Journal rankings · indicator year 2020
Choose a field to open its ranking, or a journal to find its row in its subfield’s list.
Subfield ranking · 2020
Physiology journal rankings 2020
163 ranked journals · Subfield in Medicine
Physiology has 163 ranked journals in 2020. The median journal has an OJR of 0.84, below the world average of 1.00, unchanged on 2019; Q1 starts at OJR 1.45. The top three are Acta Neuropathologica, Molecular Neurodegeneration, and Current Obesity Reports.
Ranks and citation indicators: 2020. Journal access status and listed APC: source snapshot September 23, 2026.
Journals whose main subfield sits in this category and that published at least 30 citable documents (articles, reviews and conference papers) in 2017–2019, the window the 2020 score is computed on.
The OpenJournalRank Indicator (OJR) is a free, publicly available metric of a journal’s field-normalized citation impact, computed from open OpenAlex citation data. It compares citations to a journal’s papers from the previous three years with the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type, so 1.00 is the world average and values can be compared across fields. It is computed with the NCI3 method.
The middle OJR among ranked journals in this category: half score higher, half lower. 1.00 is the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type.
The dot is this category, the solid tick is the median of all ranked journals and the dashed line is the world average.
Share of ranked journals in this category that are fully open access, so every paper is free to read. Hybrid journals, which sell subscriptions and open single papers for a fee, are not counted.
Median list price of the article processing charge, in US dollars, among ranked journals in this category that list a price above zero. Journals with a listed APC of $0 and journals with no known price are left out of this median. The At a glance table below gives a second median that includes the $0 prices.
Subfields of Medicine (42)
- Surgery962
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine353
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health301
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine294
- Oncology238
- Infectious Diseases222
- Epidemiology196
- Neurology170
- Physiology163
- Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism161
- Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging160
- Psychiatry and Mental health140
Show all 42 subfields
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine123
- Ophthalmology100
- Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health100
- Dermatology93
- Hematology79
- Obstetrics and Gynecology79
- Rheumatology69
- Nephrology58
- Pharmacology53
- Complementary and alternative medicine51
- Reproductive Medicine48
- Emergency Medicine44
- Geriatrics and Gerontology39
- Otorhinolaryngology37
- Rehabilitation34
- Pathology and Forensic Medicine30
- Hepatology26
- Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine24
- Genetics22
- Immunology and Allergy22
- Urology14
- Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine13
- Gastroenterology8
- Health Informatics5
- Internal Medicine5
- Family Practice3
- Transplantation3
- Biochemistry1
- Anatomy0
- Microbiology0
163 ranked journals
Filters
