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Bio-protocol is a peer-reviewed, open-access protocol journal for the life sciences. According to its own About page, it was founded in 2011 by a group of researchers at Stanford University and is published by Bio-protocol LLC (e-ISSN 2331-8325). It publishes step-by-step experimental protocols, which addresses a common reproducibility gap: research articles often compress methods into short summaries that omit practical detail.
Protocols are the working layer beneath a published finding. Researchers reading what is biology or weighing biology vs biochemistry will meet protocol journals whenever they need to repeat a published method without re-optimizing undocumented steps.
What Is Bio-protocol?
Bio-protocol describes itself as “a peer-reviewed, open access protocol journal.” Its content is the protocol itself: a detailed account of how an experiment or analysis is carried out, written so that another laboratory can repeat it. Articles are distributed open access under a Creative Commons license, so they can be read without a subscription.
Who Runs It and What It Covers
The publisher is Bio-protocol LLC, listed in the NLM Catalog at Sunnyvale, California, with start year 2011. The journal’s site states that it is listed in Web of Science and PubMed Central, and the NLM Catalog records that it is listed in PubMed from volume 7, issue 1 (January 2017) onward, with selected citations before that date and no MEDLINE indexing. Its site also shows indexing or membership logos for Europe PMC, DOAJ, Scopus, Crossref, COPE and OASPA.
Bio-protocol also works with other journals. Its site lists collaborating journals that encourage their authors to publish step-by-step protocols in Bio-protocol, including Science, eLife, the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Cell Biology, Journal of Neuroscience, eNeuro, Molecular Biology of the Cell, Cell Research and Plant Physiology. This links a research paper to a detailed companion protocol.
How to Find and Use Protocols
The journal’s home page points readers to its published articles, its preprint repository, and pages for authors and reviewers. For the current search and submission interface, use the official site at https://bio-protocol.org/, which carries the Preparation Guidelines, the Editorial Process page and the Article Processing Charges page. Typical uses are:
- Reading a protocol when you need to repeat a published method.
- Following a link from a partner-journal paper to its companion protocol.
- Citing a protocol, which is a journal article indexed in PubMed Central.
- Posting a protocol to the Bio-protocol Preprint Repository, which the site says is free.
Strengths and Limits
Strengths
- Protocol-first format: The journal exists to publish methods rather than findings.
- Open access: Articles are free to read under a Creative Commons license.
- Indexing: Listed in PubMed Central and, from 2017, PubMed.
- Linked to research papers: Collaborating journals encourage authors to publish companion protocols.
Limits
- Article Processing Charge: The authors page states a charge of $1,200 for accepted manuscripts from academic, government or non-profit institutions and $2,000 for commercial organizations, payable at acceptance. Waivers, including partial waivers, can be requested confidentially, and the site says editorial decisions are not based on ability to pay. Check the page for current amounts.
- Not MEDLINE-indexed: The NLM Catalog states it is not currently indexed for MEDLINE.
- Published-article format: It is a journal, so articles are formal publications rather than live, editable documents. Teams that want interactive protocol tools sometimes look at protocols.io.
Alternatives
Other venues publish or host protocols in different formats. The table lists the format of each, not a ranking.
| Venue | Format |
|---|---|
| Bio-protocol | Open-access, peer-reviewed protocol journal |
| protocols.io | Online platform for creating and sharing protocols |
| Nature Protocols | Journal of peer-reviewed protocols |
| STAR Protocols | Cell Press protocol journal |
| Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) | Video journal showing experimental procedures |
| Cold Spring Harbor Protocols | Protocol journal and laboratory manual collection |
For formal study design rather than bench methods, see what is a research protocol. For funders in the biological sciences, see the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bio-protocol a peer-reviewed journal?
Yes. It describes itself as a peer-reviewed, open access protocol journal. The NLM Catalog lists it under ISSN 2331-8325 and records PubMed Central and PubMed listing.
Is Bio-protocol free to read?
Yes. Articles are distributed open access under a Creative Commons license. Authors of accepted manuscripts pay an Article Processing Charge, with waivers available on request.
How much does it cost to publish?
The authors page lists $1,200 for academic, government or non-profit institutions and $2,000 for commercial organizations, with no other publication charges. Check the page for current amounts.
How does Bio-protocol differ from protocols.io?
Bio-protocol is a journal that publishes peer-reviewed protocol articles. protocols.io is a separate online platform for creating and sharing protocols.
Which journals work with Bio-protocol?
Its site lists Science, eLife, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Cell Biology, Journal of Neuroscience, eNeuro, Molecular Biology of the Cell, Cell Research and Plant Physiology as collaborating journals.
Sources
- Bio-protocol LLC. Bio-protocol home page and About section: https://bio-protocol.org/. Checked 2026-11-07.
- Bio-protocol LLC. Article Processing Charges: https://bio-protocol.org/en/authors?type=charges. Checked 2026-11-07.
- U.S. National Library of Medicine. NLM Catalog record for Bio-protocol (NLM ID 101635102): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/101635102. Checked 2026-11-07.
