Journal Guide
International Journal of Molecular Sciences Impact Factor 4.9: Publishing Guide
Open access molecular science across chemistry, biology, and biomedicine - inclusive and rapid publication.
4.9
Impact Factor (2024)
~30%
Acceptance Rate
~45 days to first decision
Time to First Decision
What IJMS Publishes
International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS) is a broad open-access journal covering molecular-level research across chemistry, biology, biochemistry, and related fields. Unlike closed-access journals, IJMS has more inclusive acceptance criteria, making it a good fit for solid research that may not be groundbreaking. The emphasis is on molecular mechanisms, structure-function relationships, and biochemical processes.
- Molecular mechanisms of biological processes
- Protein structure, function, and interactions
- Enzyme mechanisms and catalysis
- Gene expression and molecular regulation
- Drug targets and mechanism of action
- Natural products chemistry and bioactivity
- Molecular modeling and computational chemistry relevant to life sciences
Editor Insight
“IJMS publishes molecular science from researchers around the world. We're not chasing only blockbuster discoveries - we want solid, well-executed molecular research that adds to understanding. If you've thoroughly characterized your molecule, enzyme, or pathway, and you can explain the mechanism, we want it. Open access means your research gets read globally. The papers that do best are the ones with clear molecular mechanisms, complete characterization, and honest methodological discussion. Show us you understand your system deeply.”
What IJMS Editors Look For
Rigorous molecular-level investigation
IJMS wants papers providing mechanistic insight at the molecular level. Show how molecules interact, how proteins function, how genes are regulated. This is the core of the journal.
Complete experimental data with proper controls
Open access journals maintain high methodological standards. Your experiments need appropriate controls, replication, and statistical rigor. Sloppy experiments don't publish well.
Clear relevance to molecular biology or biochemistry
Stay within the scope - molecular-level understanding of biological systems. Work disconnected from biological relevance may be out of scope.
Comprehensive methodology descriptions
IJMS readers expect to reproduce your work. Methods must be detailed enough that someone can replicate your experiments independently.
Proper biological context when relevant
If your molecular research has implications for cells, tissues, or organisms, discuss this. Molecular findings in biological context are more interesting than isolated molecular studies.
Appropriate use of supporting information
Extended methods, additional data, chemical structures - all belong in supplementary materials. Keep main text focused on key findings.
Why Papers Get Rejected
These patterns appear repeatedly in manuscripts that don't make it past IJMS's editorial review:
Incomplete characterization of molecular species
For new compounds or modified proteins, you need thorough characterization - mass spectrometry, NMR, spectroscopy, etc. IJMS readers want to know exactly what you made.
Weak or missing controls
IJMS has high methodological standards. Without appropriate negative controls and positive controls, papers get rejected. Think through what could go wrong and control for it.
Vague mechanism proposals without evidence
If you propose a mechanism, provide evidence - kinetic data, structural studies, mutagenesis, biophysical measurements. Speculation without data doesn't cut it.
Biological relevance unclear
If you're studying a protein or pathway, explain why it matters for cells or disease. Work that's purely reductionist without biological connection is less competitive.
Insufficient statistical rigor
IJMS expects proper statistical analysis. Multiple replicates, appropriate statistical tests, and effect sizes should be reported.
Methods so specialized they're unreproducible
Your methods need to be reproducible by other labs. If they require specialized equipment or extensive troubleshooting, explain clearly how to achieve success.
Does your manuscript avoid these patterns?
The quick diagnostic reads your full manuscript against IJMS's criteria and flags the specific issues most likely to cause rejection.
Insider Tips from IJMS Authors
Open access means faster publication
IJMS publishes much faster than subscription journals. Once accepted, your paper appears online within 1-2 weeks. This speeds dissemination of research.
More accepting of diverse approaches than top journals
IJMS has ~30% acceptance rate, much higher than Nature or Cell. Solid, well-executed molecular research gets published even if not groundbreaking.
Computational studies welcome
Molecular modeling, docking studies, and computational predictions of molecular interactions are valued if rigorous and validated.
Structure-function relationships highly valued
Papers showing how molecular structure determines function - through structure-activity relationships, mutagenesis, biophysics - are competitive.
Large datasets get published efficiently
IJMS handles supplementary materials well. If you have high-throughput data, extensive structural models, or large datasets, IJMS is well-suited.
Plant and natural product chemistry welcome
Research on bioactive natural products, plant biochemistry, and phytochemistry gets strong consideration.
Interdisciplinary molecular science strong
Work bridging chemistry and biology, physics and biology, or other fields is competitive if the molecular mechanisms are well-studied.
Author comment and response visible
Unlike some journals, IJMS publishes revision responses. Being responsive to reviewer comments and transparent in revisions improves acceptance.
The IJMS Submission Process
Prepare comprehensive molecular research report
Experimental phaseWrite manuscript with complete characterization of all molecular species studied. Include detailed methods, multiple replicates, proper controls, statistical analysis, and supporting data.
Submit via MDPI Editorial Manager
Submission stepIJMS uses MDPI's platform. As open access journal, there's an article processing charge (APC) typically €2,000-2,500. Submit manuscript with abstract, keywords, figures, tables, and supporting information.
Initial editorial assessment
3-7 daysEditors review for scope fit and basic quality. Most in-scope submissions pass through to peer review. Desk rejections are relatively uncommon for open-access IJMS.
Peer review
30-45 days2 expert reviewers assess methodological rigor, molecular characterization, clarity, and relevance. IJMS reviewers are thorough but generally constructive. Emphasis on reproducibility.
Revision or decision
15-30 days for author revisionsMost papers receive minor or major revision requests. Authors revise and resubmit with detailed responses to reviewer comments. Revised papers usually don't return to original reviewers unless significant changes.
Acceptance and rapid publication
1-2 weeks to online publicationOnce accepted, manuscripts are processed rapidly. Online publication typically within 1-2 weeks. Print version (PDF) follows shortly after.
IJMS by the Numbers
| 2024 Impact Factor(Clarivate JCR 2024) | 4.9 |
| 5-Year Impact Factor | 4.6 |
| CiteScore (Scopus) | 8.2 |
| Submissions per year | ~3,000 |
| Overall acceptance rate | ~30% |
| Desk rejection rate | ~5-10% |
| Post-review acceptance | ~40-50% of reviewed manuscripts |
| Median first decision | ~45 days |
| Median acceptance to publication | ~60-75 days total |
| Founded(MDPI open access journal) | 2010 |
| Article Processing Charge(Open access fee) | €2,000-2,500 |
| ISSN | 1422-0067 |
Before you submit
IJMS 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 IJMS. ~30 minutes.
Article Types
Research Article
~5,000-8,000 wordsOriginal molecular research with complete experimental detail and data. Typically 5,000-8,000 words with figures and tables integrated.
Short Communication
~3,000 words maximumBrief reports of significant molecular findings. Faster review and publication than full articles. Good for time-sensitive discoveries.
Review Article
~7,000-10,000 wordsComprehensive surveys of molecular science topics. IJMS welcomes review submissions and often invites topics of current interest.
Landmark IJMS Papers
Papers that defined fields and changed science:
- Protein structure-function studies revealing enzyme mechanisms
- Gene expression profiling identifying molecular biomarkers
- Natural product isolation and bioactivity characterization
- Molecular targets for drug development identified through screening
- Signal transduction pathway mechanisms in cellular responses
Preparing a IJMS Submission?
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Primary Fields
Related Journal Guides
- Publishing in Science
- Publishing in Molecules
- Publishing in International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
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