Rank is the position by OJR within the list on screen; 1 is the highest. | OJR is field-normalized 3-year citation impact: 1.00 is the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type, so values compare across fields. The badge is the journal’s quartile in this list. | Citations per paper over a two-year window, counted from OpenAlex. It is not field-normalized, so compare it only between journals of the same field. ▲ or ▼ is the change from 2019. This is OpenJournalRank’s own count, not Clarivate’s Journal Impact Factor. | Citable documents (articles, reviews and conference papers) published in 2017–2019, the window the 2020 OJR is computed on. A journal needs at least 30 to be ranked. | Share of the journal’s 2017–2019 papers that are free to read in any open-access form. The green OA tag next to a title marks a fully open-access journal. | List price of the article processing charge in US dollars. “$0 listed” means the listed price is zero; a dash means no price is listed. | The line is the journal’s OJR from 2011 to 2020. | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1Acta NeuropathologicaSpringer Science+Business Media · Germany | 4.59Q1 | 14.03 0.73 up from 2019 | 415 | 87% | $4,990 | ||
2Molecular NeurodegenerationOABioMed Central · United Kingdom | 4.30Q1 | 15.92 4.84 up from 2019 | 203 | 100% | $3,090 | ||
3Current Obesity ReportsSpringer Science+Business Media · United States | 3.79Q1 | 9.19 1.39 up from 2019 | 122 | 28% | $5,790 | ||
4Journal of Cachexia Sarcopenia and MuscleOASpringer Science+Business Media · Germany | 3.15Q1 | 12.20 2.31 up from 2019 | 303 | 100% | $5,400 | ||
5Nature Reviews EndocrinologyNature Portfolio · United Kingdom | 2.62Q1 | 11.73 4.18 up from 2019 | 533 | 23% | — | ||
6MedicinesOAMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute · Switzerland | 2.44Q1 | 6.34 2.00 up from 2019 | 329 | 100% | $1,689 | ||
7Nutrition and Healthy AgingOAIOS Press · Netherlands | 2.39Q1 | 5.68 0.48 up from 2019 | 47 | 100% | — | ||
8Nutrition and DiabetesOASpringer Nature · United Kingdom | 2.31Q1 | 6.48 0.99 up from 2019 | 150 | 100% | $3,890 | ||
9PainLippincott Williams & Wilkins · Netherlands | 2.30Q1 | 6.81 1.05 up from 2019 | 915 | 60% | — | ||
10NutrientsOAMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute · Switzerland | 2.28Q1 | 7.14 1.13 up from 2019 | 6,477 | 100% | $3,499 | ||
11GeroScienceSpringer International Publishing · Switzerland | 2.26Q1 | 8.03 1.41 down from 2019 | 181 | 96% | $2,890 | ||
12American Journal of Preventive MedicineElsevier BV · Netherlands | 2.24Q1 | 5.85 0.86 up from 2019 | 918 | 64% | $3,300 | ||
13Exercise and Sport Sciences ReviewsLippincott Williams & Wilkins · United States | 2.24Q1 | 5.99 1.14 up from 2019 | 110 | 54% | — | ||
14Journal of sport and health science/Journal of Sport and Health ScienceOAElsevier BV · China | 2.15Q1 | 6.84 3.46 up from 2019 | 208 | 100% | $0 listed | ||
15Clinical NutritionElsevier BV · United Kingdom | 1.92Q1 | 6.44 1.18 up from 2019 | 1,053 | 42% | $3,320 | ||
16Current Nutrition ReportsSpringer Science+Business Media · United States | 1.89Q1 | 7.47 3.28 up from 2019 | 109 | 31% | $4,690 | ||
17PAIN ReportsOAWolters Kluwer · United States | 1.81Q1 | 4.17 1.32 down from 2019 | 205 | 100% | $2,500 | ||
18International Journal of ObesitySpringer Nature · United Kingdom | 1.79Q1 | 5.00 0.62 up from 2019 | 783 | 58% | $4,790 | ||
19Tobacco ControlBMJ · United Kingdom | 1.77Q1 | 6.31 0.72 up from 2019 | 494 | 69% | — | ||
20Addictive BehaviorsElsevier BV · Netherlands | 1.76Q1 | 4.40 0.52 up from 2019 | 1,165 | 54% | $4,450 | ||
21Advances in SimulationOABioMed Central · United Kingdom | 1.76Q1 | 3.32 0.45 down from 2019 | 78 | 100% | $2,790 | ||
22Annals of Behavioral MedicineOxford University Press · United Kingdom | 1.74Q1 | 5.40 1.75 up from 2019 | 282 | 78% | $4,433 | ||
