Journal profile · Microbiology
Symbiosis
ISSN 0334-5114 · eISSN 1878-7665 · Springer Netherlands · NETHERLANDS · Bimonthly · Founded 2009
Symbiosis: CAS Zone 4 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.85; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,990; median 116 days to acceptance (102 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 84 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Symbiosis is published by Springer Netherlands 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 Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions, Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis and Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity, together about 33.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Plant Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Since 1985, Symbiosis publishes original research that contributes to the understanding of symbiotic interactions in a wide range of associations at the molecular, cellular and organismic level. Reviews and short communications on well-known or new symbioses are welcomed as are book reviews. This spectrum of papers aims to encourage and enhance interactions among researchers in this rapidly expanding field. Topics of interest include: nutritional interactions; mutual regulatory and morphogenetic effects; structural co-adaptations; interspecific recognition; specificity; ecological adaptations; evolutionary consequences of symbiosis; and methods used for symbiotic research.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Microbiology
Editor-in-chief David RichardsonPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 9, France 4, United Kingdom 2, India 2, Germany 2 (33 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant InteractionsAgricultural and Biological Sciences14%
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing SymbiosisAgricultural and Biological Sciences13.7%
- Plant-Microbe Interactions and ImmunityAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.1%
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal DiseasesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.7%
- Nematode management and characterization studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.8%
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influencesAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.7%
- Fungal Biology and ApplicationsMedicine4.6%
- Plant Parasitism and ResistanceAgricultural and Biological Sciences4%
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 | Microbiology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Microbiology | 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 | Microbiology | 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
CASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Astrophysics Data System, 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
- 2.85LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.9Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.3LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.61LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.77LetPub ·
- h-index
- 42LetPub ·
- h-index
- 70OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 701OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.38OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 3.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 21.61%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 69LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 237,500Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,360 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 81 | 30 | 21 |
| 2025 | 84 | 23 | 155 |
| 2024 | 65 | 27 | 371 |
| 2023 | 71 | 23 | 702 |
| 2022 | 69 | 20 | 591 |
| 2021 | 81 | 20 | 1,485 |
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
116 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 84 days – 174 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 18 days (102 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 144 days
- Sample
- 102 articles with submission and acceptance dates (161 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)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 17 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 3,990 / EUR 2,990 / GBP 2,590 | — | — |
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
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted5
- book reviewSymbiosis accepts submissions of the following article types: Research Article Review Article Book Review Meeting reports Brief Report Back to topLength not stated
- brief reportSymbiosis accepts submissions of the following article types: Research Article Review Article Book Review Meeting reports Brief Report Back to topLength not stated
- meeting reportsSymbiosis accepts submissions of the following article types: Research Article Review Article Book Review Meeting reports Brief ReportLength not stated
- research articleSymbiosis accepts submissions of the following article types: Research Article Review Article Book Review Meeting reports Brief Report Back to topLength not stated
- review articleSymbiosis accepts submissions of the following article types: Research Article Review Article Book Review Meeting reports Brief Report Back to topLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, 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 ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
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
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
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 Symbiosis, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
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 Netherlands
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 2009
- ISSN
- 0334-5114
- Electronic ISSN
- 1878-7665
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 100, Issue 1 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Symbiosis
What CAS zone is Symbiosis in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Symbiosis is in Zone 4 of Biology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Microbiology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Symbiosis?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.85; CiteScore 4.3, h-index 70.
How long does peer review take at Symbiosis?
Based on the dates recorded on 102 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 116 days (interquartile range 84–174 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “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 Symbiosis?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Cover letter: Required. 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 Symbiosis based?
Of the 33 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (9), France (4) and United Kingdom (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Symbiosis?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Symbiosis is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Symbiosis open access, and what is the APC?
Symbiosis is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,990.
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: .