Journal decision profile

Cell Surface

Medicine · Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Cell Surface's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 5.6, ranking Q1 in Plant Science and 2 other subfields. Two-year citation average from OpenAlex data, updated August 2026.

Elsevier BVNetherlandspISSN 2468-2330eISSN 2468-2330
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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
5.6

Journal Metrics Score 2026 · 2021–2024 window citedness 6.47.

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
51 daysmedian

Middle 50%: 35–68 days

44 of 44 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
$2,530

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 Cell Surface?

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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.
5.62026 · 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.
#687 / 1,107LIFETIME 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.
32.6%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.
1.39MEDIAN 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.
51 daysIQR 35–68 DAYS
Recent output
i
Recent outputAverage works published per year across the complete analysis window. This is a volume measure, not a quality score.
22 / yr2021–2024 AVG
Field-normalized top 10% share32.6%

28 of 86 works · same type, year & subfield

Field-normalized top 1% share2.3%

2 works · same type, year & subfield

Median FWCI1.39×

Above field-year expectation

Source output rank#687

of 1,107 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 1.39, so its typical recent paper runs about 39% above its field benchmark.

What does Top 10% Share mean?

32.6% 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 · 2017–2025

22017
152018
162019
132020
222021
222022
232023
192024
272025

Recent work-type mix

86 OpenAlex works · 2021–2024

Article96.5%
Erratum2.3%
Review1.2%
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
Polysaccharides and Plant Cell Walls21
Antifungal resistance and susceptibility10
Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology9
Fungal and yeast genetics research8
Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology7
Mycobacterium research and diagnosis4
Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity3
Trypanosoma species research and implications3
Biochemical and Structural Characterization2
Escherichia coli research studies2
Methodology: OpenAlex snapshot 2026-10-23. FWCI, percentile badges, topics, and type mix use 86 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
Plant ScienceQ1
Infectious DiseasesQ1
EpidemiologyQ1

Is Cell Surface a good journal?

Yes. A Q1 journal by citation data

Yes. By citation data, Cell Surface is a strong journal: it is Q1 in Plant Science and 2 other subfields and ranks #401 of 6,272 Medicine journals by Journal Metrics Score (top 7%). Cell Surface's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 5.6. Recent papers took a median of 51 days from submission to acceptance, according to PubMed dates. OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $2,530 USD. OpenAlex classifies its papers in subfields including Plant Science, Infectious Diseases, and Epidemiology, so check that your topic fits its scope.

Best quartile
Q1
Plant Science
Rank in Medicine
#401 of 6,272
Top 7%
2026 Journal Metrics Score
5.6
Acceptance rate
Not published
By the journal or publisher
Submission to acceptance
51 days
Median, PubMed records
Open access fee (APC)
$2,530
OpenAlex, verify with the journal
Papers published in 2025
27
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.

Q1
Subfield Quartile
B4
CAS Block

Ranking and source check

#401
of 6,272 Medicine field journals
#401
among Q1 Medicine journals

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

Cell journals compared

2026 Journal Metrics Scores for all 11 Cell journals published by Elsevier BV, highest score first. Each journal is scored separately; there is no combined score for the Cell family.

  1. Cell Stem Cell18.2Q1
  2. Cell Reports Medicine11.4Q1
  3. Cell Genomics8.3Q1
  4. Cell Chemical Biology7.7Q1
  5. Cell Insight6.2Q1
  6. Cell Systems5.9Q1
  7. Cell Reports Physical Science5.8Q1
  8. Cell Surfacethis journal5.6Q1
  9. Cell Reports Sustainability4.7Q1
  10. Cell Reports Methods4.5Q1
  11. Cell Calcium3.4Q1

Journal Details

OpenAlex Works
170
H-Index
33
Fully Open Access
Yes
Recent OA Works
170
Subject Areas
Plant ScienceInfectious DiseasesEpidemiology

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 Cell Surface

  1. 1

    Check the scope

    OpenAlex classifies Cell Surface's papers in subfields including Plant Science, Infectious Diseases, and Epidemiology. 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.

    Cell Surface homepage ↗
  3. 3

    Submit through Editorial Manager

    Most Elsevier and Cell Press journals take submissions through Editorial Manager; each journal has its own site, reached from Submit your article on the journal homepage.

  4. 4

    Plan for costs

    OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $2,530 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 51 days from submission to acceptance, including revisions (PubMed dates). Cell Surface does not publish an acceptance rate.

Submission system from the publisher's author information, checked 2026-10-27. Individual journals can differ, so follow the link in the journal's own author guidelines.

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Common questions about Cell Surface

Is Cell Surface a good journal?

Yes. By citation data, Cell Surface is a strong journal: it is Q1 in Plant Science and 2 other subfields and ranks #401 of 6,272 Medicine journals by Journal Metrics Score (top 7%). Cell Surface's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 5.6. Recent papers took a median of 51 days from submission to acceptance, according to PubMed dates. OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $2,530 USD. OpenAlex classifies its papers in subfields including Plant Science, Infectious Diseases, and Epidemiology, so check that your topic fits its scope.

What is Cell Surface's Journal Metrics Score in 2026?

Cell Surface's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 5.6, 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 Cell Surface?

We have not found an official acceptance rate published by Cell Surface 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 51 days from submission to acceptance. To judge selectivity, compare Cell Surface's quartile and score with similar journals, or ask the editorial office.

What quartile is Cell Surface in?

Cell Surface's best quartile is Q1. By OpenAlex subfield: Q1 in Plant Science; Q1 in Infectious Diseases; Q1 in Epidemiology. 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 Cell Surface will not match this score exactly. Compare journals using one source at a time.

How long does Cell Surface take from submission to acceptance?

Across 44 recent PubMed records with both dates, Cell Surface took a median of 51 days from submission to acceptance; the middle half took 35–68 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 Cell Surface?

OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $2,530 USD for Cell Surface. 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 Cell Surface?

Comparable journals include Microbiological Research, Current Clinical Microbiology Reports, Mbio, and Mycology-An International Journal On Fungal Biology. 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 Cell Surface?

Most Elsevier and Cell Press journals take submissions through Editorial Manager; each journal has its own site, reached from Submit your article 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 51 days from submission to acceptance in recent PubMed records.

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