What is the impact factor of Frontiers in Immunology?

Frontiers in Immunology has an impact factor of 5.9 (2024). This places it as a respected journal with Frontiers in Immunology is the largest journal in the Frontiers series and one of the most prolific immunology journals globally.

How long does Frontiers in Immunology take to review?

Frontiers in Immunology typically takes ~80 days. The full review process involves 5 main stages: section selection and submission, review editor assessment, and peer review.

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Frontiers in Immunology Impact Factor 5.9: Publishing Guide

Q: What is the acceptance rate of Frontiers in Immunology?

Frontiers in Immunology has an acceptance rate of ~40%. A common reason for rejection is assuming lower standards due to higher acceptance rate. 40% acceptance doesn't mean low quality. Frontiers maintains rigorous peer review - they just use a different model that's more collaborative and less gatekeeping than traditional journals.

Q: Is Frontiers in Immunology peer reviewed?

Yes, Frontiers in Immunology is fully peer reviewed. All submissions undergo rigorous peer review by Active researcher serves as review editor, evaluating fit and significance. May provide immediate feedback or desk rejection for clear mismatches..

Q: What does Frontiers in Immunology look for in submissions?

Clinical relevance and translational focus: Frontiers Immunology particularly values work with clear connections to human health. Mouse studies are fine, but human relevance should be evident. Clinical immunology studies perform especially well.

Q: What should I know before submitting to Frontiers in Immunology?

The collaborative review model is real. Reviewers are encouraged to suggest experiments that would strengthen papers, not just point out flaws. This makes the revision process more constructive than at traditional journals.

The largest immunology journal: where collaborative review meets clinical immunology and systematic evidence synthesis

5.9

Impact Factor (2024)

~40%

Acceptance Rate

~80 days

Time to First Decision

What Frontiers in Immunology Publishes

Frontiers in Immunology is the largest journal in the Frontiers series and one of the most prolific immunology journals globally. It's where clinical immunology meets basic research, where systematic reviews find a welcoming home, and where the collaborative review model lets active researchers shape the literature.

Clinical immunology and translational immune research
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses in immunology
Basic immunology spanning innate and adaptive immunity
Immunotherapy development and clinical applications
Autoimmunity, allergy, and immune-mediated diseases
Computational immunology and systems approaches

Editor Insight

“Frontiers works because we recognize that good science comes in many forms. Not every important finding needs to be field-shifting. Sometimes the most valuable contribution is a careful systematic review or a solid clinical study that confirms or refutes a hypothesis.”

What Frontiers in Immunology Editors Look For

Clinical relevance and translational focus

Frontiers Immunology particularly values work with clear connections to human health. Mouse studies are fine, but human relevance should be evident. Clinical immunology studies perform especially well.

Systematic reviews and evidence synthesis

Unlike many high-impact journals that avoid reviews, Frontiers actively seeks systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Well-done evidence synthesis gets the same respect as original research.

Collaborative and constructive peer review

Reviewers are encouraged to help improve papers, not just critique them. The review process aims to be educational and collaborative rather than adversarial.

Open science and reproducibility

Data sharing, transparent methods, and reproducible analyses are strongly encouraged. Frontiers pioneered many open science practices that other publishers later adopted.

Broad immunological scope

From molecular immunology to population-level immune health: the journal welcomes diverse approaches to understanding immune function and dysfunction.

Methodological rigor with practical relevance

Technical excellence matters, but so does real-world applicability. Studies that could inform clinical practice or public health policy get favorable consideration.

Why Papers Get Rejected

These patterns appear repeatedly in manuscripts that don't make it past Frontiers in Immunology's editorial review:

Assuming lower standards due to higher acceptance rate

40% acceptance doesn't mean low quality. Frontiers maintains rigorous peer review - they just use a different model that's more collaborative and less gatekeeping than traditional journals.

Poor systematic review methodology

Reviews need to follow PRISMA guidelines with clear search strategies, inclusion criteria, and quality assessment. Half-hearted literature surveys won't cut it.

Ignoring the specialty section structure

Frontiers has specific sections like Cancer Immunity, Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Disorders, etc. Choosing the wrong section delays review and may lead to desk rejection.

Weak clinical context in basic research

Even basic immunology papers benefit from discussing clinical implications. Editors and reviewers want to see the translational potential of mechanistic findings.