23ObesityWiley · United States | 1.73Q1 | 4.50 0.59 up from 2019 | 853 | 67% | $4,980 | ||
24Preventive MedicineElsevier BV · Netherlands | 1.72Q1 | 4.49 0.19 up from 2019 | 978 | 60% | $3,650 | ||
25The Journals of Gerontology Series AOxford University Press · United States | 1.72Q1 | 4.76 0.02 down from 2019 | 856 | 79% | $4,408 | ||
26Journal of Asthma and AllergyOADove Medical Press · New Zealand | 1.70Q1 | 5.42 0.76 up from 2019 | 102 | 100% | $2,836 | ||
27TemperatureTaylor & Francis · United States | 1.70Q1 | 4.72 0.67 up from 2019 | 81 | 100% | — | ||
28Nutrition & MetabolismOABioMed Central · United Kingdom | 1.70Q1 | 5.28 1.12 up from 2019 | 254 | 100% | $3,590 | ||
29npj MicrogravityOANature Portfolio · United States | 1.69Q1 | 5.19 0.11 up from 2019 | 79 | 100% | $3,690 | ||
30Mechanisms of Ageing and DevelopmentElsevier BV · Netherlands | 1.63Q1 | 5.56 0.18 up from 2019 | 241 | 48% | $4,780 | ||
31Neurobiology of PainOAElsevier BV · United States | 1.59Q1 | 4.45 1.13 up from 2019 | 40 | 100% | $2,160 | ||
32Allergy Asthma and Immunology ResearchOASouth Korea | 1.58Q1 | 5.52 1.61 up from 2019 | 230 | 100% | — | ||
33Journal of Clinical Sleep MedicineAmerican Academy of Sleep Medicine · United States | 1.54Q1 | 3.68 0.16 down from 2019 | 734 | 99% | — | ||
34European Review of Aging and Physical ActivityOABioMed Central · Germany | 1.53Q1 | 5.05 1.21 up from 2019 | 62 | 100% | $3,090 | ||
35Journal of Family and Community MedicineOAMedknow · Saudi Arabia | 1.53Q1 | 3.52 1.75 up from 2019 | 94 | 100% | $200 | ||
36Preventive Medicine ReportsOAElsevier BV · United States | 1.52Q1 | 3.69 1.15 up from 2019 | 625 | 100% | $2,610 | ||
37Nutrition ReviewsOxford University Press · United Kingdom | 1.51Q1 | 6.89 0.37 down from 2019 | 259 | 53% | $4,981 | ||
38Physiology & BehaviorElsevier BV · United States | 1.50Q1 | 3.56 0.24 up from 2019 | 1,122 | 41% | $3,500 | ||
39BiogerontologySpringer Science+Business Media · Netherlands | 1.49Q1 | 4.60 0.08 up from 2019 | 172 | 25% | $4,790 | ||
40American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and MetabolismAmerican Physiological Society · United States | 1.46Q1 | 4.38 0.68 up from 2019 | 511 | 69% | — | ||
41Aging Clinical and Experimental ResearchSpringer Science+Business Media · Italy | 1.45Q1 | 3.13 0.05 up from 2019 | 718 | 43% | $4,490 | ||
42Journal of EpidemiologyOAJapan Epidemiological Association · Japan | 1.43Q2 | 2.63 1.03 down from 2019 | 310 | 100% | $1,356 | ||
43Allergology InternationalOAElsevier BV · Japan | 1.43Q2 | 3.43 0.17 down from 2019 | 333 | 100% | $2,280 | ||
44The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology In PracticeElsevier BV · Netherlands | 1.43Q2 | 4.70 0.41 up from 2019 | 1,383 | 44% | $4,000 | ||
45Nitric OxideElsevier BV · United States | 1.41Q2 | 4.72 0.95 up from 2019 | 324 | 40% | $3,400 | ||
46Brain PlasticityOAIOS Press · Netherlands | 1.40Q2 | 4.39 0.55 up from 2019 | 44 | 100% | — | ||
47NutritionElsevier BV · United States | 1.40Q2 | 4.21 1.09 up from 2019 | 761 | 26% | $3,870 | ||
48Experimental GerontologyOAElsevier BV · United States | 1.38Q2 | 4.25 0.44 up from 2019 | 797 | 36% | $3,400 | ||
49The journal of nutrition health & agingOASpringer Science+Business Media · France | 1.33Q2 | 4.63 1.48 up from 2019 | 429 | 98% | $3,450 | ||
50European Journal of Clinical NutritionSpringer Nature · United Kingdom | 1.28Q2 | 3.62 0.41 up from 2019 | 686 | 38% | $3,590 |
Subfields of Medicine, with Physiology highlighted.
