Journal profile · Zoology
Zoologica Scripta
ISSN 0300-3256 · eISSN 1463-6409 · Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd · ENGLAND · Bimonthly · Founded 1971
Zoologica Scripta: CAS Zone 2 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.97; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,100; median 119 days to acceptance (93 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 78 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Zoologica Scripta is published by Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd and is in Zone 2 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Marine Biology and Ecology Research, Genetic diversity and population structure and Parasite Biology and Host Interactions, together about 28.6% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Zoologica Scripta – An International Journal of Systematic Zoology publishes papers in animal systematics and phylogeny, i.e. studies of evolutionary relationships among taxa and the origin and evolution of biological diversity. Papers can also deal with ecological interactions and geographic distributions (phylogeography), if the results are placed in a wider phylogenetic/systematic/evolutionary context. Studies of extinct taxa are also considered. Furthermore, the Zoologica Scripta encourages papers on the development of methods for all aspects of phylogenetic inference and biological nomenclature/classification. Species descriptions are possible if they follow the journal’s detailed instructions. However, papers with a strong and narrow taxonomic focus without being placed a wider systematic/phylogenetic context will not be considered for publication. This implies that detailed species descriptions and the associated illustrations will only be accepted as supplementary material as outlined in the journal's Author Guidelines.Disclaimer: There is an ongoing debate of the validity of names for detailed species descriptions provided as supplementary information as in the Zoologica Scripta. This may or may not be considered a grey zone of the convention specified by The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. However, it is up to the authors to decide if they accept the practice of the Zoologica Scripta. In case you disagree, please submit species descriptions to other journals with a more taxonomic focus. In retrospect questions after publication on the validity of scientific names will not be considered Articles published in Zoologica Scripta must be original and present new findings of either theoretical or empirical studies of interest to a broad audience in animal systematics and phylogeny. Short Communications offer for dissemination of original results of concise material and studies that contribute new and important scientific results. More specialized papers with a narrow focus that are of interest for the journal's general readership will fall into this category. Letters to the Editor can address controversial topics, or suggestions, of interest to systematists and evolutionary biologists in general. Letters may be presented either individually or as point/counterpoint discussions between authors with opposing views. Application Notes aim at providing the opportunity for publishing innovative studies that report the results of taxonomic
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Zoology
Editor-in-chief Lutz BachmannPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 5%); most named Norway 5, United States 4, Sweden 3, Mainland China 1, United Kingdom 1 (19 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Marine Biology and Ecology ResearchEarth and Planetary Sciences13.9%
- Genetic diversity and population structureBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.5%
- Parasite Biology and Host InteractionsEnvironmental Science7.3%
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and BehaviorEnvironmental Science5.9%
- Evolution and Paleontology StudiesEarth and Planetary Sciences5%
- Amphibian and Reptile BiologyEnvironmental Science4.9%
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.7%
- Marine Ecology and Invasive SpeciesEnvironmental Science4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Zoology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Evolutionary Biology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Evolutionary Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Zoology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Zoology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Evolutionary Biology | Zone 3 |
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: EBSCO, ProQuest
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)
- 2Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 4.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.77LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.39LetPub ·
- h-index
- 55LetPub ·
- h-index
- 88OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,453OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.09OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 35.36%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 65LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 65Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 124,481Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,430 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 54 | 27 | 11 |
| 2025 | 78 | 45 | 126 |
| 2024 | 77 | 46 | 300 |
| 2023 | 65 | 35 | 281 |
| 2022 | 56 | 20 | 416 |
| 2021 | 60 | 20 | 671 |
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
119 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 101 days – 148 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 14 days (93 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 135 days
- Sample
- 93 articles with submission and acceptance dates (137 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)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 36%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 36%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 8 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 8 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 116 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,100 / EUR 3,400 / GBP 2,720 | — | — | |
| 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)
What to prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Reference style
- APA
- Suggested reviewers
- Required, 3
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted4
- application noteswhile Short Communications, Letters to the Editor and Application Notes must not exceed 5 printed pages (roughly 14 manuscript pages, including figures, tables …Length not stated
- articleArticles must not exceed 15 printed pages (roughly 40 manuscript pages, including figures, tables and references)Length not stated
- letters to the editorwhile Short Communications, Letters to the Editor and Application Notes must not exceed 5 printed pages (roughly 14 manuscript pages, including figures, tables …Length not stated
- short communicationswhile Short Communications, Letters to the Editor and Application Notes must not exceed 5 printed pages (roughly 14 manuscript pages, including figures, tables …Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteData availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access
- Data availability Data Sharing and Data Availability
Data sharing encouraged; data availability statement required Model summary
This journal encourages data sharing. Review Wiley’s Data Sharing policy where you will be able to see and select the data availability statement that is right for your submission. Author material archive policy
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Original work only; no simultaneous submission Model summary
Manuscripts must not have been published previously, or submitted simultaneously to any other journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright For authors signing the copyright transfer agreement
Copyright transfer agreement for non-OA authors Model summary
If the Open Access option is not selected the corresponding author will be presented with the copyright transfer agreement (CTA) to sign. The terms and conditions of the CTA can be previewed in the samples associated with the Copyright FAQs below:
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access For authors choosing Open Access
If the Open Access option is selected the corresponding author will have a choice of the following Creative Commons License Open Access Agreements (OAA):
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
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1971
- ISSN
- 0300-3256
- Electronic ISSN
- 1463-6409
- Society / sponsor
- Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 55, Issue 5 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Zoologica Scripta
What CAS zone is Zoologica Scripta in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Zoologica Scripta is in Zone 2 of Biology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Zoology / Evolutionary Biology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Zoologica Scripta?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.97; CiteScore 4.2, h-index 88.
How long does peer review take at Zoologica Scripta?
Based on the dates recorded on 93 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 119 days (interquartile range 101–148 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 36% (2025). 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 Zoologica Scripta?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Reference style: APA; Suggested reviewers: Required, 3; 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 Zoologica Scripta based?
Of the 19 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 5%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Norway (5), United States (4) and Sweden (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Zoologica Scripta?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Zoologica Scripta 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 Zoologica Scripta open access, and what is the APC?
Zoologica Scripta is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,100.
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: .