Journal decision profile

Nature Medicine

Medicine

Nature Medicine's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 30.0, ranking Q1 in Oncology and 3 other subfields. Two-year citation average from OpenAlex data, updated August 2026.

Nature PortfolioUnited StatespISSN 1078-8956eISSN 1546-170X
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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
30.0

Journal Metrics Score 2026 · 2021–2024 window citedness 29.16.

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
172 daysmedian

Middle 50%: 102–218 days

72 of 100 PubMed-indexed articles · 72% 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
$11,690

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

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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.
30.02026 · 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.
#28 / 1,450LIFETIME 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.
54%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.
5.28MEDIAN 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.
172 daysIQR 102–218 DAYS
Recent output
i
Recent outputAverage works published per year across the complete analysis window. This is a volume measure, not a quality score.
608 / yr2021–2024 AVG
Field-normalized top 10% share54%

1314 of 2,433 works · same type, year & subfield

Field-normalized top 1% share33.5%

814 works · same type, year & subfield

Median FWCI5.28×

Above field-year expectation

Source output rank#28

of 1,450 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 5.28, so its typical recent paper runs about 428% above its field benchmark.

What does Top 10% Share mean?

54% 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

3012016
2772017
3962018
4012019
5042020
5092021
5722022
6392023
7132024
7462025

Recent work-type mix

2,433 OpenAlex works · 2021–2024

Article90.9%
Erratum7.2%
Other0.9%
Letter0.3%
Review0.2%
Retraction0.2%
OpenAlex article is broader than “original research.” PubMed Publication Types can add case-report and clinical-study detail.
Fit signals

Topics and medical subject coverage

OpenAlex topics show research communities; MeSH keeps the medical taxonomy recognizable.

Major MeSH signals

PubMed-indexed works

Select a MeSH signal to see how much Nature Medicine publishes on it, from PubMed counts for the last five complete years.

Leading OpenAlex topics

2021–2024 works
SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research118
CAR-T cell therapy research88
Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers59
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education56
Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics46
Long-Term Effects of COVID-1939
Gut microbiota and health37
Diabetes Treatment and Management35
Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment33
Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy28
Methodology: OpenAlex snapshot 2026-08-12. FWCI, percentile badges, topics, and type mix use 2,433 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
OncologyQ1
Infectious DiseasesQ1
GeneticsQ1
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational HealthQ1
Q1
Subfield Quartile
B1
CAS Block

Ranking and source check

#9
of 6,272 Medicine field journals
#9
among Q1 Medicine journals

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

Nature journals compared

2026 Journal Metrics Scores for 13 of 59 Nature journals published by Nature Portfolio, highest score first. Each journal is scored separately; there is no combined score for the Nature family.

  1. Nature Reviews Microbiology32.8Q1
  2. Nature Medicinethis journal30.0Q1
  3. Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology26.5Q1
  4. Nature Reviews Cancer24.1Q1
  5. Nature18.0Q1
  6. Nature Genetics17.4Q1
  7. Nature Microbiology16.3Q1
  8. Nature Cancer16.2Q1
  9. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology14.7Q1
  10. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery13.8Q1
  11. Nature Biomedical Engineering13.3Q1
  12. Nature Reviews Endocrinology13.1Q1
  13. Nature Food12.3Q1

Journal Details

OpenAlex Works
16,643
H-Index
766
Fully Open Access
No
Recent OA Works
8,273
Subject Areas
Infectious DiseasesHealth InformaticsOncology

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.

Common questions about Nature Medicine

What is Nature Medicine's Journal Metrics Score in 2026?

Nature Medicine's 2026 Journal Metrics Score is 30.0, 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 quartile is Nature Medicine in?

Nature Medicine's best quartile is Q1. By OpenAlex subfield: Q1 in Oncology; Q1 in Infectious Diseases; Q1 in Genetics; Q1 in Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health. 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 Nature Medicine will not match this score exactly. Compare journals using one source at a time.

How long does Nature Medicine take from submission to acceptance?

Across 72 recent PubMed records with both dates, Nature Medicine took a median of 172 days from submission to acceptance; the middle half took 102–218 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 Nature Medicine?

OpenAlex lists an indicative article processing charge of $11,690 USD for Nature Medicine. 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 Nature Medicine?

Comparable journals include Cell Reports Medicine, Med, Cancer Cell, and New England Journal of Medicine. Compare their scores, acceptance times, and costs in the recommended alternatives on this page before choosing where to submit.

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