Journal profile · Biodiversity Conservation
Systematics and Biodiversity
ISSN 1477-2000 · eISSN 1478-0933 · Taylor and Francis Ltd. · ENGLAND · Quarterly · Founded 2003
Systematics and Biodiversity: CAS Zone 3 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.97; JCR Q2 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC charged, amount not published; median 173 days to acceptance (86 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 47 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Systematics and Biodiversity is published by Taylor and Francis Ltd. and is in Zone 3 of Environmental Science & Ecology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Plant and animal studies, Marine Biology and Ecology Research and Species Distribution and Climate Change, together about 24.9% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Systematics and Biodiversity is an international, peer-reviewed Hybrid Open Access journal devoted to whole organism biology and published online by Taylor & Francis on behalf of the Natural History Museum, London. It was first published in 2003 under its current title and together with its sister publication, Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, is a continuation of the Bulletin of the Natural History Museum. Systematics and Biodiversity aims to document the diversity of all groups of living organisms, principally through systematic, phylogenetic and/or taxonomic papers that integrate multiple sources of evidence to circumscribe taxonomic boundaries at any and all levels. The journal also aims to provide a forum for museum sciences and collections-based works of any length that further the documentation, informativeness and accessibility of biological collections in museums and repositories anywhere in the world. In addition to empirical works, papers that address or review theoretical aspects of systematics, classification, evolution, biological collections and other areas of biodiversity research are welcome. Similarly, works that are underpinned by systematic/taxonomic study but otherwise focused on other areas of biodiversity research are also encouraged. Finally, although the journal is devoted to whole organisms, we encourage the submission of papers that explore and/or utilise genetic diversity in any form (e.g. genes, whole genomes, non-coding features, etc) so long as it is related back to organismic diversity. Submissions are judged on their individual merits. Please note that because the journal is not restricted taxonomically in scope, authors should ensure that they both introduce their group of interest to the professional, but non-specialist, reader, as well as provide more general context to their results. In addition to regular Research Articles the Journal publishes Perspectives, which provide a format for authors to deliver forward-thinking, opinionated exposés on topics relevant to the Journal’s aims, and Book Reviews. N.B. book publishers/authors should contact the Editorial Office to discuss the suitability of titles for review, whereas Perspectives may be submitted without prior agreement, but authors are encouraged to make pre-submission enquires as to the suitability of their topic. Accepted papers are assigned to a yearly volume and published online immediately following approval of proofs. All publications are announced on the j
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biodiversity Conservation
Editor-in-chief Peter D. OlsonPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United Kingdom 14, United States 3, Mainland China 1, Germany 1, Spain 1 (27 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences9.1%
- Marine Biology and Ecology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences8.1%
- Species Distribution and Climate ChangeEnvironmental Science7.7%
- Genetic diversity and population structureBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7%
- Plant Diversity and EvolutionAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.8%
- Amphibian and Reptile BiologyEnvironmental Science5.8%
- Lepidoptera: Biology and TaxonomyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5%
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems StudiesEnvironmental Science3.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biodiversity Conservation | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biodiversity Conservation | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biodiversity Conservation | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
JCR / CiteScore quartiles on the journal's website
- JCR Q2 · best quartile · 2025
- CiteScore Q2 · 2025
Publisher-reported: JCR figures are Clarivate's and CiteScore figures Scopus's to confirm; both are a different system from the CAS zones.Publisher website
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
ProQuest, OCLC, CABI, NHN, University of Bremen, USDA, EBSCOhost, Elsevier BVPublisher website
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
- 1.97LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.1Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 3.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.73LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 0.73Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.38LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 1.38Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 36LetPub ·
- h-index
- 61OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 547OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.8OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 9.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 8.57%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 46LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 63,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 985 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 45 | 12 | 5 |
| 2025 | 47 | 9 | 70 |
| 2024 | 28 | 6 | 141 |
| 2023 | 33 | 12 | 152 |
| 2022 | 49 | 15 | 457 |
| 2021 | 54 | 12 | 504 |
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
173 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 122 days – 252 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 63 days (86 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 239 days
- Sample
- 86 articles with submission and acceptance dates (95 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 24 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 36%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 54 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 91 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 73 daysPublisher 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access
- Open access Open access
Systematics and Biodiversity is a hybrid open access journal that is part of the Taylor & Francis Open Select publishing program, giving you the option to publish open access. Publishing open access means that your article will be free to access online immediately on publication, increasing the visibility, readership, and impact of your research. Why choose open access? Increase the discoverabilit…
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
- Taylor and Francis Ltd.
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 2003
- ISSN
- 1477-2000
- Electronic ISSN
- 1478-0933
- Society / sponsor
- Natural History Museum
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 24, Issue 2 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Systematics and Biodiversity
What CAS zone is Systematics and Biodiversity in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Systematics and Biodiversity is in Zone 3 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Biodiversity Conservation. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Environmental Science & Ecology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Systematics and Biodiversity?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.97; CiteScore 3.9, h-index 61.
How long does peer review take at Systematics and Biodiversity?
Based on the dates recorded on 86 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 173 days (interquartile range 122–252 days); authors report an average review time of over 24 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 36%. 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 JCR quartile is Systematics and Biodiversity in?
The journal's website gives JCR Q2 (best quartile). JCR quartiles are Clarivate's to confirm and a different system from the CAS zones; in the CAS ranking the journal is in Zone 3 of Environmental Science & Ecology.
Where are the editorial board members of Systematics and Biodiversity based?
Of the 27 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (14), United States (3) and Mainland China (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Systematics and Biodiversity?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Systematics and Biodiversity is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Systematics and Biodiversity open access, and what is the APC?
Systematics and Biodiversity is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC charged, amount not published.
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 2026-08-24). Last updated: .