Is Frontiers in Immunology Indexed in PubMed? Yes, but MEDLINE Starts Later
Frontiers in Immunology is indexed in PubMed and currently indexed for MEDLINE, but the NLM record shows PubMed coverage from 2010 and MEDLINE beginning later in 2018.
Associate Professor, Clinical Medicine & Public Health
Author context
Specializes in clinical and epidemiological research publishing, with direct experience preparing manuscripts for NEJM, JAMA, BMJ, and The Lancet.
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Quick answer: yes. Frontiers in Immunology is indexed in PubMed, and the NLM Catalog shows that it is currently indexed for MEDLINE.
Direct answer
If you publish in Frontiers in Immunology, the article is discoverable in PubMed and the journal is currently inside the MEDLINE system.
The key nuance is that the dates are not identical:
- publication start year: 2010
- PubMed coverage from volume 1 (2010)
- MEDLINE coverage from volume 9 (2018)
- MEDLINE status: Currently indexed for MEDLINE
- PubMed Central coverage is also listed
That means the journal is real, visible, and actively indexed, but the MEDLINE line began later than the PubMed line.
Why this matters for Frontiers in Immunology
Many authors ask this question because they are really asking whether the journal is integrated into the biomedical literature system in a credible way.
The indexing answer is yes. Papers are visible in PubMed, the journal is currently indexed for MEDLINE, and PMC coverage is present.
What the indexing record does not answer is whether the journal's editorial model, section structure, and selectivity are the right fit for your manuscript.
PubMed versus MEDLINE versus PMC
For this journal, the distinction matters:
- PubMed means papers have been visible in the search system since 2010.
- MEDLINE means the journal is now inside the curated NLM journal index, but that line begins later in 2018.
- PubMed Central matters because the journal is open access and full-text visibility is part of how papers circulate.
That is a stronger and more useful answer than a generic "yes, it is indexed."
What indexing does and does not tell you
This page answers the discoverability question. It does not answer whether Frontiers in Immunology is the right strategic venue for your paper.
Indexing tells you the published article will be visible. It does not tell you whether you want a broad, section-based, high-volume OA immunology journal or a different kind of title.
That is why the better next reads are:
- Is Frontiers in Immunology a good journal?
- Frontiers in Immunology submission guide
- Frontiers in Immunology submission process
- Frontiers in Immunology acceptance rate
Practical verdict
Yes, Frontiers in Immunology is indexed in PubMed and currently indexed for MEDLINE, with the important nuance that PubMed coverage begins in 2010 while MEDLINE begins later in 2018.
If your question is whether a published paper will be visible in the biomedical search workflow, the answer is yes. If your real question is whether the journal’s model is the right one for your manuscript, that is the harder fit call. A free Manusights scan is useful if you want that judgment before submission.
Sources
- 1. Frontiers in Immunology NLM Catalog record, NLM.
- 2. NLM Catalog help: current indexing status, NLM.
- 3. Frontiers in Immunology journal page, Frontiers.
- 4. Frontiers in Immunology author guidelines, Frontiers.
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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