Last Updated on August 21, 2026 by Dr. Bhagat
Updated August 2026. Scientific Reports has a 2025 Journal Impact Factor of 4.9 in the 2026 Journal Citation Reports cycle. It is a Q1 Multidisciplinary Sciences journal indexed in SCIE. This page combines the corrected 2017–2025 JIF history with current publisher metrics, scope, peer-review criteria, open-access fees and submission guidance.
Scientific Reports metrics at a glance
| 2025 Journal Impact Factor | 4.9 |
| Five-year Journal Impact Factor | 4.8 |
| JCR category / quartile | Multidisciplinary Sciences / Q1 |
| Web of Science edition | Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) |
| Total citations in 2025 | 1,061,414 |
| Immediacy Index | 1.2 |
| Eigenfactor Score | 0.91446 |
| Article Influence Score | 1.005 |
| SNIP | 1.339 |
| SJR | 0.893 |
| Publishing model | Fully open access |
| Current APC | £2,290 / US$2,850 / €2,490, before applicable taxes |
| Online ISSN | 2045-2322 |
Nature Portfolio reports that Scientific Reports was the second most-cited journal in the world in 2025. That reflects the journal’s large multidisciplinary output and reach; it should not be interpreted as a ranking of every individual article.
What is the Scientific Reports Impact Factor for 2025?
The 2025 Journal Impact Factor is 4.9, while the five-year JIF is 4.8. The current value is labelled by the citation year and was released in the following year’s JCR cycle. A JIF is a journal-level citation ratio, not an acceptance score or a prediction of how often one paper will be cited.
Scientific Reports Impact Factor history, 2017–2025
| Impact Factor year | Journal Impact Factor |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 4.122 |
| 2018 | 4.011 |
| 2019 | 3.998 |
| 2020 | 4.380 |
| 2021 | 4.996 |
| 2022 | 4.6 |
| 2023 | 3.8 |
| 2024 | 3.9 |
| 2025 | 4.9 |
The history shows a relatively stable range, with an increase from 3.9 in 2024 to 4.9 in 2025. Annual changes can reflect citation-window effects, publication volume and field-wide patterns. They should not be used alone to judge editorial quality.
About Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports is a multidisciplinary, fully open-access Nature Portfolio journal. It publishes research from the natural sciences, psychology, medicine and engineering. Its editorial criterion emphasizes technically sound, scientifically valid research rather than a prediction of broad impact or perceived importance.
- Physical sciences, mathematics and computing
- Earth, environmental and planetary sciences
- Biological and biomedical sciences
- Clinical and health research within the journal’s policies
- Psychology and behavioural research
- Engineering, materials and applied sciences
Q1 status and indexing
Scientific Reports is Q1 in the Multidisciplinary Sciences category and indexed in SCIE. The publisher also lists coverage in PubMed, PubMed Central, Scopus, Dimensions, Google Scholar and the Directory of Open Access Journals. Indexing supports discovery but does not guarantee the quality or citation performance of an individual paper.
Editorial process and review criteria
After an initial quality check, a suitable manuscript is assigned to an Editorial Board Member. The journal states that papers are usually evaluated by two or three independent reviewers. Editors consider whether the work is scientifically valid, methodologically sound, appropriately analysed and supported by the data.
The journal aims to provide a first decision within 45 days, but this is a target rather than a guarantee. Reviewer availability, technical complexity, ethics checks and author revision time can extend the process.
Open access and APC
All Scientific Reports articles are freely available immediately after publication. The current APC is £2,290, US$2,850 or €2,490, before VAT or local taxes. The applicable price is determined by the acceptance date. Institutional agreements, funder support, country-based waivers or discretionary assistance may affect the final amount.
Authors who need a waiver or discount should follow the publisher’s instructions at submission; the official page notes that late requests may not be considered. Payment is separate from editorial decision-making.
How to prepare a strong submission
- Confirm that the research question is within the journal’s current scope.
- Provide sufficient methodological detail, controls and transparent statistical analysis.
- Ensure every conclusion is supported by the presented data without overstating significance.
- Include ethics approvals, consent statements and trial registration where relevant.
- Prepare data-availability and code-availability statements and deposit reusable outputs when appropriate.
- Check image integrity, reporting guidelines, authorship, competing interests and permissions.
- Verify the current APC and any institutional open-access agreement before submission.
Scientific Reports acceptance rate
The journal does not present a single dependable current acceptance-rate percentage on its public metrics page. This guide therefore does not repeat unofficial estimates. A manuscript’s prospects depend on scope, technical validity, reporting quality, ethics and the ability to address reviewer concerns.
Who should consider Scientific Reports?
The journal can suit rigorous studies that make a clear contribution and are supported by reproducible evidence, even when the work is not framed as a field-changing conceptual breakthrough. Authors should still compare their manuscript with recent papers in the relevant subject section and read the current editorial policies.
Frequently asked questions
What is the current Scientific Reports Impact Factor?
The 2025 JIF is 4.9 in the 2026 JCR release.
Is Scientific Reports Q1?
Yes, it is Q1 in Multidisciplinary Sciences.
Is Scientific Reports open access?
Yes. It is fully open access and charges an APC for accepted articles, subject to agreements and waivers.
Does the journal require exceptional perceived impact?
No. Its stated assessment emphasizes scientific validity and technical soundness rather than perceived significance.
Sources and data notes
- Scientific Reports journal information and metrics
- Official editorial process
- Official open-access fees and funding
- Official author instructions
- Clarivate Journal Citation Reports
Data checked: 22 August 2026. Fees and policies can change; verify the official pages before submission.
