Is Clinical Infectious Diseases a good journal?

Clinical Infectious Diseases is a strong target for manuscripts that match its scope and pass its main editorial fit screen. Key fit signal: Present finding improving patient outcomes. Main risk: CID expects clinical significance.

What is the acceptance rate of Clinical Infectious Diseases?

Manusights has not verified a current acceptance rate for Clinical Infectious Diseases. Check the publisher source for current data; this does not mean the publisher reports none. One common reason papers fail is basic microbiology without clinical relevance.

How long does Clin. Infect. Dis. take to review?

Clinical Infectious Diseases's current journal metrics list 6 days to first decision; 39 days excluding desk rejections. Expect an editorial screen first, then manuscript preparation, then peer review.

Is Clinical Infectious Diseases peer reviewed?

Yes, Clinical Infectious Diseases is peer reviewed. Reviewers assess methods, reporting completeness, scope fit, and whether the conclusions are supported by the data.

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Journal Guide

Publishing in Clinical Infectious Diseases: Fit, Timeline & Submission Guide

Q: What does Clin. Infect. Dis. look for in submissions?

Clinical finding advancing infection diagnosis or treatment: Present finding improving patient outcomes. Better diagnostic test? Superior treatment? Prevention strategy? Show clinical impact with quantified benefits.

Q: What should I know before submitting to Clin. Infect. Dis.?

COVID-19 and emerging infection research highly competitive. Clinical research on emerging pathogens and pandemic preparedness receives strong interest.

Infectious disease: diagnosis, treatment, and epidemiology

Should you submit here?

IF 8.3 · Acceptance rate not published by the journal · 6 days to first decision; 39 days excluding desk rejectionsLast reviewed Oct 10, 20261 official · 0 estimated · 1 unverified signals

Best fit if

Present finding improving patient outcomes

Not ideal if

CID expects clinical significance

Also compare

Lancetand JAMA

8.3

Impact Factor

Not published by the journal

Acceptance Rate

6 days to first decision; 39 days excluding desk rejections

Time to First Decision

Readiness Scan

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What Clin. Infect. Dis. Publishes

Clinical Infectious Diseases published by Oxford University Press is the premier journal for clinical infectious disease research. With a 2025 JIF of 8.3 in the 2026 JCR release and Q1 ranking in Infectious Diseases, CID emphasizes rigorous clinical research on infection diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. The journal publishes research on bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections. Critically: CID values research with clear clinical relevance and patient impact. Basic microbiology without clinical context is less competitive. The journal seeks papers advancing infection treatment and management.

Bacterial infections: pneumonia, sepsis, endocarditis, meningitis
Viral infections: HIV, influenza, COVID-19, viral hepatitis
Fungal infections: invasive fungal disease, candidiasis, aspergillosis
Parasitic infections: malaria, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases
Antimicrobial resistance: resistance mechanisms, treatment strategies, surveillance
Immunocompromised hosts: HIV/AIDS, transplant, cancer patients
Infection prevention: vaccination, prophylaxis, infection control
Epidemiology: disease transmission, outbreak investigation, risk factors

Manusights editorial analysis

CID publishes clinical infectious disease advancing diagnosis and treatment. We seek rigorous studies with patient outcomes and clinical applicability.

What Clin. Infect. Dis. Editors Look For

Clinical finding advancing infection diagnosis or treatment

Present finding improving patient outcomes. Better diagnostic test? Superior treatment? Prevention strategy? Show clinical impact with quantified benefits.

Rigorous clinical data with adequate patient cohort

Sufficient patient numbers and follow-up. Case series, cohort studies, or clinical trials with proper controls.

Mechanistic understanding of infection or treatment response

Explain mechanisms. Why does treatment work? What drives antibiotic resistance? What enables pathogenesis?

Patient outcomes and real-world clinical applicability

Show how findings affect patient outcomes. What does this mean for clinical practice?

