Journal profile · Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
RNA
ISSN 1355-8382 · eISSN 1469-9001 · Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1995
RNA: CAS Zone 3 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.04; subscription journal; median 99 days to acceptance (91 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 57.5%; 139 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
RNA is published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 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 RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms, RNA Research and Splicing and RNA modifications and cancer, together about 63.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
A monthly journal publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed research on all topics related to RNA and its metabolism in all organisms
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named Germany 3, France 2, Portugal 2, United Kingdom 1, Spain 1 (10 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology25.2%
- RNA Research and SplicingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology19.4%
- RNA modifications and cancerBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology19.3%
- RNA regulation and diseaseBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3.2%
- MicroRNA in disease regulationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology2.9%
- Bacterial Genetics and BiotechnologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology2.9%
- RNA Interference and Gene DeliveryBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology2.9%
- Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniquesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology2.5%
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 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 3 |
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 | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | 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
- 4.04LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.7LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 2.43LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.93LetPub ·
- h-index
- 158LetPub ·
- h-index
- 218OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 4,123OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.37OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 2.53%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 128LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 5,237 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 108 | 60 | 37 |
| 2025 | 139 | 128 | 322 |
| 2024 | 132 | 132 | 920 |
| 2023 | 148 | 148 | 2,190 |
| 2022 | 113 | 113 | 1,858 |
| 2021 | 124 | 124 | 3,331 |
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
99 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 59 days – 151 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 81 days (91 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 178 days
- Sample
- 91 articles with submission and acceptance dates (298 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 2.6 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 57.5%LetPub ·
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
Subscription journalLetPub
A subscription journal: articles are read by subscription or purchase, and authors usually pay no publication charge.
No source has fee information yet; check the journal's website.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1995
- ISSN
- 1355-8382
- Electronic ISSN
- 1469-9001
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about RNA
What CAS zone is RNA in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, RNA is in Zone 3 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Biochemistry & Molecular 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 RNA?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.04; CiteScore 6.7, h-index 218.
How long does peer review take at RNA?
Based on the dates recorded on 91 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 99 days (interquartile range 59–151 days); authors report an average review time of about 2.6 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 57.5%”. 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 RNA based?
Of the 10 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Germany (3), France (2) and Portugal (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index RNA?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, RNA is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is RNA open access, and what is the APC?
RNA is a subscription journal. Fee information is not available yet; check the journal's website.
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: .