Which journal is more selective?

Cell Reports is much more selective. Cell Reports accepts around 20% of submissions and publishes ~1,000 papers yearly. Scientific Reports accepts around 57% and publishes over 25,000 papers yearly. That 37-percentage-point difference is huge.

Does the acceptance rate mean Scientific Reports has lower standards?

Not exactly. Scientific Reports accepts any technically sound work, regardless of novelty. Reviewers assess methodology and reproducibility, not impact. Cell Reports rejects for lack of novelty or insufficient mechanistic insight. It's a different editorial philosophy, not a quality issue.

Journal Guides8 min read

Cell Reports vs Scientific Reports in 2026: Both Open-Access, Very Different Acceptance Rates

By Cell Biology Research Advisor•March 10, 2026

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Choose Cell Reports if your work is mechanistically novel and you're building a competitive research record. Choose Scientific Reports if you need indexed publication for technically sound work without top-tier novelty claims.

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Cell Reports vs Scientific Reports in 2026: Both Open-Access, Very Different Acceptance Rates

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