Current Biology Impact Factor
Current Biology impact factor is 9.2. See the current rank, quartile, and what the number actually means before you submit.
Research Scientist, Neuroscience & Cell Biology
Author context
Works across neuroscience and cell biology, with direct expertise in preparing manuscripts for PNAS, Nature Neuroscience, Neuron, eLife, and Nature Communications.
Journal evaluation
Want the full picture on Current Biology?
See scope, selectivity, submission context, and what editors actually want before you decide whether Current Biology is realistic.
A fuller snapshot for authors
Use Current Biology's impact factor as one signal, then stack it against selectivity, editorial speed, and the journal guide before you decide where to submit.
What this metric helps you decide
- Whether Current Biology has the citation profile you want for this paper.
- How the journal compares to nearby options when prestige or visibility matters.
- Whether the citation upside is worth the likely selectivity and process tradeoffs.
What you still need besides JIF
- Scope fit and article-type fit, which matter more than a high number.
- Desk-rejection risk, which impact factor does not predict.
- Timeline and cost context.
How authors actually use Current Biology's impact factor
Use the number to place the journal in the right tier, then check the harder filters: scope fit, selectivity, and editorial speed.
Use this page to answer
- Is Current Biology actually above your next-best alternatives, or just more famous?
- Does the prestige upside justify the likely cost, delay, and selectivity?
- Should this journal stay on the shortlist before you invest in submission prep?
Check next
- Acceptance rate: ~35%. High JIF does not tell you how hard triage will be.
- First decision: 30-45 days. Timeline matters if you are under a grant, job, or revision clock.
- Publishing cost and article type, since those constraints can override prestige.
What Is the Current Biology Impact Factor?
Current Biology has a 2024 JCR impact factor of 7.5 and a five-year JIF of 9.3. It ranks Q1, 5th out of 107 journals in Biology. Published by Cell Press (Elsevier), it's the broadest journal in the Cell Press family, covering everything from ecology and evolution to neuroscience and cell biology.
With over 25,000 published papers and an h-index of 452, Current Biology is one of the most influential biology journals globally. Its distinguishing feature is range. Where most Cell Press journals specialize, Current Biology deliberately spans the full breadth of biological research.
Impact Factor Trend (2019-2024)
Year | JIF | Change |
|---|---|---|
2024 | 7.5 | -2.5 |
2023 | 10.8 | +1.3 |
2022 | 9.1 | -0.7 |
2021 | 10.9 | +1.0 |
2020 | 10.0 | +0.4 |
2019 | 9.6 | - |
The drop from 10.8 to 7.5 is the steepest in Current Biology's recent history. Part of this reflects JCR methodology changes across the Clarivate system, and part reflects the fact that citation patterns are fragmenting across more journals. The five-year JIF of 9.3 is a better indicator of what the journal actually delivers in terms of long-term citation impact.
Despite the IF decline, Current Biology's editorial quality hasn't changed. The same editors, the same review standards, the same scope. The number shifted. The journal didn't.
How Current Biology Compares
Journal | JIF 2024 | 5-Year JIF | Quartile | APC | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Current Biology | 7.5 | 9.3 | Q1 | $6,830 | Broad biology (all areas) |
7.2 | 7.7 | Q1 | $5,300 | Broad biology (OA) | |
6.4 | 7.7 | Q1 | $0 | Broad biology (OA, publish-review) | |
9.1 | 10.3 | Q1 | $3,450 | All science (multidisciplinary) | |
Cell | 45.5 | 49.7 | Q1 | $11,390 | High-impact biology |
Current Biology and PLOS Biology are the closest competitors. Both are broad, selective biology journals in the 7-10 IF range. The key difference: Current Biology is a Cell Press journal with professional editors. PLOS Biology is open access with academic editors. The Cell Press brand carries slightly more weight in some communities, particularly in cell and molecular biology.
Against PNAS, Current Biology is more selective per paper but publishes fewer total articles. PNAS covers all of science. Current Biology covers all of biology. If your paper has a strong biological story, Current Biology may give it a more focused audience.
What Current Biology Wants (and What It Doesn't)
Current Biology publishes across a wider range of biology than almost any other selective journal. That breadth is both an advantage and a trap. The advantage is that you can submit ecology, evolutionary biology, neuroscience, developmental biology, cell biology, or plant biology. The trap is that breadth doesn't mean low standards.
What editors look for:
- Biological insight that changes thinking. Not just new data, but data that makes people reconsider an assumption. A paper showing that a "solitary" species actually has complex social behavior changes how ecologists think. That's Current Biology material.
- Elegant experiments. Cell Press journals value clean, well-controlled experimental design. Messy datasets with complex statistical adjustments don't play well.
- Cross-disciplinary appeal. A neuroscience paper that ecologists would find interesting. An evolution paper that cell biologists would read. The editors are looking for work that crosses the usual audience boundaries.
