Journal of Experimental Botany

Journal of Experimental Botany
Title	Journal of Experimental Botany
Discipline	Plant biology
Abbreviation	J. Exp. Bot.
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Country	United Kingdom
Frequency	Monthly
History	1950–present
Openaccess	Hybrid

Journal of Experimental Botany is a peer‑reviewed scientific periodical focusing on experimental studies in plant science. The journal publishes original research, reviews, and commentaries that address physiological, molecular, genetic, and ecological aspects of plants. It serves communities linked to institutions such as the Royal Society, Oxford University Press, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, and networks including the European Molecular Biology Organization and the American Society of Plant Biologists.

History

The title was established in the mid‑20th century amid expansions in postwar research associated with universities such as University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of California, Berkeley, Trinity College, Cambridge, and research institutes like the John Innes Centre and the Rothamsted Research. Early editorial leadership drew contributors from laboratories affiliated with Imperial College London, Max Planck Society, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Salk Institute, and Wageningen University. The journal evolved alongside major initiatives such as the Green Revolution, collaborations with funding bodies including the Wellcome Trust and the European Research Council, and international conferences hosted by organizations like the International Botanical Congress and the Society for Experimental Biology.

Scope and content

Scope covers experimental plant biology topics that intersect with programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Harvard University, ETH Zurich, and California Institute of Technology. Content types include original research articles, reviews, methodological reports, and opinion pieces by scholars from centers such as the Australian National University, University of Tokyo, Peking University, Indian Institute of Science, and University of São Paulo. Typical subject matter links to studies in physiology from laboratories at University of Edinburgh and University of Manchester, molecular genetics tied to work at Broad Institute and Whitehead Institute, and ecological genetics overlapping with efforts at Smithsonian Institution and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Abstracting and indexing

The journal is indexed in major databases and services connected to publishers and institutions such as Clarivate, Scopus, PubMed Central, Web of Science, and MEDLINE. Abstracting and indexing facilitate discovery by researchers at organizations like Google Scholar, CrossRef, ResearchGate, ORCID, and university libraries including Bodleian Library and Library of Congress. Coverage supports citation tracking used by consortia such as the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers and metrics compiled by the Institute for Scientific Information.

Editorial board and peer review

Editorial governance has traditionally featured editors and board members drawn from departments at University of California, Davis, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of British Columbia. Peer review practices align with standards promoted by bodies such as the Committee on Publication Ethics, the World Association of Medical Editors, and the Council of Science Editors. The process engages associate editors and reviewers affiliated with research centers like National Institute of Agricultural Botany, INRAE, CSIRO, Helmholtz Association, and CERN‑linked bioinformatics groups.

Publication format and access

Published monthly by Oxford University Press, the journal offers hybrid access models aligning with initiatives by funders including the Wellcome Trust, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the European Commission. Formats include print runs distributed to institutions such as the Natural History Museum, London and digital editions accessible through platforms used by JSTOR, Project MUSE, and university consortia like the Committee on Institutional Cooperation. Supplementary materials and data deposition often reference repositories such as GenBank, Protein Data Bank, ArrayExpress, and Dryad.

Impact and reception

The publication has influenced research agendas across programs at International Rice Research Institute, CIMMYT, World Agroforestry Centre, and agricultural departments at Iowa State University and University of Minnesota. Citation metrics reported by services linked to Clarivate Analytics and Elsevier reflect its standing in plant sciences alongside other journals from publishers including Springer Nature and Wiley. The journal’s role in debates on topics discussed at forums like the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has been noted by commentators from institutions such as Royal Society of London and National Academy of Sciences.

Notable articles and contributions

Noteworthy contributions have included landmark studies by researchers associated with Nobel Prize‑winning laboratories and groups from Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Institut Pasteur, Columbia University, Princeton University, and University of Chicago. Influential papers have addressed mechanisms originally explored in contexts of the Green Revolution, signaling pathways investigated at Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and genome analyses paralleling projects like the Human Genome Project and Arabidopsis thaliana genome initiatives hosted by The Arabidopsis Information Resource. The journal has published work that informed plant breeding programs at Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and biotechnological applications developed in partnerships with DuPont and Syngenta.

Category:Botany journals Category:Oxford University Press academic journals