Heliyon has emerged as a prominent multidisciplinary open-access journal, catering to a diverse spectrum of research fields—from life and physical sciences to social sciences and engineering.
In this guide, we provide a comprehensive, 2025‑updated overview of Heliyon’s Impact Factor, CiteScore, indexing credentials, publication timelines, and article processing charges, helping scholars make an informed decision about submitting their work.
| Impact Metrics Snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Latest Reported Value |
| Impact Factor (IF) | 3.6 (2025, Clarivate) |
| 5-Year Impact Factor | ~ 3.9 |
| CiteScore | 4.1 |
| SJR (SCImago Journal Rank) | ~ 0.644 (2024) |
| SNIP (Source Normalized Impact per Paper) | ~ 1.123 (2024) |
Recommended for authors who:
Seek a mid-tier, Scopus-indexed journal for broad visibility
Can accommodate the APC for open-access publishing
Prefer a multidisciplinary platform to reach diverse audiences
Not recommended for authors who:
Require Q1 or top-tier journals for recognition
Expect very fast publication timelines (<60 days)
We are working with a limited budget
| Impact Factor Trend | |
|---|---|
| Year | Impact Factor (2‑yr) / Score* |
| 2025 | 3.6 |
| 2024 | ~ 4.3 – 4.32 |
| 2023 | ~ 4.0 |
| 2022 | ~ 4.45 |
Heliyon has maintained a solid citation performance over recent years with its factor generally ranging around 4.0. The latest figure of ~3.6 reflects steady visibility and ongoing scholarly impact.
Heliyon is indexed in several major academic databases, which enhances its credibility and visibility:
Scopus — It provides global academic exposure, making articles easily discoverable by researchers worldwide.
DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals) — It confirms the journal’s open-access status and ensures free, ethical access to its publications.
SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) — It reflects the journal’s prestige and influence within the scholarly community.
SNIP (Source Normalised Impact Per Paper) — It measures contextual citation impact, allowing comparisons across different research fields.
These indexings collectively make Heliyon a reputable and legitimate choice for academic publishing, ensuring that published work reaches a wide audience and maintains scholarly recognition.
In order for complete publication, it is necessarily needed an average time of 165 days to publish it.
Typical Workflow:
Editorial Screening: 1-2 weeks
Peer review: 6-8 weeks
Revision & Acceptance: 4-6 weeks
Production: 2-4 weeks
Realistic expectation: ~5-7 months from submission to publication
Acceptance Rate
Estimated Acceptance Rate is 25-35%
Moderately competitive with standard peer-review rigour and variable processing timelines.
APC: USD 2,270 (excluding taxes)
Additional costs may include:
VAT/GST ,depending on your country
Optional language editing
APC is relatively high; recommended if broad open-access visibility is important.
Who should Submit
PhD scholars seeking moderate impact with broad interdisciplinary visibility
Researchers working on cross-disciplinary or applied research that may not fit narrowly defined journals
Authors prioritizing sound methodology and dissemination over high-impact novelty
Who Should Avoid It
Scholars targeting strict Q1/Q2 journals with high selectivity
Authors with limited funding, as Heliyon’s APC may be a constraint
Researchers whose work requires highly specialized or niche journal audiences
Heliyon is a multidisciplinary, impact-factor journal that prioritizes scientific soundness, ethical compliance, and clear presentation over novelty alone. While many submissions are rejected, this is often due to formatting issues, weak alignment with the journal’s scope, or failure to meet editorial and reporting standards rather than poor research quality. Authors who understand Heliyon’s impact metrics, review criteria, and submission expectations significantly improve their chances of successful publication.
If you need guidance navigating Heliyon’s submission and review standards, our team supports authors in preparing manuscripts that meet the journal’s expectations.