Ethnopharmacology Journal: Scope & Submission

An ethnopharmacology journal bridges traditional medicine and modern pharmacology by publishing peer-reviewed research on the biological efficacy, active constituents, and safety of natural remedies. Foremost among international ethnopharmacology journals is the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, the official journal of the International Society for Ethnopharmacology dedicated to verifying indigenous medicinal knowledge through rigorous chemical, pharmacological, and clinical evaluation.

For researchers reviewing literature and authors submitting manuscripts, understanding the journal’s scope, indexing records, and submission rules is essential. The journal uses a hybrid publishing model: authors can publish free of charge under standard subscription access or choose open access by paying an article processing charge (APC). This guide outlines the journal’s background, scope, database indexing, ScienceDirect search workflows, and submission procedures.

What it is

The Journal of Ethnopharmacology is an international, peer-reviewed scientific journal dedicated to the pharmacological evaluation of traditional medicines. Launched in January 1979 (Volume 1, Issue 1), the journal provides an academic forum where botany, pharmacognosy, and pharmacology meet.

The Journal of Ethnopharmacology in Scholarly Publishing

As the official organ of the International Society for Ethnopharmacology, the journal investigates biological resources used historically by human cultures, including medicinal plants, fungi, animals, and minerals. Research submitted to the journal must demonstrate a direct connection between documented traditional use and modern experimental pharmacology. Purely synthetic compounds or uncharacterized extracts lacking ethnomedical context fall outside the journal’s remit.

Across academic databases and serial registries, the journal is cataloged under standard identifiers:

• Title: Journal of Ethnopharmacology
• Standard Abbreviation (MedlineTA): J Ethnopharmacol
• Print ISSN: 0378-8741
• Electronic ISSN (eISSN): 1872-7573
• CODEN: JOETD7
• NLM Unique ID: 7903310
• First Published: January 1979

The publication is indexed in MEDLINE, PubMed, Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), Scopus, Embase, and BIOSIS Previews. Submissions undergo rigorous peer review managed by topic-specialized editors.

Who runs it and what it covers

The Journal of Ethnopharmacology is published by Elsevier (Elsevier Ireland Ltd., originally launched under the Elsevier Sequoia imprint) in cooperation with the International Society for Ethnopharmacology. Editorial direction is overseen by international Editors-in-Chief supported by associate editors across ethnobotany, pharmacology, natural products chemistry, and phytotherapy.

Aims and Editorial Scope

The journal requires multidisciplinary relevance. Experimental investigations must provide clear pharmacological or clinical insights into traditional remedies. Principal subject areas include:

• Ethnobotanical Documentation: Field research documenting traditional health systems, conducted with prior informed consent and appropriate local authorization.
• Pharmacological Validation: Bioassays examining biological mechanisms, cellular pathways, and therapeutic properties of traditional preparations.
• Phytochemical Profiling: Analytical characterization of complex extracts and identification of active secondary metabolites using chromatographic and spectroscopic methods.
• Toxicology and Safety: Assessments of acute, subchronic, and chronic toxicity and safety margins of traditional formulations.
• Clinical Studies: Controlled trials evaluating standardized formulations derived from traditional pharmacopeias.

Core Manuscript Requirements

The journal enforces strict structural guidelines across all submissions:

• Structured Abstract: Original research manuscripts require a structured abstract of at most 250 words divided into five mandatory headings: Ethnopharmacological relevance, Aim of the study, Materials and methods, Results, and Conclusions.
• Botanical Authentication: Plant species must include full scientific binomial nomenclature and authority citations. Authors must deposit voucher specimens in an established herbarium and state the accession number in the text.
• CRediT Authorship: Author contributions must be declared using the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT).
• Graphical Abstract: Submissions must include a visual summary illustrating the primary finding, excluding images of distressed animals or organs.
• Bioassay Standards: Bioactivity studies must report concentration-response curves and valid IC50 or MIC values rather than arbitrary screening concentrations.

How to search or use it

Researchers utilize the journal to retrieve peer-reviewed literature and submit original findings through official Elsevier platforms.

Searching Articles on ScienceDirect

To locate studies in the journal on ScienceDirect, follow these six steps:

1. Open Advanced Search: Go to ScienceDirect and select the Advanced Search link beside the main search bar.
2. Filter by Publication Title: In the “In this journal or book title” field, enter Journal of Ethnopharmacology.
3. Enter Query Keywords: Enter targeted search terms (such as plant botanical names or pharmacological actions) in the Keywords field using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT).
4. Select Publication Years: Specify publication year ranges to isolate historical baseline papers or recent discoveries.
5. Filter Document Types: Refine retrieved results by document type, selecting Review articles, Research articles, or Short communications.
6. Export Citations: Check desired articles and select Export to download citation records in RIS format (for Zotero or EndNote), BibTeX, or text.

To understand platform verification standards, consult our guide on whether ScienceDirect is peer-reviewed.

