Journal profile · Virology
Virus Genes
ISSN 0920-8569 · eISSN 1572-994X · Springer US · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 1987
Virus Genes: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.97; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,890; median 122 days to acceptance (94 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 80 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Virus Genes is published by Springer US and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Plant Virus Research Studies, Animal Virus Infections Studies and Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology, together about 29.2% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Viruses are convenient models for the elucidation of life processes. The study of viruses is again on the cutting edge of biological sciences: systems biology, genomics, proteomics, metagenomics, using the newest most powerful tools.Huge amounts of new details on virus interactions with the cell, other pathogens and the hosts – animal (including human), insect, fungal, plant, bacterial, and archaeal - and their role in infection and disease are forthcoming in perplexing details requiring analysis and comments.Virus Genes is dedicated to the publication of studies on the structure and function of viruses and their genes, the molecular and systems interactions with the host and all applications derived thereof, providing a forum for the analysis of data and discussion of its implications, and the development of new hypotheses.VIRUS GENES publishes studies on analysis of virus genes, gene products and functions, regulation of virus gene function, cell biology of virus infectionfunctional studies of genes and gene families, encoded by eukaryotic, prokaryotic and archaeal viruses, viroids, as well as unconventional and novel infectious agents phylogenetic and evolutionary data from all virus genera and familiessystems biology of virus-host interactions next generation sequencing of complex infectious samples for genomic, transcriptomic, and metagenomic studiesstudies on antivirals affecting specific virus or host gene functionsVIRUS GENES does NOT publish purely descriptive studies, e.g., primary sequence data of known viruses based on local sample collections. Papers are organized asOriginal work (Full papers)Short reports(Mini-)ReviewsCorrespondence (letters to editor)EditorialsManuscripts with Original work, Short reports, and (Mini-)Reviews undergo a peer review process. Correspondence and Editorials are published at the discretion of the editors.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Virology
Editor-in-chief Joachim J. BugertPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 18, Germany 6, Israel 3, United Kingdom 2, Japan 2 (51 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Plant Virus Research StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences12.3%
- Animal Virus Infections StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences8.9%
- Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiologyMedicine8%
- Virus-based gene therapy researchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.7%
- Animal Disease Management and EpidemiologyAgricultural and Biological Sciences6%
- Herpesvirus Infections and TreatmentsMedicine5.5%
- Plant and Fungal Interactions ResearchBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.2%
- Viral Infections and Immunology ResearchMedicine5.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Genetics & Heredity | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Virology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Genetics & Heredity | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Virology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Genetics & Heredity | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Virology | 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
MEDLINEEmbaseCASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, 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
- 1.97LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.9LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.54LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.71LetPub ·
- h-index
- 52LetPub ·
- h-index
- 81OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,054OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.08OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 11.49%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 75LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 352,400Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,380 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 69 | 11 | 11 |
| 2025 | 80 | 16 | 117 |
| 2024 | 88 | 16 | 366 |
| 2023 | 78 | 25 | 451 |
| 2022 | 85 | 24 | 937 |
| 2021 | 66 | 29 | 625 |
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
122 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 85 days – 170 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 11 days (94 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 134 days
- Sample
- 94 articles with submission and acceptance dates (170 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 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 16 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 3,890 / 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
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 5,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted10, with length limits
- editorialOriginal Article Original Article meeting the scientific criteria. Each manuscript should present the result of an independent, cohesive study. The complete dat…Length not stated
- editorialsEditorials Short contributions of editors-in-chief, subject editors, and invited experts on interesting developments in virology and in specialized fields.Length not stated
- full paperOriginal Article Original Article meeting the scientific criteria. Each manuscript should present the result of an independent, cohesive study. The complete dat…Length not stated
- letter to the editorOriginal Article Original Article meeting the scientific criteria. Each manuscript should present the result of an independent, cohesive study. The complete dat…Length not stated
- original articleOriginal Article Original Article meeting the scientific criteria. Each manuscript should present the result of an independent, cohesive study. The complete dat…main text ≤ 5,000 words
- reviewOriginal Article Original Article meeting the scientific criteria. Each manuscript should present the result of an independent, cohesive study. The complete dat…main text ≤ 3,000 words · references ≤ 150
- review articleOriginal Article Original Article meeting the scientific criteria. Each manuscript should present the result of an independent, cohesive study. The complete dat…main text ≤ 3,000 words
- reviewsReview articles are invited by the editors. Unsolicited reviews are also considered.Length not stated
- short communicationOriginal Article Original Article meeting the scientific criteria. Each manuscript should present the result of an independent, cohesive study. The complete dat…main text ≤ 1,500 words
- short communicationsShort Communicationsshould present brief observations which do not warrant the length of a full paper.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, 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 Policy
Authorship should incorporate and should be restricted to those who have contributed substantially to the work in one or more of the following categories: • Conceived of or designed study • Performed research • Analyzed data • Contributed new methods or models • Wrote the paper Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
Conflict of interest declaration mandatory for all corresponding authors for all article types, including Editorial. Model summary
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
Data transparency: all data, materials, software application or custom code must support published claims and comply with field standards. Model summary
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 Virus Genes, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Authors may suggest suitable reviewers and/or request exclusion of certain individuals at submission. Model summary
Authors are welcome to suggest suitable reviewers and/or request the exclusion of certain individuals when they submit their manuscripts.
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 US
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1987
- ISSN
- 0920-8569
- Electronic ISSN
- 1572-994X
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 62, Issue 4 (August 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Virus Genes
What CAS zone is Virus Genes in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Virus Genes is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Genetics & Heredity / Virology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Virus Genes?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.97; CiteScore 3.9, h-index 81.
How long does peer review take at Virus Genes?
Based on the dates recorded on 94 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 122 days (interquartile range 85–170 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; 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 Virus Genes?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 5,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: 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 Virus Genes based?
Of the 51 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 2%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (18), Germany (6) and Israel (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Virus Genes?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Virus Genes is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, Embase, CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Virus Genes open access, and what is the APC?
Virus Genes is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,890.
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: .