🧭 Frontiers in Endocrinology
Frontiers in Endocrinology is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal launched in 2010 as part of the Frontiers Media platform. It publishes work in molecular, clinical, translational, and systems endocrinology, organized into 20+ specialty sections.
📊 Indexing and Metrics
- Indexed in: PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ
- Impact Factor (2024): ≈ 4.39
- CiteScore (Scopus): ≈ 6.1
- SJR (2024): 1.472
- Google Scholar h-index: ~83
✅ Strengths
- Mid-tier reputable journal with high visibility and citations.
- Fully open-access, improving dissemination.
- Transparent review: reviewers are named upon publication.
- Active editorial engagement across specialty sections.
⚠️ Limitations and Criticisms
- Associated with Frontiers Media, which has drawn criticism for:
- High publication volume and rapid processing.
- Previous listing in Beall’s (now defunct) list of predatory publishers (2015–2017).
- Internal conflicts in some other Frontiers journals (not this one).
- Concerns about:
- Reviewer recruitment automation, potential dilution of quality.
- Special issue inflation, guest-edited volumes with variable rigor.
🔍 Peer-Review Model
- Single-anonymized and interactive: authors see comments; reviewers and editors are named.
- Review process includes direct discussion between reviewers and editors via a collaborative platform.
- Average time from submission to acceptance: ~90 days.
- Authors may appeal decisions through structured editorial channels.
🧭 Reputation and Scientific Standing
- Considered a legitimate, mainstream journal in the field of endocrinology.
- Rated as “Pro-Science” and “Mostly Factual” by independent watchdogs.
- No major retraction scandals or misconduct history specific to this journal.
🧠 Final Verdict
'Frontiers in Endocrinology
' is a solid open-access journal for endocrine research, with competitive metrics and broad reach.- While affiliated with a publisher that has been criticized for scale and pace, the journal itself maintains standard scientific integrity.
- Suitable for well-structured original research, especially if rapid publication and open-access visibility are priorities.