Is Frontiers in Microbiology Predatory? A Practical Verdict

The journal was founded in 2010. Its field chief editor is Paul D. Cotter, who heads Food Biosciences at Teagasc and is a principal investigator with APC Microbiome Ireland. He took over in April 2022 from Martin G. Klotz (Washington State University), who served for 11 years. The journal has 17 specialty sections, each with its own section chief editor and hundreds of associate editors.

Its Impact Factor of 4.5 (up from 4.0 in 2023) ranks it Q1 in Microbiology at the 76.7th percentile. Its 5-year IF is 5.2, CiteScore is 8.2, SJR is 1.172, and h-index is 259. It is indexed in SCIE, Scopus (Q1 in Microbiology and Medical Microbiology), PubMed Central, Embase, and DOAJ. The APC is CHF 3,150 for A-type articles. Total handling time averages about 77 days.

One important distinction: Frontiers in Microbiology is in PubMed Central but is not indexed in MEDLINE. The NLM Catalog explicitly notes this. Articles appear in PubMed searches through the PMC pathway, but the journal has not passed the NLM's separate MEDLINE evaluation. For clinical microbiologists, this matters. For basic science researchers, the difference is less significant.

Annual output peaked at approximately 5,300 articles in 2022 and has since declined to the 3,500-4,000 range. The journal is large by microbiology standards (most specialty journals publish 200-500 papers per year) but smaller than MDPI mega-journals.

The structural concerns are about Frontiers' interactive review model. Published reviewer names may discourage negative assessments - your name only appears on papers you helped accept. The 7-day review deadline is tight for microbiology research involving complex experimental validation. Authors can suggest preferred associate editors, creating potential for selection bias. The system channels manuscripts toward acceptance or rejection without a traditional major-revision pathway.

The estimated ~60% acceptance rate across Frontiers journals is higher than most Q1 venues in microbiology. This combined with an APC model is the combination that makes people uncomfortable. The volume decline since 2022 may reflect tighter standards, post-COVID submission normalization, or institutional downgrades reducing submissions.

For special issues, quality depends on the guest editor. Regular submissions go through the journal's main editorial pipeline, which provides more consistent oversight. The 2025 retraction of 122 articles across five Frontiers journals showed the system can be exploited, though that manipulation ring spanned eight publishers and was not Frontiers-specific.

The better question is whether this journal is the right venue for your paper. If you need open-access publication with PubMed discoverability and a Q1 ranking in microbiology, Frontiers in Microbiology delivers that. If you need MEDLINE indexing specifically, this journal does not have it. If you could target mBio (IF 5.1, ASM society journal), Applied and Environmental Microbiology (IF 3.3, ASM), or Microbiome (IF 12.7), those venues carry different reputational signals. If your institution uses Finland's JUFO system, publication here now earns minimal credit.

Consider the section you submit to as well - the journal has 17 specialty sections, and the editors who handle your paper depend on which section you choose. Quality can vary by section.

If you decide to submit, submit to the specialty section that best matches your work - the journal has 17 sections, and the section's editors determine your reviewer pool. Expect the interactive review phase with a 7-day initial assessment window, followed by direct discussion with reviewers. If submitting to a special issue, vet the guest editor's expertise and publication record.

For researchers reading or citing papers from this journal, distinguish Frontiers in Microbiology from Frontiers as a publisher. The journal's individual metrics (IF 4.5, Q1, h-index 259) are strong. Publisher-level controversies do not automatically apply to every paper in the journal. Check whether the paper came from a regular issue or special issue, and note whether open review reports are available.

Frontiers in Microbiology is not predatory. It has real indexing, real peer review with a distinctive interactive model, a qualified editorial team, and strong citation metrics. The concerns - the interactive review model, the MEDLINE gap, Finland's downgrade, the 2017 fake review cases - are worth weighing but do not make the journal predatory. Know your institutional context, distinguish regular from special issue submissions, and evaluate whether the MEDLINE gap matters for your field.

For the full picture on Frontiers as a publisher, see our Frontiers predatory assessment. To evaluate whether your manuscript fits this journal, try a manuscript readiness check.

Publish if:

• The journal is indexed in your field's key databases
• Peers in your specific area respect publications here
• The editorial process includes genuine peer review
• Your institution's evaluation system counts this journal

Think twice if:

• Senior colleagues in your field are skeptical of this journal
• You need strong prestige signals for career advancement
• A more selective or society-backed venue would accept the same paper
• The journal's reputation could affect how your work is received