Measuring Research Impact and Quality: Journal Acceptance Rates

Definition: The number of manuscripts accepted for publication compared to the total number of manuscripts submitted in one year.  The exact method of calculation varies depending on the journal.

More information

• Accept me, accept me not: What do journal acceptance rates really mean?
  "Study considers what journal acceptance rates can tell a submitting author about a journal"

• How to interpret acceptance rates.

Related topics

• Impact factors
• Journal rankings

Check the publisher's website for the journal to see if the acceptance rates are listed.

• Only a small number of journals list their acceptance rates online.

E-mail the journal's editor to request the acceptance rates.

• The name of the editor should be listed on the journal website.
• In the e-mail include the reason why you are requesting acceptance rates and the years needed.
• Not all editors will provide this information.

The following link is to a page from the Health Sciences Library pertaining to journal acceptance rates in health science journals.

Content selected by
Janice Dysart
Science Librarian
(573) 882-1828
DysartJ@missouri.edu

Libguide design by Amy C. Nickless
Ellis Library Graduate Reference Assistant, 2010-2012