Journal profile · Rheumatology
Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism
ISSN 0049-0172 · eISSN 1532-866X · W.B. Saunders Ltd · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 1971
Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism: CAS Zone 2 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 3.73; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,370; median 109 days to acceptance (106 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: moderate; 273 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism is published by W.B. Saunders Ltd and is in Zone 2 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Rheumatoid Arthritis Research and Therapies, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Research and Spondyloarthritis Studies and Treatments, together about 37.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Rheumatology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
With a CiteScore of 8.1 and an Impact Factor of 4.4, Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism provides access to the highest-quality clinical, therapeutic and translational research about arthritis, rheumatology and musculoskeletal disorders. Each bimonthly issue includes articles giving you the latest diagnostic criteria, consensus statements, systematic reviews and meta-analyses as well as clinical and translational research studies. Read this journal for the latest groundbreaking research and to gain insights from scientists and clinicians on the management and treatment of musculoskeletal and autoimmune rheumatologic diseases. The journal is of interest to rheumatologists, internal medicine physicians, immunologists and specialists in bone and mineral metabolism. Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism no longer publishes single case reports, even when accompanied by a systematic literature review, unsolicited narrative reviews or results of analyses using either uni- or bi-directional Mendelian randomization for analysis of genetic associations of risk factors with disease.Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism no longer accepts Letters to the Editor or Correspondence.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Rheumatology
Editor-in-chief Marc C. HochbergPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 9, Spain 3, Singapore 3, Sweden 2 (17 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Research and TherapiesMedicine19.2%
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ResearchMedicine9.6%
- Spondyloarthritis Studies and TreatmentsMedicine9%
- Systemic Sclerosis and Related DiseasesMedicine8%
- Osteoarthritis Treatment and MechanismsMedicine6.4%
- Vasculitis and related conditionsMedicine5.4%
- Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disorders ResearchMedicine4.7%
- Inflammatory Myopathies and DermatomyositisMedicine4.5%
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 | Rheumatology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Rheumatology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Rheumatology | Zone 2 |
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
- 3.73LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.45LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.49LetPub ·
- h-index
- 102LetPub ·
- h-index
- 178OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,867OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.53OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 38.29%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 230LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,631 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 173 | 97 | 62 |
| 2025 | 273 | 146 | 785 |
| 2024 | 231 | 139 | 1,544 |
| 2023 | 185 | 112 | 2,017 |
| 2022 | 199 | 108 | 3,543 |
| 2021 | 173 | 87 | 3,865 |
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
109 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 77 days – 160 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 7 days (106 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 121 days
- Sample
- 106 articles with submission and acceptance dates (512 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)
- 6–12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- ModerateLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 8 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 42 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 106 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 4,370 / EUR 4,090 / GBP 3,500 / JPY 542,010 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,370 | — | — |
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 prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Optional
- Not considered
- single case reports; unsolicited narrative reviews; Mendelian randomization analyses; Letters to the Editor; Correspondence
Article types accepted5
- meta-analysisSeminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism publishes the following types of articles:1) Systematic Reviews and Meta-AnalysesReview articles come in many forms and "Sy…Length not stated
- perspectiveSeminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism publishes the following types of articles:1) Systematic Reviews and Meta-AnalysesReview articles come in many forms and "Sy…Length not stated
- research articleSeminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism publishes the following types of articles:1) Systematic Reviews and Meta-AnalysesReview articles come in many forms and "Sy…Length not stated
- reviewSeminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism publishes the following types of articles:1) Systematic Reviews and Meta-AnalysesReview articles come in many forms and "Sy…Length not stated
- systematic reviewSeminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism publishes the following types of articles:1) Systematic Reviews and Meta-AnalysesReview articles come in many forms and "Sy…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
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
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
- W.B. Saunders Ltd
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1971
- ISSN
- 0049-0172
- Electronic ISSN
- 1532-866X
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism
What CAS zone is Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism is in Zone 2 of Medicine, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Rheumatology; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.73; CiteScore 6.6, h-index 178.
How long does peer review take at Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism?
Based on the dates recorded on 106 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 109 days (interquartile range 77–160 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Moderate”. 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 Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: 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 Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism based?
Of the 17 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (9), Spain (3) and Singapore (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism open access, and what is the APC?
Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,370.
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: .