(Latest) Cureus Impact Factor 2025

OVERVIEWAbout The Cureus Journal

Cureus Journal of Medical Science is a web-based, open-access general medical journal launched in 2009 by co-founders John R. Adler (Stanford University) and Alexander Muacevic (LMU Munich). The journal operates on a model designed to accelerate medical knowledge sharing by offering rapid, affordable peer-reviewed publication. In late 2022, Springer Nature acquired Cureus, integrating its publishing operations into one of the world’s largest academic publishers while maintaining the journal’s independent editorial workflow.

The journal publishes across all medical disciplines, including original research, review articles, clinical case reports, and technical briefs. Cureus uses a pre-publication peer review system with an optional post-publication peer review mechanism branded as “Scholarly Impact Quotient” (SIQ). All content is published under a CC-BY 4.0 open access license, ensuring free global accessibility.

METRICSCureus Impact Factor 2025

The 2024 Journal Impact Factor for Cureus is 1.3, reflecting a 30% increase from the prior 1.0 value. Both the 2-year and 5-year Impact Factors stand at 1.3. This metric was released in the June 2025 Journal Citation Reports (JCR) by Clarivate.

Important note: In October 2025, Clarivate removed Cureus from the Web of Science Master Journal List. As a result, Cureus will not receive a 2025 Impact Factor. Articles published between January 2018 and September 2024 remain indexed in Web of Science.

METRICSCureus H-Index

Cureus has accumulated over 165,000 citations across its published article portfolio. The journal’s h-index, which measures both productivity and citation impact, reflects its rapid growth in article volume and the corresponding citation footprint in the medical literature.

METRICSCureus Journal Metrics Overview

METRICSCureus CiteScore

Cureus maintains a CiteScore in the Scopus database that reflects its citation density relative to document count. CiteScore computes citations received in a given year to documents published in the preceding three years, divided by the total number of citable documents. The CiteScore for Cureus aligns with the journal’s volume-driven citation model, which produces substantial aggregate citations across its large article base.

METRICSCureus SCImago Journal Rank (SJR)

The SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) measures the scientific influence of scholarly journals by accounting for both the number of citations received and the prestige of the journals where such citations come from. Cureus’s SJR reflects its Q2 positioning in Medicine and the weight of citations received from a broad network of medical journals worldwide.

PUBLISHINGCureus Publication Fee

Cureus operates an article processing charge (APC) model to cover the costs of open-access publication. The standard APC varies by article type. The journal offers a “Pay What You Can” program that allows authors from low-resource settings to publish at reduced or zero cost; approximately 31% of articles are published for free under this initiative.

Authors should verify current APC rates on the Cureus submission portal before manuscript submission, as fees may be adjusted periodically by Springer Nature.

PUBLISHINGCureus Review Time

Cureus is structured around rapid publication timelines:

• Average time to first decision: 48 hours
• Median time to publication: 26 days

This workflow emphasizes speed through an integrated editorial management system. Peer review is conducted by invited reviewers selected by the editorial team. Authors may suggest reviewers, though this practice was restricted in 2024 following editorial integrity audits.

GUIDELINESCureus Reference Style

Cureus follows the Vancouver citation style. References should be numbered consecutively in the order they appear in the text using Arabic numerals in parentheses. The reference list should appear at the end of the manuscript with complete bibliographic details.

Authors should consult the Cureus author guidelines for specific formatting requirements, including in-text citation placement, reference list ordering, and the handling of electronic resources and DOIs.

IDENTIFIERCureus ISO 4 Abbreviation

The ISO 4 standard abbreviation for Cureus Journal of Medical Science is Cureus. This abbreviated form is used in bibliographic references, library catalogs, and citation databases.

PUBLISHINGCureus Acceptance Rate

Cureus does not publicly disclose a formal acceptance rate. The journal employs a tiered review process where manuscripts are evaluated for scientific soundness and adherence to ethical standards rather than perceived novelty or impact. The high article volume (approximately 25,000 articles in 2024) reflects an inclusive publishing philosophy that prioritizes breadth of medical knowledge sharing.

INDEXINGAbstracting and Indexing

Cureus is indexed in the following databases and platforms:

• PubMed / MEDLINE (National Library of Medicine)
• Google Scholar
• EBSCO
• ProQuest
• CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure)
• Baidu Scholar

Delisted: In October 2025, Clarivate removed Cureus from the Web of Science Master Journal List. Articles published between January 2018 and September 2024 remain indexed in Web of Science, but the journal will not receive a 2025 Impact Factor.

QUALITYEditorial Standards

Cureus requires authors to comply with reporting guidelines relevant to their study type (CONSORT for trials, PRISMA for systematic reviews, STROBE for observational studies, CARE for case reports). The journal mandates registration of clinical trials in a recognized registry before enrollment of the first participant. Authors must upload the original study protocol and statistical analysis plan as supplementary files.

Research involving human subjects requires institutional review board (IRB) approval and informed consent documentation. Animal studies require approval from an institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC). Authors must confirm adherence to the Declaration of Helsinki for human research.

SCOPESubject Scope

Cureus covers all areas of medicine, general and internal medicine, surgery, subspecialties, public health, medical education, clinical case reports, and technical innovations. The journal accepts original research articles, review articles, clinical case reports, technical briefs, and editorials.

EDITORIALEditorial Leadership

Cureus was founded by John R. Adler (Stanford University) and Alexander Muacevic (LMU Munich), who serve as co-Editors-in-Chief. The editorial board comprises physicians and researchers from over 50 countries. Reviewers are assigned based on manuscript content and are expected to complete reviews within the journal’s rapid-turnover timeframe.

CONTACTPublisher Contact Information

For manuscript inquiries, authors should use the Cureus online submission system at cureus.com. General editorial questions can be directed to the journal’s editorial office through the contact portal on the website.

ALTERNATIVESJournals with Similar Scope