- Surgery962
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine353
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health301
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine294
- Oncology238
- Infectious Diseases222
- Epidemiology196
- Neurology170
- Physiology163
- Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism161
- Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging160
- Psychiatry and Mental health140
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine123
- Ophthalmology100
- Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health100
- Dermatology93
- Hematology79
- Obstetrics and Gynecology79
- Rheumatology69
- Nephrology58
- Pharmacology53
- Complementary and alternative medicine51
- Reproductive Medicine48
- Emergency Medicine44
- Geriatrics and Gerontology39
- Otorhinolaryngology37
- Rehabilitation34
- Pathology and Forensic Medicine30
- Hepatology26
- Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine24
- Genetics22
- Immunology and Allergy22
- Urology14
- Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine13
- Gastroenterology8
- Health Informatics5
- Internal Medicine5
- Family Practice3
- Transplantation3
- Biochemistry1
- Anatomy0
- Microbiology0
Journals
Citations made in 2020. Corpus-wide, 86.1% of core-journal articles and reviews published that year have at least one matched reference; the share varies by journal and field.
53 additional Physiology journals with metrics are unranked under this release’s eligibility rules: a journal needs at least 30 citable documents in 2017–2019, at least 80% of them with a subfield, and a positive world-average expectation. Ranks are within the whole category; filters hide rows without re-ranking. OJR excludes self-citations.
At a glance
Indicator year: 2020. Publication window: 2017–2019. How these summaries are calculated
- Ranked journals
- 163
- Window papers (baseline)
- 113,571 +11.3% from indicator year 2017
- Median OJR
- 0.841 -10.5% from indicator year 2017
- Rising journals (2025)
- 9
Window papers are the baseline paper population: citable papers (articles, reviews and conference papers) from 2017–2019 in all journals of the world-average baseline, including non-core journals, counted by each paper’s own subfield. They are not the papers of the ranked journals alone.
| Measure | Year series | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranked journals | 59 | 62 | 62 | 67 | 67 | 72 | 75 | 82 | 89 | 91 | 95 | 104 | 110 | 120 | 127 | 129 | 131 | 143 | 155 | 160 | 163 | 163 | 162 | 161 | 159 | 154 | |
| Window papers (baseline) | 43,956 | 48,028 | 49,863 | 52,236 | 52,608 | 55,626 | 58,658 | 62,565 | 65,322 | 70,406 | 76,421 | 81,146 | 83,401 | 84,300 | 88,598 | 93,045 | 98,474 | 102,056 | 105,556 | 109,112 | 113,571 | 121,103 | 127,537 | 130,703 | 130,394 | 133,596 | |
| Median OJR | 0.59 | 0.63 | 0.80 | 0.71 | 0.73 | 0.74 | 0.778 | 0.781 | 0.85 | 0.91 | 0.836 | 0.90 | 0.99 | 0.943 | 0.975 | 0.970 | 0.96 | 0.940 | 0.878 | 0.837 | 0.841 | 0.89 | 0.93 | 0.884 | 0.82 | 0.87 |
How to read these rankings
- OJR, the OpenJournalRank Indicator
- A field-normalized 3-year citation impact, computed from OpenAlex with the NCI3 method. It divides the citations a journal’s papers received by the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type, so 1.00 is the world average and 2.00 means twice as many citations as expected. Because it is normalized, it can be compared across fields. Read the methodology
- Quartiles
- Q1 to Q4 split the ranked journals of the list you are viewing into four equal groups by OJR. A journal’s quartile depends on the list: the same journal can be Q1 in its subfield and Q2 among all journals.
- Impact factor (2-year)
- Citations per paper over a two-year window, counted from OpenAlex. It is easy to compare with familiar impact factors but is not field-normalized, so compare it only within a field. It is not Clarivate’s Journal Impact Factor. Why it differs from the Journal Impact Factor
- Rank ranges
- Each rank in the latest year carries a likely range from 1,000 resamples of the journal’s papers. Where two journals’ ranges overlap, the data cannot tell them apart, so treat neighbouring ranks as ties.