Dear Desh Deepak A P Singh Chauhan

Keeping an accurate and up-to-date list is extremely hard in the ever-changing publishing world. First of all, one correction: eLife no longer has an impact factor, see for example https://retractionwatch.com/2024/11/13/elife-wont-get-an-impact-factor-says-clarivate/

Furthermore, do realize that nowadays most of the subscription-based journals are transformed to so-called hybrid journals (with the option to publish open access).

But back to your list (of exclusively open access), the following examples cross my mind:

Protein & Cell

Impact factor: 13.6

Publisher: Oxford University Press (Oxford Academic)

EMBO J

Impact factor: 9.4

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group

EMBO Reports

Impact factor: 6.5

Publisher: Nature publishing Group

Journal of Biological Chemistry

Impact factor: 4.0

Publisher: Elsevier

Keep in mind this is not intended to be complete.

Best regards.

Thank you for your insightful comment and for highlighting the complexities of maintaining an up-to-date list of open access biochemistry journals in the evolving publishing landscape. Your correction regarding eLife's impact factor status is particularly pertinent.

As of October 2024, Clarivate has removed eLife from the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), rendering it ineligible for a Journal Impact Factor (JIF) in the 2025 release. This decision stems from eLife's innovative publishing model, which decouples publication from traditional peer review validation. Instead, eLife publishes all manuscripts sent out for review, accompanied by public peer reviews and editorial assessments rating the strength of evidence and significance of findings. Clarivate expressed concerns that this model might allow the inclusion of content deemed "incomplete" or "inadequate," potentially compromising quality standards.

To maintain visibility, eLife has agreed to provide Clarivate with a curated feed excluding articles rated as "incomplete" or "inadequate." Consequently, approximately 93% of eLife's articles will continue to be indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection under the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI). However, as partially indexed journals are not eligible for a JIF, eLife will not receive one in the upcoming release. (source HKUST Library)

Despite this, eLife remains committed to its mission of promoting open science and transparent peer review. Notably, over 95% of surveyed funders and institutions continue to consider eLife publications in research evaluations, underscoring the journal's credibility and the growing recognition of alternative assessment metrics.

Your observation about the shift of many subscription-based journals to hybrid models is also accurate. This transition reflects the broader movement towards open access, offering authors more flexibility in disseminating their work.

Regarding your list of exclusively open access journals, the examples you've provided are valuable additions. It's important to note that the open access landscape is continually evolving, with new journals emerging and existing ones adapting their models. Therefore, maintaining an up-to-date list requires ongoing vigilance and collaboration within the scholarly community.

Best regards.