Journal profile · Agricultural and Biological Sciences-Agricultural and Biological Sciences (all)
Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa
ISSN 0035-919X · eISSN 2154-0098 · Taylor & Francis
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Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa: subscription journal; APC charged, amount not published; review about 134 days (first decision after review, publisher); acceptance rate 36% (journal website); 20 articles in 2025; indexed in Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa is published by Taylor & Francis. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are History of Science and Medicine, Biographical and Historical Analysis and Marine Biology and Ecology Research, together about 25.1% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa , published on behalf of the Royal Society of South Africa since 1908, comprises a rich archive of original scientific research in and beyond South Africa. Since 1878, when it was founded as Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society, the Journal’s strength has lain in its multi- and inter-disciplinary orientation, which is aimed at ‘promoting the improvement and diffusion of science in all its branches’ (original Charter). Today this includes natural, physical, medical, environmental and earth sciences as well as any other topic that may be of interest or importance to the people of Africa. Transactions publishes original research papers, review articles, special issues, feature articles, festschriften and book reviews. While coverage emphasizes southern Africa, submissions concerning the rest of the continent are encouraged. Please visit the website of the Royal Society of South Africa at www.royalsocietysa.org.za/. Peer Review Statement Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa is an international, peer-reviewed journal which publishes high quality, original research contributions to scientific knowledge. All manuscript submissions are subject to initial appraisal by the Editor, and, if found suitable for further consideration, to peer review by independent, anonymous expert referees. All peer review is double anonymized and submission is online via ScholarOne Manuscripts.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Agricultural and Biological Sciences-Agricultural and Biological Sciences (all)
Editor-in-chief Trevor HillPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named South Africa 14 (14 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- History of Science and MedicineArts and Humanities9.2%
- Biographical and Historical AnalysisArts and Humanities8.3%
- Marine Biology and Ecology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences7.6%
- History of Science and Natural HistoryArts and Humanities7.6%
- Pleistocene-Era Hominins and ArchaeologySocial Sciences6.3%
- Fish Biology and Ecology StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.3%
- Botany and Plant Ecology StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.7%
- Archaeology and Rock Art StudiesSocial Sciences4.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CiteScore quartiles (Scopus, June 2026 release)
| Subject | Quartile | Rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Medicine | Q2 | 237/669 | 64th |
| General Agricultural and Biological Sciences | Q2 | 96/235 | 59th |
| General Earth and Planetary Sciences | Q3 | 105/201 | 48th |
| General Environmental Science | Q3 | 148/249 | 40th |
Scopus ranks journals by CiteScore within each subject: the 75th percentile and above is Q1, then a quartile every 25 points. A different system from the CAS zones.LetPub
JCR / CiteScore quartiles on the journal's website
- 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
ScopusLetPub
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
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 2.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.24LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher) 2025
- 0.24Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.53LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher) 2025
- 0.53Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 57OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 568OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.84OpenAlex ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher)
- 36,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,400 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 30 | 23 | 502 |
| 2025 | 20 | 8 | 777 |
| 2024 | 26 | 18 | 973 |
| 2023 | 20 | 9 | 922 |
| 2022 | 27 | 3 | 823 |
| 2021 | 33 | 10 | 948 |
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
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
134 daysfirst decision after review
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 36%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 126 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 134 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 32 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
Subscription journalLetPub
A subscription journal: articles are read by subscription or purchase, and authors usually pay no publication charge.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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)
Article types accepted6
- book reviewsTransactions publishes original research papers, review articles, special issues, feature articles, festschriften and book reviews.Length not stated
- feature articlesTransactions publishes original research papers, review articles, special issues, feature articles, festschriften and book reviews.Length not stated
- festschriftenTransactions publishes original research papers, review articles, special issues, feature articles, festschriften and book reviews.Length not stated
- original research papersTransactions publishes original research papers, review articles, special issues, feature articles, festschriften and book reviews.Length not stated
- review articlesTransactions publishes original research papers, review articles, special issues, feature articles, festschriften and book reviews.Length not stated
- special issuesTransactions publishes original research papers, review articles, special issues, feature articles, festschriften and book reviews.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access, Peer review
- Open access Open access
Hybrid open access journal (Taylor & Francis Open Select). Model summary
Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 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? Increa…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review Statement
Double anonymized peer review; online submission via ScholarOne Manuscripts. Model summary
Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa is an international, peer-reviewed journal which publishes high quality, original research contributions to scientific knowledge. All manuscript submissions are subject to initial appraisal by the Editor, and, if found suitable for further consideration, to peer review by independent, anonymous expert referees. All peer review is double anonymized …
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.
Before you submit
Five checks before submitting to Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa
- 1ScopeRecent output centres on History of Science and Medicine, Biographical and Historical Analysis.Check scope
- 2Article type and formatPrepare text, figures and references as the author guidelines ask.Submission rules
- 3English languagePolish grammar and academic style before you submit: it lowers the risk of rejection for language and improves your chances of acceptance.
- 4FeesYes, amount not published (Publisher website)Fee details
- 5Expected review time134 days · Publisher-reported, first decision after reviewReview data
The checks are built from this page's data.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- ISSN
- 0035-919X
- Electronic ISSN
- 2154-0098
- Society / sponsor
- Royal Society of South Africa
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 81, Issue 1 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa
How long does peer review take at Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa?
The publisher reports about 134 days (first decision after review); 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa based?
Of the 14 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are South Africa (14). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa is indexed in Scopus.
Is Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa open access, and what is the APC?
Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa is a subscription journal. 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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .