Journal profile · Rheumatology
ZEITSCHRIFT FUR RHEUMATOLOGIE
ISSN 0340-1855 · eISSN 1435-1250 · Springer Medizin · GERMANY · Bimonthly · Founded 1997
ZEITSCHRIFT FUR RHEUMATOLOGIE: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.17; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,390; median 43 days to acceptance (43 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 161 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
ZEITSCHRIFT FUR RHEUMATOLOGIE is published by Springer Medizin 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 Rheumatoid Arthritis Research and Therapies, Musculoskeletal Disorders and Rehabilitation and Spondyloarthritis Studies and Treatments, together about 35.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Rheumatology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Zielsetzung der Zeitschrift Die Zeitschrift für Rheumatologie ist ein international angesehenes Publikationsorgan und dient der Fortbildung in Klinik und Praxis. Die Zeitschrift widmet sich allen Aspekten der klinischen Rheumatologie, der Therapie rheumatischer Erkrankungen sowie der rheumatologischen Grundlagenforschung. Umfassende Übersichtsarbeiten zu einem aktuellen Schwerpunktthema sind das Kernstück jeder Ausgabe. Im Mittelpunkt steht dabei gesichertes Wissen zu Diagnostik und Therapie mit hoher Relevanz für die tägliche Arbeit – der Lesende erhält konkrete Handlungsempfehlungen. Frei eingereichte Originalien ermöglichen die Präsentation wichtiger klinischer Studien und dienen dem wissenschaftlichen Austausch. Kasuistiken zeigen interessante Fallbeispiele und ungewöhnliche Krankheits- bzw. Behandlungsverläufe. Beiträge der Rubrik 'CME Zertifizierte Fortbildung' bieten gesicherte Ergebnisse wissenschaftlicher Forschung und machen ärztliche Erfahrung für die tägliche Praxis nutzbar. Nach Lektüre der Beiträge können Lesende ihr erworbenes Wissen überprüfen und online CME-Punkte erhalten. Die Rubrik orientiert sich an der Weiterbildungsordnung des Fachgebiets. Aims & Scope Zeitschrift für Rheumatologie is an internationally recognized journal dealing with all aspects of clinical rheumatology, the therapy of rheumatic diseases, and fundamental research in the field of rheumatology. The journal addresses both rheumatologists with own practices and those working in hospitals. Comprehensive reviews on a specific topical issue focus on providing evidenced based information on diagnostics and therapy. Case reports feature interesting cases and aim at optimizing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Review articles under the rubric 'Continuing Medical Education' present verified results of scientific research and their integration into daily practice. Review All articles of Zeitschrift für Rheumatologie are reviewed. Original articles and case reports undergo a peer review process. Declaration of Helsinki All manuscripts submitted for publication presenting results from studies on probands or patients must comply with the Declaration of Helsinki. Indexed in Science Citation Index Expanded, Medline, EMBASE and Scopus.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Rheumatology
Editor-in-chief Ulf MuPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named Germany 85, Switzerland 5, Austria 2 (92 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Research and TherapiesMedicine17.1%
- Musculoskeletal Disorders and RehabilitationMedicine10%
- Spondyloarthritis Studies and TreatmentsMedicine8.1%
- Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disorders ResearchMedicine7%
- Medical Practices and RehabilitationHealth Professions5.6%
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ResearchMedicine5.5%
- Medical and Health Sciences ResearchMedicine4.9%
- Health and Medical StudiesHealth Professions4.8%
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 | Rheumatology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Rheumatology | 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 | Rheumatology | 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, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, Semantic Scholar
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
- 1.17LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.2Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.1LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.31LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.63LetPub ·
- h-index
- 36LetPub ·
- h-index
- 51OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 670OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.91OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 16.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 29.15%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 109LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 488,600Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,284 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 106 | 36 | 6 |
| 2025 | 161 | 65 | 115 |
| 2024 | 137 | 67 | 247 |
| 2023 | 159 | 65 | 406 |
| 2022 | 164 | 88 | 492 |
| 2021 | 186 | 101 | 701 |
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
43 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 29 days – 70 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 36 days (79 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 78 days
- Sample
- 43 articles with submission and acceptance dates (293 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)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 1 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 3,390 / EUR 2,790 / GBP 2,390 | — | — |
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)
Article types accepted16
- bild und fallRubrik "Bild und Fall" | "Ihre Diagnose"Length not stated
- cme zertifizierte fortbildungRubrik "CME Zertifizierte Fortbildung"Length not stated
- forschung aktuellRubrik "Forschung aktuell" | "Hot Topics" | "Labortechniken"Length not stated
- für sie gelesenRubrik "Journal Club" | "Für Sie gelesen"Length not stated
- hot topicsRubrik "Forschung aktuell" | "Hot Topics" | "Labortechniken"Length not stated
- ihre diagnoseRubrik "Bild und Fall" | "Ihre Diagnose"Length not stated
- journal clubRubrik "Journal Club" | "Für Sie gelesen"Length not stated
- kasuistikenRubrik "Kasuistiken"Length not stated
- klinische studien kurzgefasst"Klinische Studien kurzgefasst"Length not stated
- labortechnikenRubrik "Forschung aktuell" | "Hot Topics" | "Labortechniken"Length not stated
- leitthemaRubrik "Leitthema" | "Übersichten" | "Schwerpunkt"Length not stated
- meilensteine der rheumatologie"Meilensteine der Rheumatologie"Length not stated
- originalienRubrik "Originalien"Length not stated
- schwerpunktRubrik "Leitthema" | "Übersichten" | "Schwerpunkt"Length not stated
- versorgungRubrik "Versorgung"Length not stated
- übersichtenRubrik "Leitthema" | "Übersichten" | "Schwerpunkt"Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteData availability, Publication ethics, Open access
- Data availability Data availability statements
Springer Nature research data policy; Data Availability Statement required for original research 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
COPE member; follows COPE guidelines for research integrity and misconduct handling Model summary
Diese Zeitschrift sieht sich in der Pflicht, die Integrität wissenschaftlicher Publikationen sicherzustellen. Als Mitglied des Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) orientiert sie sich an den COPE-Leitlinien für den Umgang mit möglichen Verstößen gegen die Regeln der guten wissenschaftlichen Praxis.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Zeitschrift für Rheumatologie, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
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 Medizin
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1997
- ISSN
- 0340-1855
- Electronic ISSN
- 1435-1250
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 85, Issue 7 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about ZEITSCHRIFT FUR RHEUMATOLOGIE
What CAS zone is ZEITSCHRIFT FUR RHEUMATOLOGIE in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, ZEITSCHRIFT FUR RHEUMATOLOGIE is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Rheumatology. 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 ZEITSCHRIFT FUR RHEUMATOLOGIE?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.17; CiteScore 2.1, h-index 51.
How long does peer review take at ZEITSCHRIFT FUR RHEUMATOLOGIE?
Based on the dates recorded on 43 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 43 days (interquartile range 29–70 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 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.
Where are the editorial board members of ZEITSCHRIFT FUR RHEUMATOLOGIE based?
Of the 92 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Germany (85), Switzerland (5) and Austria (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index ZEITSCHRIFT FUR RHEUMATOLOGIE?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, ZEITSCHRIFT FUR RHEUMATOLOGIE 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 ZEITSCHRIFT FUR RHEUMATOLOGIE open access, and what is the APC?
ZEITSCHRIFT FUR RHEUMATOLOGIE is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,390.
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: .