Journal profile · Cell Biology
PROTOPLASMA
ISSN 0033-183X · eISSN 1615-6102 · Springer Vienna · AUSTRIA · Bimonthly · Founded 1926
PROTOPLASMA: CAS Zone 3 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.64; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,690; median 118 days to acceptance (97 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 128 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
PROTOPLASMA is published by Springer Vienna and is in Zone 3 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Plant Reproductive Biology, Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms and Plant Molecular Biology Research, together about 30.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology and Plant Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Protoplasma publishes original papers, short communications and review articles which are of interest to cell biology in all its scientific and applied aspects. We seek contributions dealing with plants and animals but also prokaryotes, protists and fungi, from the following fields: cell biology of both single and multicellular organisms molecular cytology the cell cycle membrane biology including biogenesis, dynamics, energetics and electrophysiology inter- and intracellular transport the cytoskeleton organelles experimental and quantitative ultrastructure cyto- and histochemistry Further, conceptual contributions such as new models or discoveries at the cutting edge of cell biology research will be published under the headings "New Ideas in Cell Biology". Original papers, descriptions or reviews of novel methodologies and their application in cell biology will be published under the rubric "New Methods in Cell Biology". Editor Emeritus Reimer Stick, PhD, University of Bremen, Germany
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Cell Biology
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 3%); most named Germany 8, France 3, Austria 3, Australia 2, Poland 2 (31 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Plant Reproductive BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology12.9%
- Photosynthetic Processes and MechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology9.8%
- Plant Molecular Biology ResearchAgricultural and Biological Sciences7.6%
- Protist diversity and phylogenyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.9%
- Plant tissue culture and regenerationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.6%
- Plant Stress Responses and ToleranceAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.6%
- Polysaccharides and Plant Cell WallsAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.8%
- Algal biology and biofuel productionEnergy4.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Cell Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINECASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
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
- 2.64LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.7Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.7LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.87LetPub ·
- h-index
- 63LetPub ·
- h-index
- 138OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 5,774OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.36OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 15.63%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 121LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 568,300Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 11,123 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 119 | 43 | 45 |
| 2025 | 128 | 33 | 299 |
| 2024 | 102 | 31 | 478 |
| 2023 | 85 | 19 | 670 |
| 2022 | 106 | 14 | 1,304 |
| 2021 | 137 | 38 | 2,074 |
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
118 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 70 days – 169 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 12 days (97 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 136 days
- Sample
- 97 articles with submission and acceptance dates (274 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)
- 4–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- 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 3,690 / EUR 2,790 / GBP 2,390 | — | — |
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 prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Required, 4
Article types accepted9
- editorialThe authors are kindly asked to suggest which editor should handle their paper. In addition authors have to suggest 4 potential reviewers to review their manusc…Length not stated
- new ideas in cell biologyArticles under the rubrics "New Ideas in Cell Biology" should be succinct presentations of hypothesis, discoveries, or opportunities at the cutting edge of cell…Length not stated
- new methods in cell biologySubmissions under the subject "New Methods in Cell Biology" should either exemplarily describe and demonstrate novel methodologies in cell biology or, alternati…Length not stated
- original articleOriginal Articles Original articles should not exceed 20 pages when printed (a manuscript page with 3600 charcters usually result in one printed page). Their co…Length not stated
- original articlesOriginal articles should not exceed 20 pages when printed (a manuscript page with 3600 charcters usually result in one printed page).Length not stated
- reviewOriginal Articles Original articles should not exceed 20 pages when printed (a manuscript page with 3600 charcters usually result in one printed page). Their co…Length not stated
- reviewsReviews should be comprehensive, fully referenced expositions of subjects of general interest, including background information and detailed critical analyses o…Length not stated
- short communicationOriginal Articles Original articles should not exceed 20 pages when printed (a manuscript page with 3600 charcters usually result in one printed page). Their co…Length not stated
- short communicationsShort Communication manuscripts can be submitted to any editor and should deal with a single point. Their entire length should not exceed 4 printed pages.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access
- 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 ·- Authorship Authorship Policy
Authorship policy Model summary
Authorship should incorporate and should be restricted to those who have contributed substantially to the work in one or more of the following categories: • Conceived of or designed study • Performed research • Analyzed data • Contributed new methods or models • Wrote the paper Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
Competing interests declaration required at submission Model summary
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Research data policy Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
COPE member journal Model summary
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 Protoplasma, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
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 Vienna
- Country or region
- AUSTRIA
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1926
- ISSN
- 0033-183X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1615-6102
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 263, Issue 5 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about PROTOPLASMA
What CAS zone is PROTOPLASMA in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, PROTOPLASMA is in Zone 3 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Plant Sciences / Cell Biology. 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 PROTOPLASMA?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.64; CiteScore 6, h-index 138.
How long does peer review take at PROTOPLASMA?
Based on the dates recorded on 97 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 118 days (interquartile range 70–169 days); authors report an average review time of 4–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly 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 PROTOPLASMA?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Required, 4. 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 PROTOPLASMA based?
Of the 31 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 3%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Germany (8), France (3) and Austria (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index PROTOPLASMA?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, PROTOPLASMA is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is PROTOPLASMA open access, and what is the APC?
PROTOPLASMA is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,690.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .