Journal decision profile

BMC Zoology

Environmental Science · Agricultural and Biological Sciences

BMC Zoology's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 1.9, ranking Q2 in Ecology and 2 other subfields. Two-year citation average from OpenAlex data, updated August 2026.

BioMed CentralUnited KingdomeISSN 2056-3132
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Bookmark this page — track observed submission-to-acceptance timing, FWCI and field-normalized citation data for this journal in one view.

Journal Metrics Score
i
Journal Metrics ScoreThe raw score is citations received in the latest complete year by works from the two previous years, divided by the number of those works. It is calculated from OpenAlex open data (CC0) and is not a percentage grade.
2026
1.9

Journal Metrics Score 2026 · 2021–2024 window citedness 2.23.

Submission-to-acceptance
i
Submission-to-acceptanceCalendar days between the received and accepted dates reported in recent PubMed records. This interval includes editorial handling and author revisions, so it is not time to first decision or pure peer-review time.
PUBMED
169 daysmedian

Middle 50%: 122–224 days

57 of 57 PubMed-indexed articles · 100% coverage · 2024–2025

Indicative APC
i
Indicative APCThis journal-level estimate comes from the OpenAlex source record. It is not a verified quote and may exclude taxes, waivers, society discounts, or article-type charges. Check the journal's official website before deciding.
OPENALEX · VERIFY
$1,890

Journal-level estimate only. Verify current charges, taxes, waivers, discounts, and article-type fees with the journal.

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Does your manuscript fit BMC Zoology?

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At a glance

Journal decision profile

Each spoke is a 0–100 percentile within a comparable journal cohort—not a percentage grade or a single black-box rating.

Relative profile

Metrics ScoreThe raw 2026 Journal Metrics Score is the recent two-year citation average shown above. The radar converts it to a 0–100 cohort percentile: farther out means a higher score than more comparable journals. It is not a percentage grade.iSource outputThe raw rank compares lifetime output inside the journal’s leading-topic source set. The radar then compares that rank position across Decision Profile journals in the same primary OpenAlex field; when that field has too few profiles, it uses the broader profile set. Farther out means relatively more output, not better research quality.iTop 10% shareThe share of recent papers in the global top 10% for citations after comparing papers of the same type, publication year, and subfield. The radar converts that share to a 0–100 cohort percentile; it does not predict how a new paper will perform.iMedian FWCICitation performance of the middle recent paper after field, year, and work type are considered. A raw FWCI of 1.0 is the expected citation level for comparable papers; the radar shows its 0–100 cohort percentile.iSubmission-to-acceptanceCalendar days from the received date to the accepted date in recent PubMed records. This includes editorial handling and author revisions, so it is not the time to first decision and not pure peer-review time. The radar uses a 0–100 cohort percentile with shorter observed timing plotted farther out; it does not measure review quality.iOutput volumeAverage works published per year in the recent analysis window, converted to a 0–100 cohort percentile. Farther out means the journal publishes more papers; it does not mean those papers are better.i
Cost is intentionally excluded. Missing APC data is never converted to a zero-dollar fee or a fabricated cost score.

Raw values behind the shape

Always visible
Metrics Score
i
Metrics ScoreThe 2026 raw Journal Metrics Score shown above. The bar is its 0–100 percentile within the radar's comparable journal cohort; it is not a percentage score.
1.92026 · OPENALEX
Source output rank
i
Source output rankThis lifetime journal-wide output rank compares works published by the OpenAlex source with sources associated with the journal’s leading topic. More output does not mean higher quality.
#1374 / 3,856LIFETIME OUTPUT
Highly cited papers
i
Highly cited papersShare of recent works in the global top 10% for citations after comparing papers of the same type, publication year, and subfield.
5.2%FIELD-NORMALIZED TOP 10%
Field-normalized impact
i
Field-normalized impactCitation performance of the middle recent paper after field, year, and work type are considered. A raw FWCI of 1.0 is the expected level for comparable work.
0.81MEDIAN FWCI
Submission-to-acceptance
i
Submission-to-acceptanceReceived-to-accepted calendar days from qualified PubMed records. It includes editorial handling and author revisions; it is not time to first decision or pure peer-review time.
169 daysIQR 122–224 DAYS
Recent output
i
Recent outputAverage works published per year across the complete analysis window. This is a volume measure, not a quality score.
39 / yr2021–2024 AVG
Field-normalized top 10% share5.2%

8 of 155 works · same type, year & subfield

Field-normalized top 1% share0%

0 works · same type, year & subfield

Median FWCI0.81×

Below field-year expectation

Source output rank#1374

of 3,856 topic-associated OpenAlex sources by lifetime output

What does Median FWCI mean?

