Cureus Impact Factor: What Authors Need to Know in 2026

Quick Answer: What Is the Cureus Impact Factor?

The last valid Journal Impact Factor publicly reported by Cureus is 1.3 for the 2024 JCR cycle. Cureus also reported a 2024 five-year impact factor of 1.3. The journal’s own October 2025 notice says it is no longer indexed in Web of Science and will not receive a 2025 JIF in the June 2026 release.

This distinction matters because a Journal Impact Factor is tied to a specific reporting year and to Web of Science eligibility. A journal can continue publishing, remain discoverable in other databases, and retain older indexed records even when it no longer receives a new JIF.

Before submitting, verify the journal’s live status in the Clarivate Master Journal List, review the Cureus Web of Science update, and check whether your university, employer, residency program, funder, or promotion committee requires a journal to be currently indexed in a particular database.

Key Takeaways

• Cureus reported a 2024 two-year Journal Impact Factor of 1.3 and a 2024 five-year impact factor of 1.3.
• Cureus says it was removed from Web of Science effective 27 October 2025.
• The journal will not receive a 2025 JIF in the June 2026 Journal Citation Reports release.
• Older Cureus content indexed in Web of Science from 2018 to 2024 is expected to remain in the database.
• Cureus articles can be visible in PubMed through PubMed Central even though the journal is not currently MEDLINE-indexed.
• Impact factor alone should not determine journal choice; scope, audience, indexing, peer review, ethics, fees, and institutional rules also matter.
• Authors should state the metric year whenever citing or discussing an impact factor.

What This Page Covers

• The exact meaning of Cureus’s 1.3 impact factor.
• How the October 2025 Web of Science removal changes the 2026 answer.
• The difference between Web of Science, Journal Citation Reports, PubMed, PubMed Central, and MEDLINE.
• How to decide whether Cureus fits a case report, clinical study, review, or other medical manuscript.
• Common mistakes authors make when comparing journal metrics.
• A practical submission-readiness checklist.
• When ethical manuscript editing or journal submission guidance may be useful.

Why the Cureus Impact Factor Answer Changed

The answer changed because journal metrics are year-specific and database status can change. In July 2025, Cureus announced that its impact factor had risen from 1.0 to 1.3. Later, in an update dated 31 October 2025, the journal stated that it had been removed from Web of Science effective 27 October 2025.

The same update explained two practical consequences. First, the 2024 two-year and five-year impact factors of 1.3 remained valid. Second, the journal would not receive a 2025 Journal Impact Factor in the next JCR release. That is why a responsible 2026 article should not simply say “Cureus has an impact factor of 1.3” without naming the metric year and explaining the changed indexing status.

Clarivate describes the Journal Impact Factor as a journal-level citation measure based on the average frequency with which recent articles are cited during a defined period. It is not a score of every paper, every author, or every research project. A strong article may be highly cited in a modest-JIF journal, while an article in a high-JIF journal may receive few citations.

Cureus Impact Factor and Indexing Status at a Glance

The table separates metrics from database coverage so authors do not treat them as interchangeable.

Because coverage can change, treat this table as an explanatory snapshot and confirm the live status on official database pages immediately before submission.

Impact Factor, Web of Science, PubMed, PMC, and MEDLINE Are Not the Same

These labels describe different systems, and confusing them can lead to a poor journal decision. The most common misunderstanding is to assume that “PubMed indexed” automatically means “MEDLINE indexed” or “has an impact factor.” It does not.

Journal Impact Factor

The Journal Impact Factor is a Clarivate metric published through Journal Citation Reports. It is a journal-level citation indicator and belongs to a particular JCR year. It should be used cautiously and alongside other evidence.

Web of Science

Web of Science is a curated citation database. Inclusion can support discovery, citation tracking, and eligibility for Journal Citation Reports. Removal from Web of Science affects current coverage and future JIF eligibility, but it does not erase every previously indexed record.

PubMed

PubMed is a search platform maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. It contains citations from MEDLINE and other sources, including records associated with PubMed Central. Therefore, a paper can appear in PubMed without the journal being indexed in MEDLINE.

PubMed Central

PubMed Central is a free full-text archive for biomedical and life-sciences literature. Cureus states that its articles are deposited in PMC and become visible there after publication processing.

MEDLINE

MEDLINE is the NLM’s curated bibliographic database with its own journal-selection process and subject indexing. The NLM Catalog record for Cureus states that it is not currently indexed for MEDLINE.

Does the Web of Science Removal Make Cureus Unsuitable?

Not automatically, but it materially changes the decision for authors who need current Web of Science coverage or a current JIF. Journal suitability depends on the author’s goals, institutional rules, article type, intended readership, and tolerance for the journal’s publication model.

For one author, PubMed discoverability and open-access reach may be sufficient. For another, a doctoral regulation may require a journal currently indexed in Web of Science or Scopus. A clinician submitting a useful case report may prioritize speed, accessibility, and article-level reach. A researcher applying for promotion may be evaluated under a formal list that excludes journals without current JCR status.

The safest approach is to convert vague preferences into written requirements. Ask your department, supervisor, graduate school, funder, or promotion office for the exact accepted databases and cut-off dates. Do not rely on screenshots, old journal lists, social media posts, or an undated claim on a third-party metric website.

