Authors
Journal publishing statistics
We emphasise that different journals provide different services to their communities, and we caution against comparing the publishing statistics of journals without considering the broad roles that the journals play in their communities. For example, the time required for expert review can be far longer in some subjects than in others, and journals that aim to identify the most significant new advances in a field will have notably different statistics from a journal that aims to rapidly publish all technically competent research.
If you have any questions about the metrics described on this page, please contact openresearch@cambridge.org .
Editorial decision making
While we endeavour to provide editorial decision-making statistics for all the journals we publish, this is not always possible. One reason statistics may not be available is if a journal does not conduct its editorial activities in an online editorial management system, or in another manner that allows us to collect the data necessary to calculate these statistics. Statistics also may not be available for journals that have recently moved to Cambridge University Press, where we do not have access to all the journal's relevant historical data.
Statistic terminology with definitions and notes can be explored below:
In a given calendar year, the percentage of final editorial decisions that were ‘accept’, as opposed to ‘reject’ or ‘withdrawn’.
We count final decisions in a given year, irrespective of when the submission was originally made. We do not count decisions on submissions that were not complete. If a submission undergoes multiple rounds of evaluation, we only count the final decision.
In a given calendar year, the percentage of final editorial decisions that were ‘reject’, as opposed to ‘accept’ or ‘withdrawn’.
We count final decisions in a given year, irrespective of when the submission was originally made. We do not count decisions on submissions that were not complete. If a submission undergoes multiple rounds of evaluation, we only count the final decision.
In a given calendar year, the median number of expert reviews received per research article that undergoes peer review.
We count all the distinct reviews received, including from the same reviewer where more than one round of review was requested.
The median number of calendar days from a completed submission date to the date when, in the given calendar year, an editor takes a decision to reject the manuscript or send it to peer review.
By ‘completed submission date’, we mean the date that an author first approved their article for editorial consideration. Some journal submission systems conduct initial technical checks that may identify problems with submissions and require authors to complete or correct them before allowing the author to submit the article for editorial consideration.
The median number of calendar days between an editor deciding to send an article to peer review, and the decision to accept the article, require revisions, or to decline the article.
This statistic only applies to submissions that were sent to peer review.
Article publication times
While we endeavour to provide article publication times for all the journals we publish, this is not always possible. In particular, statistics may not be available for journals that have recently moved to Cambridge University Press, where we do not have access to all the journal's relevant historical data.
Statistic terminology with definitions and notes can be explored below:
The median number of calendar days from a completed submission date to the date when, in the given calendar year, the article is passed to the production team for publication.
By ‘completed submission date’, we mean the date that an author first approved their article for editorial consideration (see also Average time to first decision without review, above). Between submission and acceptance, articles can undergo one or more rounds of consideration by the journal editorial team, peer review, and author consideration or revision. The amount of time a given article spends in each step can vary greatly between journals and between articles within a journal.
The median number of calendar days from the date an article is passed to the journal production team to the date when, in the given calendar year, the article first appears online with a DOI.
For most journals, the article that first appears online is the final published version. This includes FirstView articles that have not yet been formally assigned to a journal issue. For some other journals, the accepted manuscript is published online on the journal’s website before the final published version.
Article counts
In order to reduce subscription prices in line with the transition to open access, we use article counts to determine the extent to which journal volumes are becoming open access. We count articles based on when they are published in journal volumes, rather than when they are first published online, because subscribers pay to access journal volumes irrespective of when articles are published online. Subscription price changes for our journals are calculated as described by our transparent journal pricing policy.
We also provide annual data to cOAltion S as a part of the Plan S Transformative Journals programme. Please see our Transformative Journals page for more information and to download the data we provide to cOAlition S.
Further notes on article counts:
- For newly-launched journals, article counts for the previous calendar year will be zero.
- In some cases journals that do not generally offer an option to publish Gold Open Access will have a small number of Gold Open Access articles, for example when exceptions are made for research that is strongly in the public interest.
Statistic terminology with definitions and notes can be explored below:
The number of articles published in the last calendar year’s journal volume(s).
This count is based on when articles are published in a journal volume rather than when they first appear online.
The number of articles published in the last calendar year’s journal volume(s) as Gold Open Access.
This count is based on when articles are published in a journal volume rather than when they first appear online.
The number of articles published in the last calendar year’s journal volume(s) which were not supported by an APC.
This count includes articles that were published as Gold Open Access but for which no APC was paid, for example because a waiver was applied.