Common desk rejection patterns:
- Papers that are strong for a subfield journal but don't have the cross-disciplinary hook. A solid study on beetle wing mechanics is great for Journal of Experimental Biology. For Current Biology, it needs to connect to a bigger question about flight evolution or biomechanics principles.
- Technical advances without biological discovery. New methods go to journals like Nature Methods.
- Papers where the conclusion is "we confirmed what was suspected." Current Biology wants surprises.
The "Dispatch" shortcut. Current Biology publishes short Dispatch commentaries (1,500-2,000 words) that summarize and contextualize recent papers. These are invited but you can pitch ideas to the editors. Getting a Dispatch published is a way to build a relationship with the editorial team that can help when you submit research articles later.
The Cell Press Editorial Machine
Current Biology is run by a team of professional editors who spend their days reading submissions, attending conferences, and following the literature. They're not working scientists juggling lab duties with editorial responsibilities. This creates a particular editorial culture:
What that means for you:
- Decisions are fast. Desk rejections come within days, not weeks. If the editors see the paper, you'll know quickly whether it's going to review.
- Editors know their domains deeply. They attend the conferences and read the preprints. If your paper is scooped or someone else published a similar finding, they'll know about it.
- The revision process is efficient. Cell Press editors typically want one round of revisions with specific, achievable requests. They don't pile on new experiments for the sake of it.
Review timeline:
- Editorial triage: 3-7 days
- External review: 3-6 weeks (2-3 reviewers)
- First decision: 4-8 weeks total
- Revision: 2-3 months typical
- Total submission to acceptance: 3-6 months
Acceptance Rate
Current Biology accepts roughly 8-12% of research articles. The desk rejection rate is around 70-75%, meaning most papers never reach peer review. For papers that do reach review, the acceptance rate is considerably higher, around 30-40%.
The practical takeaway: getting past the editorial screen is the hardest part. If the editors send your paper to reviewers, you have a realistic shot. A pre-submission inquiry can help gauge whether the editors see your topic as a fit.
The APC Factor
At $6,830, Current Biology's APC is among the most expensive in biology. That's a Cell Press pricing issue, not specific to Current Biology. Cell, Cell Reports, and other Cell Press journals charge comparable rates.
Check whether your institution has an Elsevier publishing agreement. Many do, and these can cover or subsidize the APC. Without institutional support, the cost is a real consideration, especially compared to PLOS Biology at $5,300 or eLife at $0.
When Current Biology Is the Right Target
Submit if:
- You have a biological discovery with cross-disciplinary appeal
- Your experiment is elegant and the story is clean
- You work in ecology, evolution, animal behavior, or organismal biology (areas where Current Biology is the top destination)
- You want the Cell Press editorial experience and brand
Think twice if:
- Your paper is molecular/cellular with no broader biological context (try Molecular Cell or Cell Reports)
- The $6,830 APC is prohibitive (try PLOS Biology or eLife)
- Your paper is primarily clinical or medical (try PLOS Medicine or specialty journals)
- You need an IF above 10 for career purposes (the 7.5 may not be enough at some institutions)
Practical Verdict
Current Biology at 7.5 remains a Q1 journal with one of the broadest scopes in selective biology publishing. The IF drop from 10+ to 7.5 changes the number on your CV but not the editorial quality or the reputation among biologists. For researchers in ecology, evolution, neuroscience, and organismal biology, it's still the journal many people think of first.
The Cell Press editorial infrastructure means fast decisions, efficient revisions, and a brand that's recognized globally. The APC is high, the acceptance rate is low, but when the work fits, Current Biology provides an audience that spans all of biology.
- OpenAlex - Current Biology: 25,378 works, h-index 452, 1,769,922 citations, APC $6,830
- Cell Press editorial policies - professional editor model, Dispatch format
- Current Biology author guidelines - submission categories and scope
Preparing a biology manuscript? Our AI manuscript diagnostic evaluates your paper's scope, methodology, and journal fit in about 30 minutes for $29.
Sources
- 1. Clarivate Journal Citation Reports 2024 - Current Biology: JIF 7.5, five-year JIF 9.3, Q1 Biology
Reference library
Use the core publishing datasets alongside this guide
This article answers one part of the publishing decision. The reference library covers the recurring questions that usually come next: how selective journals are, how long review takes, and what the submission requirements look like across journals.
Dataset / reference guide
Peer Review Timelines by Journal
Reference-grade journal timeline data that authors, labs, and writing centers can cite when discussing realistic review timing.
Dataset / benchmark
Biomedical Journal Acceptance Rates
A field-organized acceptance-rate guide that works as a neutral benchmark when authors are deciding how selective to target.
Reference table
Journal Submission Specs
A high-utility submission table covering word limits, figure caps, reference limits, and formatting expectations.
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