FWCI compares papers with the same publication year, type, and field. 1.0 is the world average; above 1.0 is above expectation. This journal's median is 0.81, so its typical recent paper runs about 19% below its field benchmark.

What does Top 10% Share mean?

5.2% of recent papers rank in the global top 10% after field normalization. This is easier to compare across specialties than raw citation totals.

Publishing pattern

Publication volume and article mix

Volume is separated from citation accumulation so newer papers are not presented as weaker simply because they are newer.

Works published by year

OpenAlex source records · 2016–2025

92016
162017
122018
112019
152020
352021
612022
292023
302024
312025

Recent work-type mix

155 OpenAlex works · 2021–2024

Article97.4%
Erratum1.9%
Conference abstract0.6%
OpenAlex article is broader than “original research.” PubMed Publication Types can add case-report and clinical-study detail.
Fit signals

Topics and research coverage

OpenAlex topics show the research communities this journal serves.

Leading OpenAlex topics

2021–2024 works
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation13
Comparative Animal Anatomy Studies10
Animal Behavior and Reproduction9
Genetic diversity and population structure9
Bat Biology and Ecology Studies8
Amphibian and Reptile Biology7
Avian ecology and behavior7
Reproductive biology and impacts on aquatic species7
Fish Biology and Ecology Studies6
Physiological and biochemical adaptations6
Methodology: OpenAlex snapshot 2026-10-16. FWCI, percentile badges, topics, and type mix use 155 works published 2021–2024. Radar normalization is versioned in the cached profile, and no cost score is assigned without reliable APC data.

Subject Category Quartiles

Quartiles computed within each OpenAlex subfield
CategoryQuartile
EcologyQ2
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and SystematicsQ2
Social PsychologyQ2

Is BMC Zoology a good journal?

A solid Q2 journal by citation data

By citation data, BMC Zoology is a solid journal: it is Q2 in Ecology and 2 other subfields, the second quarter of journals by score, and ranks #1,221 of 2,727 Environmental Science journals by Journal Metrics Score (top 45%). BMC Zoology's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 1.9. Recent papers took a median of 169 days from submission to acceptance, according to PubMed dates. OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $1,890 USD. OpenAlex classifies its papers in subfields including Ecology, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, and Social Psychology, so check that your topic fits its scope.

Best quartile
Q2
Ecology
Rank in Environmental Science
#1,221 of 2,727
Top 45%
2026 Journal Metrics Score
1.9
Acceptance rate
Not published
By the journal or publisher
Submission to acceptance
169 days
Median, PubMed records
Open access fee (APC)
$1,890
OpenAlex, verify with the journal
Papers published in 2025
31
OpenAlex works

Check before you submit

  • Confirm the current article processing charge, waivers, and any institutional agreement on the journal website; the OpenAlex figure is indicative.
  • Confirm the journal is indexed where your institution or funder requires (for example Scopus or PubMed) before you submit.

Verdict from citation data only: quartile and field rank by Journal Metrics Score (OpenAlex), publisher-reported acceptance rates, and PubMed submission and acceptance dates. See how we rank journals and how to verify indexing.

Q2
Subfield Quartile
B3
CAS Block

Ranking and source check

#1,221
of 2,727 Environmental Science field journals
#284
among Q2 Environmental Science journals

Confirm the exact title and ISSNs against the publisher homepage before a high-stakes submission decision.

BMC journals compared

2026 Journal Metrics Scores for 13 of 52 BMC journals published by BioMed Central, highest score first. Each journal is scored separately; there is no combined score for the BMC family.