Epidemiologic or public health significance

Address broader implications for disease control and population health.

Why Papers Get Rejected

These patterns appear repeatedly in manuscripts that don't make it past Clin. Infect. Dis.'s editorial review:

Basic microbiology without clinical relevance

CID expects clinical significance. Bacterial or viral studies without patient or treatment connection insufficient.

Small case series without rigorous statistical analysis

Case series valuable but need proper analysis. Multiple patients, clear clinical outcomes, appropriate controls.

No discussion of patient outcomes or clinical implications

Connect to clinical practice. How do findings change patient management?

Inadequate follow-up or outcome documentation

Sufficient follow-up showing outcomes essential. Short-term data without long-term assessment weak.

Ignoring antimicrobial resistance or treatment feasibility

Address resistance patterns and practical treatment considerations.

Does your manuscript avoid these patterns?

The Free Readiness Scan reads your full manuscript against Clin. Infect. Dis.'s criteria and flags the specific issues most likely to cause rejection.

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Manusights submission tips for Clin. Infect. Dis.

COVID-19 and emerging infection research highly competitive

Clinical research on emerging pathogens and pandemic preparedness receives strong interest.

Antimicrobial resistance and novel antibiotics valued

Resistance mechanisms and new treatment strategies addressing resistance increasingly important.

HIV/AIDS and immunocompromised host research trending

Infection in special populations (HIV, transplant) increasingly prominent.

Real-world evidence and outcomes research gaining importance

Practical treatment outcomes in diverse patient populations increasingly valued.

Diagnostic innovation and rapid testing competitive

Faster, better, cheaper diagnostics have clinical impact.

The Clin. Infect. Dis. Submission Process

Manuscript preparation

Prep

5,000-8,000 words with 5-7 figures. Include patient cohort description, infection characterization, diagnostic or treatment data, outcomes, mechanistic discussion.

Submission via Oxford system

Day 0

Submit at https://academic.oup.com/cid/. Required: manuscript emphasizing clinical significance, figures showing patient data and outcomes.

Editorial assessment

1-2 weeks

Editor assesses clinical novelty and significance. Papers lacking clinical context face rejection. Moderate desk rejection ~25-35%.

Peer review

90-120 days

2-3 infectious disease experts assess clinical rigor, significance, and outcomes. First decision 90-120 days.

Revision and publication

Revision: 4-8 weeks

Revisions often request additional outcome data or clinical clarification. Publication 2-4 weeks after acceptance.

Clin. Infect. Dis. by the Numbers

2025 Journal Impact Factor	8.3
5-Year Impact Factor	6.8
Category Rank	8/141 (Infectious Diseases)
CiteScore	17.1
Acceptance rate	Not published by the journal
Desk rejection rate	~25-35%
Median first decision(Why Publish with Clinical Infectious Diseases (OUP), checked 2026-10-10)	6 days to first decision; 39 days excluding desk rejections
Open access option	$5,001 OA license + $125/page
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Founded	1995

Before you submit

Clin. Infect. Dis. accepts a small fraction of submissions. Make your attempt count.

Start with the Free Readiness Scan. Unlock the Full Review from $39, with local pricing shown before checkout. If you need deeper submission planning, choose the Submission-Ready Dossier. The full report is calibrated to Clin. Infect. Dis..

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Article Types

Clinical Research

5,000-8,000 words

Infectious disease research with clinical outcomes

Brief Report

2,500-4,000 words

Important clinical finding

Landmark Clin. Infect. Dis. Papers

Papers that defined fields and changed science:

Antibiotic resistance treatment (various) - multidrug-resistant infections
COVID-19 clinical trials (2020+) - pandemic therapeutics
Immunocompromised host management (various) - opportunistic infections

Preparing a Clin. Infect. Dis. Submission?

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Primary Fields

Antimicrobial ResistanceImmunocompromised HostsEmerging InfectionsTreatment OutcomesDiagnosis

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