🧾 Critical Review — Folia Biologica (Prague)

Journal: Folia Biologica Publisher: First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic) ISSN: 0015-5500 Access: Open Access (CC-BY) Founded: ~1955 Website: foliabiologica.lf1.cuni.cz

• Indexed in: Web of Science (SCIE), Scopus, PubMed/MedLine, EMBASE, DOAJ
• Estimated h-index: ~36–38
• Recognized in biomedical research and academic libraries

• Time to first decision: ~7 days
• Total review process: ~30 days
• External peer review claimed, though turnaround speed raises concerns about depth

• Publication fee: €500
• Considered affordable compared to typical OA journals (€1000–3000)

• Long-standing, non-predatory journal
• Indexed in top biomedical databases
• Open access under Creative Commons license
• Rapid peer review and decision process
• Relatively low publication fees

• Modest impact factor and citation profile
• Low international prestige
• Speed may compromise rigorous review
• Past isolated editorial conflict (e.g., retracted paper in 2010 due to authorship dispute)

“Not predatory, but low impact. Compared to not publishing, yes. But there are many more reputable journals.”

— Reddit user on r/AskAcademia

Folia Biologica is a legitimate and indexed open-access journal with a long publishing history. It is best suited for:

• Regional studies
• Niche or exploratory biomedical research
• Early-career researchers needing rapid, affordable publication

Not recommended if:

• Targeting high-impact journals
• Prestige and citations are a priority
• Journal quartile matters (e.g., for grants or tenure)

Bottom line: Solid but modest. Use strategically.