Submitting via Editorial Manager

Authors submit manuscripts via Editorial Manager using seven steps:

1. Select Article Type: Access the Editorial Manager portal and choose the appropriate manuscript category.
2. Upload Files: Upload the manuscript text, high-resolution figures, tables, graphical abstract, and supplementary datasets.
3. Input Metadata: Enter the article title, short running title, and the five-part structured abstract.
4. Enter Author Details: Provide author names, institutional affiliations, ORCID identifiers, and assigned CRediT contribution roles.
5. Suggest Reviewers: Submit names and verified institutional emails for independent expert reviewers, and note any opposed reviewers.
6. Complete Declarations: Complete statements for ethics approvals, Nagoya Protocol compliance, data availability, and conflicts of interest. Authors can also review Elsevier peer review workflows.
7. Build and Approve Proof: Generate the merged PDF submission proof, inspect formatting, and approve the submission for editorial review.

Strengths and limits

Evaluating the journal requires weighing its reach against editorial constraints.

Strengths

• Pioneering Reputation: Published continuously since 1979, the journal remains the benchmark international forum for ethnopharmacology.
• Comprehensive Indexing: Full coverage in MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, and SCIE provides global visibility.
• Zero-Cost Publishing Option: The subscription publishing route requires no author fees, ensuring accessibility without grant funding.
• Taxonomic Rigor: Mandatory voucher specimen deposition ensures high botanical verification and reproducibility.

Limits

• Strict Scope Boundaries: Manuscripts without verified traditional medical context or lacking quantitative bioassays are desk-rejected without external review.
• Rigid Abstract Format: The mandatory five-heading structured abstract requires careful adaptation before submission.
• Open Access Fees: Gold Open Access requires an article processing charge (APC) exceeding $3,500 USD for authors without institutional transformative agreements.

Alternatives

Authors can compare the Journal of Ethnopharmacology with related periodicals in natural products research:

Journal Name	NLM Abbreviation	ISSN (Print / Electronic)	Publisher & Society	Core Scope Focus
Journal of Ethnopharmacology	J Ethnopharmacol	0378-8741 / 1872-7573	Elsevier / International Society for Ethnopharmacology	Pharmacological validation of traditional and indigenous remedies linked to documented cultural use
Journal of Natural Products	J Nat Prod	0163-3864 / 1520-6025	American Chemical Society / American Society of Pharmacognosy	Isolation, structure elucidation, biosynthesis, and secondary metabolites of natural origin
Phytomedicine	Phytomedicine	0944-7113 / 1618-095X	Elsevier / Urban & Fischer Verlag	Phytotherapy, standardized plant extracts, clinical efficacy trials, and molecular mechanisms
Planta Medica	Planta Med	0032-0943 / 1439-0221	Thieme / Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research	Medicinal plants, natural product chemistry, biological screening, and herbal drug standardization
Frontiers in Pharmacology (Ethnopharmacology Section)	Front Pharmacol	1663-9812 (Electronic)	Frontiers Media	Gold open-access coverage of traditional formulations, pharmacological targets, and botanical drugs

For papers emphasizing compound isolation and chemical structure determination over traditional context, authors frequently consult our Journal of Natural Products guide.

FAQ

What is the official abbreviation and ISSN for the Journal of Ethnopharmacology?

The MEDLINE title abbreviation is J Ethnopharmacol. Its print ISSN is 0378-8741, electronic ISSN (eISSN) is 1872-7573, CODEN is JOETD7, and NLM Unique ID is 7903310.

Is the Journal of Ethnopharmacology indexed in MEDLINE and PubMed?

Yes. The journal is indexed in MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science (SCIE), Scopus, Embase, and BIOSIS Previews, with indexing dating back to its first volume in 1979.

Does the Journal of Ethnopharmacology charge author submission fees?

No. The journal charges no submission fees or page charges for traditional subscription publishing. Gold Open Access is optional and requires an article processing charge.

What are the five mandatory headings for a Journal of Ethnopharmacology abstract?

Original research abstracts cannot exceed 250 words and must include five structured headings: Ethnopharmacological relevance, Aim of the study, Materials and methods, Results, and Conclusions.

How do other ethnopharmacology journals compare in scope?

While the Journal of Ethnopharmacology requires an explicit connection to documented traditional use, related periodicals such as the Journal of Natural Products focus on chemical isolation and structure elucidation, and Phytomedicine emphasizes clinical phytotherapy.

Sources

• National Library of Medicine. “Journal of ethnopharmacology” (NLM Unique ID: 7903310). NLM Catalog. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/7903310 (read 2026-11-11).
• Elsevier. “Journal of Ethnopharmacology: Guide for Authors and Overview.” ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-ethnopharmacology (read 2026-11-11).
• International Society for Ethnopharmacology. “Official Journal: Journal of Ethnopharmacology.” https://www.ethnopharmacology.org (read 2026-11-11).
• Editorial Manager. “Journal of Ethnopharmacology Online Submission System.” https://www.editorialmanager.com/jethno/default2.aspx (read 2026-11-11).
• ScienceDirect. “ScienceDirect Advanced Search Guide.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/search/advanced (read 2026-11-11).
• National Library of Medicine. “Journal of natural products” (NLM ID: 7906882); “Phytomedicine” (NLM ID: 9438794); “Planta medica” (NLM ID: 66751); “Frontiers in pharmacology” (NLM ID: 101548923). NLM Catalog. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog (read 2026-11-11).