The highest IP score rests with Molecular Systems Biology. It is now back to eleven, probably since they started including reviews as well. From you title you may however fare better with a journal that is a bit more more open to methods-focused papers. BMC Systems Biology might be a bit lower in impact but is well read in the field. Submitting to Bioinformatics (5.3) might also be an option if your article fits into their strict page limits/layouts. PloS Comp Biol is at 4.9 now and is also a good target. If your study contains experimental/clinical data that is linked to your modelling definitely try to give those a go. If it is a purely theoretical study it will definitely be more difficult.

What would qualify to a "high" impact journal?

As of my opinion, you should aim at a journal that is broadly read, even if it doesn't have an impact factor that high. Possible choices are:

1) Proceedings of the royal society b :biological sciences

2) PLos Computational Biology

3) Plos One

Depending on mathematical sofistication, other jounals are available too.

These are my suggestions, hope it helps.

By the way, I'm looking for collaborators in some applied mathematics/statistics in Systems biology. Let me know if any of you are interested in Complex Networks and Data Mining.

Cheers,

Hi

Molecular Systems Biology

Impact Factor (2012): 11.3 (Thomson Reuters)

hope it helps.

The highest IP score rests with Molecular Systems Biology. It is now back to eleven, probably since they started including reviews as well. From you title you may however fare better with a journal that is a bit more more open to methods-focused papers. BMC Systems Biology might be a bit lower in impact but is well read in the field. Submitting to Bioinformatics (5.3) might also be an option if your article fits into their strict page limits/layouts. PloS Comp Biol is at 4.9 now and is also a good target. If your study contains experimental/clinical data that is linked to your modelling definitely try to give those a go. If it is a purely theoretical study it will definitely be more difficult.

You could consider Molecular Systems Biology which is a partnership between EMBO and nature Publishing Group. The journal is open access (but author supported) and has a pretty good impact factor with respect to other journals in this area.

I would agree with Molecular Systems Biology for impact factor but the current trend goes towards citations. Then you may find journals read by biologists better. Have thought about a cancer journal? If it written with focus on cancer, I suggest checking with:

Cancer Cell (12)

Lancet Oncology (7.5)

As I said, depending on how it is written you may be able to get it in. Worth writing the editor an email. Have a look on:

http://www.scimagojr.com/journalrank.php

It gives an idea on the impact versus citation for a variety of journals in a subject area. Generally clinical journals are more cited...which is not helpful for you. Also Have you thought about eLife? It is the new and upcoming thing.

http://elife.elifesciences.org/about-the-journal

All the best

Conny

Dr. Cornelia M Hooper (née Bertram)

Research Assistant Professor

Computational Biologist

Nature biotechnology also have a computer biology section. It worth a try. IF: 32.4

http://www.nature.com/nbt/authors/index.html#aims-scope

Bioinformatics, BMC bioinformatics, Molecular Systems Biology can be also good targets, as previously said.

Good luck!

Dezső

I have recently collected papers where to publish our computational biology work related to proteomics.

These are over the BMC's IF:

PlosOne: http://www.plosone.org/

FEBS Journal: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1742-4658

Journal of proteomics: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-proteomics/

Bioinformatocs (Oxford): http://bioinformatics.oxfordjournals.org/

Plos Computatinal Bilogy: http://www.ploscompbiol.org/

Nucleic Acids Research: http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/

Molecular Systems Biology: http://www.nature.com/msb/about/about_site.htm

I think the choice of which journal to submit your paper depends heavily on the subject content (main message of the paper) and your target audience. First, honestly judge your paper: is theoretical, experimental, .... both?. Is your message intended for biologists or computational biologists? .... Overall, I suppose most of the already suggested journal by the other people are appropriate. If your aiming for higher IFs then definitely Mol. Syst. Biol, PNAS, NAR, PloS Comp. Biol. might be preferred (the choice is yours). Bottom line is? first decide what message your paper contains, judge it's strength and weaknesses etc ... then choose a journal and give it a GO!

Good luck.

Jimmy

PLoS Computational Biology 4.8

Now for publishing systems biology you also have Cell Systems (http://www.cell.com/cell-systems/home) which has no IF so far but is expected to have a high impact pretty soon. Another new but promising one is Systems Biology and Applications from npj (http://www.nature.com/npjsba/).

Best luck for publishing your work

Pascale

I strongly recommend Cell Systems - I just submitted a paper there and the entire process was great. My paper's still in review - so I'm not saying this merely because my paper is/was accepted; they could still very well reject it.

It feels like you're actually dealing with humans and not just this crazy heartless machine that is the current publishing system! The staff & board of editors are very approachable, knowledgeable, and eager to give you feedback on your work - phone conversations, emails etc etc

I actually recommend avoiding Plos Comp Biology. Overall, the experience was smooth... until our paper was accepted. It took about 3 months to go online in which time we got scooped, despite our paper being accepted a full month before the other paper went online on F1000. Plos Comp Biology has one of the longest publication times of any journal apparently. 

Another option is to use the following published journal estimator which helps to you identify similar articles from your field and also the journals that fit into your criteria. The tool is very handy and also provides you full privacy and security to your data. Besides, it is updated monthly, meaning you will not miss the latest article of your interest.

http://jane.biosemantics.org/index.php

Article Jane: Suggesting Journals, Finding Experts

Journal of the Royal Society Interface also publishes cross-disciplinary studies.

http://rsif.royalsocietypublishing.org/

Editing and review service is top.

Best.

NPG Systems Biology and Applications is a relatively new journal that might really go high soon

A useful MOOC course regarding publishing in High-impact journals. Discounted course link pasted below:

https://www.udemy.com/publishing-in-impact-factor-journals-tips-and-tricks/?couponCode=ABC100

Cell Systems 2017 at 8.982