Inadequate statistical analysis

Frontiers reviewers pay close attention to experimental design and statistical methods. Underpowered studies or inappropriate analyses face major revision requests.

Missing ethical approvals

Any human subjects research, animal studies, or use of human samples requires clear ethical approval documentation. This gets checked early and thoroughly.

Does your manuscript avoid these patterns?

The quick diagnostic reads your full manuscript against Frontiers in Immunology's criteria and flags the specific issues most likely to cause rejection.

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Insider Tips from Frontiers in Immunology Authors

The collaborative review model is real

Reviewers are encouraged to suggest experiments that would strengthen papers, not just point out flaws. This makes the revision process more constructive than at traditional journals.

Systematic reviews are a genuine strength

Frontiers publishes more systematic reviews in immunology than any other journal. If you've done a thorough evidence synthesis, this is often the best venue for maximum visibility.

Clinical immunology papers have a fast track

Work with immediate clinical relevance - biomarker studies, treatment response predictors, immune monitoring in disease - often gets prioritized in the review process.

Review editors are active researchers

Unlike journals with professional editors, Frontiers review editors are practicing scientists. They understand the practical challenges of research and are more flexible about methodological approaches.

The Frontiers platform enhances discoverability

Frontiers' digital-first approach means better search optimization, social media integration, and reader analytics. Papers often get broader readership than at traditional journals.

Special issues offer targeted opportunities

Frontiers regularly organizes special issues on hot topics. Getting into a well-curated special issue can significantly boost citations and visibility.

Post-publication metrics are transparent

Frontiers shows download numbers, social media mentions, and reader geography. You can track your paper's impact in real time, which helps with grant reports and career advancement.

The COVID-19 fast track precedent matters

During the pandemic, Frontiers demonstrated it can move quickly when research is urgent. For time-sensitive immunology research, they've maintained expedited processes.

The Frontiers in Immunology Submission Process

Section selection and submission

Assignment to review editor within 1 week

Choose appropriate specialty section. Submit complete manuscript with clear abstract emphasizing clinical relevance or translational implications.

Review editor assessment

1-2 weeks

Active researcher serves as review editor, evaluating fit and significance. May provide immediate feedback or desk rejection for clear mismatches.

Collaborative peer review

4-6 weeks

2-3 reviewers provide constructive feedback focused on improving the manuscript. Review editor coordinates and synthesizes comments.

Revision period

Variable, typically 2-4 weeks

Authors address reviewer concerns with support from review editor. Multiple rounds possible but typically focused and productive.

Final decision and publication

~80 days total average

Accept/reject based on addressing review concerns. Accepted papers published rapidly with immediate open access.

Frontiers in Immunology by the Numbers

2024 Impact Factor(Clarivate JCR)	5.7
Submissions per year	~15,000+
Acceptance rate	~40%
Articles published per year	~6,000
Time to first decision	~80 days
Open access fee	$2,950
Review model	Collaborative, constructive
Downloads per year	25M+

Before you submit

Frontiers in Immunology accepts a small fraction of submissions. Make your attempt count.

The pre-submission diagnostic runs a live literature search, scores your manuscript section by section, and gives you a prioritized fix list calibrated to Frontiers in Immunology. ~30 minutes.

Run Free Readiness Scan See a sample report

Article Types

Original Research

12,000 words max

Primary research in all areas of immunology

Review

15,000 words max

In-depth reviews including systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Clinical Trial

12,000 words max

Clinical studies in immunology and immunotherapy

Methods

10,000 words max

New methodological approaches in immunological research

Landmark Frontiers in Immunology Papers

Papers that defined fields and changed science:

Systematic reviews of COVID-19 immune responses (2020-2021, policy-shaping evidence)
Meta-analyses of checkpoint inhibitor biomarkers (2018-2020, clinical translation)
Microbiome-immunity interactions in autoimmune disease (2019-2022, mechanistic insights)
CAR-T cell therapy complications and management (2020-2023, clinical guidance)
Long COVID immunological mechanisms (2021-2023, emerging disease understanding)

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Primary Fields

Clinical ImmunologyCancer ImmunologyAutoimmunityAllergy & AsthmaTransplantation ImmunologyVaccine DevelopmentComputational Immunology

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