  1. BMC Medicine7.3Q1
  2. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making6.1Q1
  3. BMC Biology5.8Q1
  4. BMC Chemistry5.6Q1
  5. BMC Nursing5.2Q1
  6. BMC Medical Research Methodology4.9Q1
  7. BMC Biotechnology4.7Q1
  8. BMC Bioinformatics4.6Q2
  9. BMC Medical Education4.6Q1
  10. BMC Plant Biology4.6Q1
  11. BMC Psychiatry4.3Q1
  12. BMC Ecology and Evolution3.0Q1
  13. BMC Zoologythis journal1.9Q2

Journal Details

OpenAlex Works
276
H-Index
23
Fully Open Access
Yes
Recent OA Works
276
Subject Areas
EcologyEcology, Evolution, Behavior and SystematicsSocial Psychology

Source: the current OpenAlex source record. OpenAlex works can include multiple work types. Fully Open Access is a source-level flag. Recent OA Works is summed from OpenAlex's counts_by_year series (up to the latest ten years); it is not a lifetime OA percentage. Any APC shown here is an indicative OpenAlex value—verify current charges on the journal's official website.

How to submit to BMC Zoology

  1. 1

    Check the scope

    OpenAlex classifies BMC Zoology's papers in subfields including Ecology, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, and Social Psychology. Read the aims and scope page and a few recent papers close to your topic before you prepare the manuscript.

  2. 2

    Follow the author guidelines

    Article types, word and figure limits, reference style, and the required statements (data availability, ethics, conflicts of interest, author contributions) are set by the journal. Prepare the cover letter and files to match them.

    BMC Zoology homepage ↗
  3. 3

    Submit online

    Use the submit link in BMC Zoology's author guidelines; BioMed Central runs the submission site. Every author usually needs an ORCID iD, and the corresponding author needs an account on the submission site.

  4. 4

    Plan for costs

    OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $1,890 USD for this open-access journal. Check the current fee, waivers, and any institutional agreement on the journal website.

  5. 5

    Know what to expect

    Recent accepted papers took a median of 169 days from submission to acceptance, including revisions (PubMed dates). BMC Zoology does not publish an acceptance rate.

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Common questions about BMC Zoology

Is BMC Zoology a good journal?

By citation data, BMC Zoology is a solid journal: it is Q2 in Ecology and 2 other subfields, the second quarter of journals by score, and ranks #1,221 of 2,727 Environmental Science journals by Journal Metrics Score (top 45%). BMC Zoology's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 1.9. Recent papers took a median of 169 days from submission to acceptance, according to PubMed dates. OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $1,890 USD. OpenAlex classifies its papers in subfields including Ecology, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, and Social Psychology, so check that your topic fits its scope.

What is BMC Zoology's Journal Metrics Score in 2026?

BMC Zoology's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 1.9, from the August 2026 data release. The score is a two-year citation average computed from OpenAlex (CC0) data: citations received in the most recent complete year to works published in the two prior years, divided by the number of those works.

What is the acceptance rate of BMC Zoology?

We have not found an official acceptance rate published by BMC Zoology or its publisher, and Journal Metrics does not estimate one because submission counts are not public. What recent PubMed records do show is speed: accepted papers took a median of 169 days from submission to acceptance. To judge selectivity, compare BMC Zoology's quartile and score with similar journals, or ask the editorial office.

What quartile is BMC Zoology in?

BMC Zoology's best quartile is Q2. By OpenAlex subfield: Q2 in Ecology; Q2 in Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Q2 in Social Psychology. Quartiles rank journals by Journal Metrics Score within each subfield.

Is the Journal Metrics Score the same as other journal citation metrics?

No. Journal Metrics computes the score independently from OpenAlex open data. Other providers use different citation databases, document types, and counting rules, so their published figures for BMC Zoology will not match this score exactly. Compare journals using one source at a time.

How long does BMC Zoology take from submission to acceptance?

Across 57 recent PubMed records with both dates, BMC Zoology took a median of 169 days from submission to acceptance; the middle half took 122–224 days. This interval includes editorial handling and revisions, so it is not the time to a first decision.

How much does it cost to publish in BMC Zoology?

OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $1,890 USD for BMC Zoology. This journal-level estimate may exclude taxes, waivers, discounts, or article-type fees, so confirm the current charge on the journal's website.

Which journals are alternatives to BMC Zoology?

Comparable journals include Integrative Zoology, Zoology, Australian Journal of Zoology, and Canadian Journal of Zoology. Compare their scores, acceptance times, and costs in the recommended alternatives on this page before choosing where to submit.

How do I submit a paper to BMC Zoology?

Submit online through the link in BMC Zoology's author guidelines on the journal homepage. Before submitting, check the scope, follow the author guidelines for article type, length, and required statements, and prepare a cover letter. Accepted papers took a median of 169 days from submission to acceptance in recent PubMed records.

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