention Science publishes the following article types: Brief reports are preferred for reporting on early-stage, small-scale, or exploratory research (select…Length not stated
- literature reviewPrevention Science publishes the following article types: Brief reports are preferred for reporting on early-stage, small-scale, or exploratory research (select…Length not stated
- meta-analysisPrevention Science publishes the following article types: Brief reports are preferred for reporting on early-stage, small-scale, or exploratory research (select…Length not stated
- original articlePrevention Science publishes the following article types: Brief reports are preferred for reporting on early-stage, small-scale, or exploratory research (select…Length not stated
- reviewPrevention Science publishes the following article types: Brief reports are preferred for reporting on early-stage, small-scale, or exploratory research (select…Length not stated
- systematic reviewPrevention Science publishes the following article types: Brief reports are preferred for reporting on early-stage, small-scale, or exploratory research (select…Length not stated
- theoreticalTheoretical manuscripts (select the “Theoretical” article type in Editorial Manager)Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Competing Interests
Authors are requested to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Disclo…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Prevention Science, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Single-blind peer review
Single-blind peer review Model summary
This journal follows a single-blind reviewing procedure. This journal also publishes special/guest-edited issues. The peer review process for these articles is the same as the peer review process of the journal in general. Additionally, if a guest editor authors an article in their issue/collection, they will not handle the peer review process. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Reporting Guidelines
Randomized Trials: Prevention Science requires a completed CONSORT 2025 checklist and flow diagram when submitting articles that report the results of a randomized trial. At a minimum, your article should report the content addressed by each item on the checklist. Meeting these basic reporting requirements will greatly improve the value of your trial report, may facilitate, and/or enhance the peer…
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
- Springer Nature
- Frequency
- 8 issues per year
- ISSN
- 1389-4986
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-6695
- Society / sponsor
- Society for Prevention Research
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 27, Issue 7 (October 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Prevention Science
What CAS zone is Prevention Science in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Prevention Science is in Zone 2 of Medicine, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Public, Environmental & Occupational Health. 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 Prevention Science?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.43; CiteScore 7, h-index 132.
How long does peer review take at Prevention Science?
Based on the dates recorded on 57 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 272 days (interquartile range 195–349 days). 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 Prevention Science?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Reference style: APA; Suggested reviewers: 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 Prevention Science based?
Of the 83 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (71), Canada (3) and Australia (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Prevention Science?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Prevention Science is indexed in SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists SCIE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CAB Abstracts, ERIC, ERIH PLUS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Prevention Science open access, and what is the APC?
Prevention Science is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,790.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, 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: .