Last Updated on September 1, 2026 by Dr. Bhagat
eLife does not have a 2025 Journal Impact Factor. Clarivate stopped issuing the metric after changes to the journal’s indexing eligibility. This page explains that status alongside the journal’s earlier metric history, publishing model and author guidance.
2026 data update
Journal Impact Factor year: 2025 · JCR release year: 2026 · Current JIF: N/A · Quartile: N/A
eLife journal metrics at a glance
| Metric | Current value |
|---|---|
| 2025 Journal Impact Factor | N/A |
| JCR category | No current JCR category placement for a 2025 JIF |
| JCR quartile | N/A |
| Web of Science status | Not currently eligible for a Journal Impact Factor |
| Publishing model | Fully open access with a reviewed-preprint publishing model |
| Print ISSN | 2050-084X |
| Online ISSN | 2050-084X |
Primary source: current metric and journal information were checked against eLife indexing update. Historical values are presented as a year-by-year reference and should be verified in Journal Citation Reports for formal institutional use.
About eLife
eLife publishes research across the life and biomedical sciences through a model centered on reviewed preprints, public reviews and editorial assessments. The journal is published by eLife Sciences Publications.
The title uses print ISSN 2050-084X and online ISSN 2050-084X. Matching the exact title and identifiers is important because similarly named journals can have different metrics, policies and indexing records.
What is the eLife Impact Factor in 2025?
eLife has no 2025 JIF. N/A means that Clarivate did not assign a current Journal Impact Factor; it does not mean the journal has an Impact Factor of zero.
The JIF is a journal-level citation average based on citations in the reporting year to eligible content published in the two preceding years. It should not be used as the quality score of an individual paper, author or institution.
Is eLife a Q1 journal?
No current JIF quartile should be stated for eLife. The absence of a current JIF also means older quartile labels must not be presented as though they describe the 2025 release.
Is eLife SCI or SCIE indexed?
The current Web of Science status used for this page is Not currently eligible for a Journal Impact Factor. “SCI indexed” is often used informally, but formal reporting should use the exact edition and current eligibility shown in the publisher or Clarivate record.
eLife Impact Factor trend, 2017–2025
| Impact Factor year | Journal Impact Factor |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 7.616 |
| 2018 | 7.551 |
| 2019 | 7.080 |
| 2020 | 8.140 |
| 2021 | 8.713 |
| 2022 | N/A |
| 2023 | 6.4 |
| 2024 | N/A |
| 2025 | N/A |
Years marked N/A are shown deliberately because no valid JIF was assigned for that year. They are not zero values and should not be used in trend calculations.
How to interpret the trend
Annual JIF changes can reflect shifts in article mix, citation timing, field activity and a small number of very highly cited papers. The history table is therefore descriptive. It should not be used to claim that every paper became stronger or weaker in a particular year.
For a submission decision, the better questions are whether the paper fits the journal’s scope, whether its evidence meets the editorial bar and whether the access, timing and policy requirements work for the authors.
Scope and research areas
eLife publishes research across the life and biomedical sciences through a model centered on reviewed preprints, public reviews and editorial assessments.
Authors should read several recent papers and the current aims-and-scope page before submission. A title match or high JIF alone does not establish editorial fit.
Who should consider submitting?
Authors should choose eLife for its transparent evaluation model and audience, not because of a current Journal Impact Factor, which the title no longer receives.
Practical fit checks
- State the central advance and why it matters to eLife’s readership.
- Compare the work with the closest recent papers, not only with older landmark studies.
- Make the main claim proportional to the evidence and report important limitations.
- Confirm that the selected article type matches the manuscript’s purpose and length.
- Check current data, ethics, reporting and disclosure policies before upload.
Article types
Reviewed Preprints, Versions of Record, Reviews, Tools and Resources, Insights and other eLife formats.
Article-type names, limits and required sections can change. The publisher’s live author instructions should control the final choice rather than a third-party summary.
Publishing model and fees
eLife currently uses this publishing model: Fully open access with a reviewed-preprint publishing model. Fees, taxes, waivers, institutional agreements and funder arrangements can change, so authors should obtain the current quote from the publisher before making a budget decision.
A subscription route, when offered, is not the same as a gold open-access route. Authors should check whether their funder requires immediate open access, repository deposit or a particular Creative Commons licence.
Review process and decision time
The journal uses editorial screening followed by external peer review for manuscripts selected for review. No universal decision-time claim is used here because the publisher’s current public information should control and individual manuscripts vary.
A first editorial decision is not necessarily a peer-review report. It may be a desk decision, a request for information or a decision to send the manuscript to referees.
Submission checklist
- Read the current aims, scope and article-type guidance.
- Use the exact journal title and current submission portal.
- Prepare the abstract and cover letter around the main advance and audience fit.
- Check figure, table, reference and supplementary-file requirements.
- Include funding, conflict-of-interest and author-contribution statements.
- Provide data, code and materials statements where the policy requires them.
- Verify ethics approvals, trial registration or reporting checklists when applicable.
Data, code and research integrity
Authors should make the evidence supporting the main claims traceable and reproducible. Use recognized repositories when appropriate, provide accession numbers or persistent identifiers, and explain legitimate restrictions on sensitive data.
Image preparation, statistical reporting, authorship, competing interests and related-manuscript disclosures should be checked against the publisher’s current policies. A polished submission cannot compensate for missing underlying documentation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the current eLife Impact Factor?
eLife has no 2025 Journal Impact Factor.
What quartile is eLife?
The current quartile used on this page is N/A for No current JCR category placement for a 2025 JIF.
Is eLife open access?
The current model is Fully open access with a reviewed-preprint publishing model. Check the publisher’s live options before submission.
Does a high JIF guarantee acceptance?
No. Editors evaluate novelty, evidence, significance, reporting quality and audience fit. The JIF does not predict the outcome of an individual manuscript.
Where should authors verify the latest information?
Use eLife indexing update for current journal information and Journal Citation Reports for formal JIF, category and quartile verification.
Sources and verification notes
- eLife indexing update
- Clarivate Journal Citation Reports for the current JIF, category and quartile
- Publisher author instructions for article types, policies, access options and any current charges
This page separates the 2025 metric year from the 2026 release year, avoids unsupported acceptance-rate claims and does not assign invented values to years without a JIF.