How to Decide Whether to Submit to Cureus

Choose Cureus only after checking fit, compliance, visibility, and career requirements—not merely the impact factor. The following decision sequence is practical for first-time and experienced authors.

1. Confirm the article type. Check whether the journal currently accepts your manuscript category, such as original research, case report, review, technical report, or educational article.
2. Read the current author guide. Review formatting, figure, reference, ethics, authorship, disclosure, and submission requirements directly on the journal website.
3. Verify required indexing. Match the journal’s current status against your institution’s written policy.
4. Examine peer-review and editorial policies. Understand how reviewers are selected, how revisions work, and what happens after acceptance.
5. Review fees and optional services. Confirm all possible charges before submission and distinguish publication fees from optional language or formatting services.
6. Assess audience fit. Determine whether clinicians and researchers who need your findings are likely to discover and use the article.
7. Check publication ethics. Ensure that patient consent, ethics approval, trial registration, conflicts of interest, data availability, image permissions, and authorship meet the applicable standards.
8. Compare alternatives. Create a shortlist of three to five journals and compare scope, current indexing, review model, cost, readership, and manuscript fit.

Three Practical Author Scenarios

Scenario 1: A resident preparing a clinically useful case report

A medical resident has a well-documented rare presentation, appropriate patient consent, a focused literature review, and a clear learning message. Their institution accepts PubMed-visible publications and does not require current Web of Science coverage. Cureus may remain a reasonable candidate, provided the case fits the author guide and the resident understands the journal’s current metrics and fees.

The key is not the 1.3 JIF alone. The stronger decision factors are case-report scope, ethical documentation, educational value, discoverability, and whether the institution recognizes the publication.

Scenario 2: A PhD scholar whose regulations require a current Web of Science journal

A doctoral candidate must publish one paper in a journal currently indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection at the time of acceptance. Because Cureus announced its removal effective October 2025, the candidate should not submit until the graduate school confirms in writing that Cureus still satisfies the regulation. In many cases, a currently listed alternative will be safer.

Scenario 3: A clinician seeking broad open-access reach

A clinician values immediate access, PubMed discoverability, and a multidisciplinary readership more than a current JIF. Cureus may fit those priorities, but the clinician should still compare editorial standards, publication costs, article-level metrics, and alternative open-access journals. A careful comparison prevents choosing a venue only because it is familiar or appears frequently in search results.

Common Mistakes When Researching the Cureus Impact Factor

Most errors come from using undated metric pages or treating different databases as equivalent. Avoid these mistakes:

• Quoting 1.3 without the year. Write “2024 Journal Impact Factor: 1.3” and explain the 2025 Web of Science removal when relevant.
• Calling PubMed and MEDLINE the same thing. PubMed includes records beyond MEDLINE.
• Assuming historical Web of Science records prove current indexing. A previously indexed article can remain even after journal coverage ends.
• Using third-party metric sites as the final authority. Confirm with Clarivate, NLM, Scopus, the publisher, or the journal.
• Choosing by metric alone. Journal scope and institutional compliance are often more important than a single number.
• Ignoring submission timing. An institution may evaluate status at submission, acceptance, publication, or thesis submission; these dates are not interchangeable.
• Overlooking article-level quality. Sound methods, transparent reporting, ethical approval, clear writing, and complete references remain essential regardless of journal metrics.

Manuscript Readiness Checklist for Cureus or a Similar Medical Journal

A journal-ready manuscript should be scientifically coherent, ethically documented, and formatted to current instructions.

• The title accurately reflects the design and main clinical or research focus.
• The abstract matches the article type and reports the objective, methods, principal results, and conclusion without unsupported claims.
• The introduction establishes a precise problem and ends with a clear objective or research question.
• The methods are detailed enough for readers to understand the design, setting, participants, variables, analysis, approvals, and limitations.
• Results are reported without repeating every table value in the text.
• The discussion interprets findings, compares relevant literature, acknowledges limitations, and avoids overstating causality.
• Case reports include appropriate consent and follow a recognized reporting guideline where applicable.
• Figures are de-identified, legible, permission-cleared, and cited in order.
• References are accurate, complete, consistently formatted, and checked against source documents.
• Authorship, conflicts of interest, funding, data availability, AI-use disclosure, and acknowledgements are transparent.
• The cover letter explains manuscript fit without making promotional or exaggerated claims.
• Every author has reviewed and approved the final version.

Methodology and Academic Sources

This guide prioritizes official, current sources and separates confirmed facts from interpretation. The metric and Web of Science statements are based on Cureus’s official 2025 announcements and Clarivate’s explanation of the Journal Impact Factor and Master Journal List. PubMed, PubMed Central, and MEDLINE distinctions are based on the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the NLM Catalog.

Journal status can change between article updates. Researchers should therefore recheck the Web of Science Master Journal List, the current Cureus author guide, and their institution’s written publication rules immediately before submission.

Contentxprtz can assist with ethical academic editing, manuscript clarity, reference consistency, journal formatting, and submission-document preparation. Editing support does not replace author responsibility, peer review, ethics approval, or independent journal selection.

How Contentxprtz Can Support a Journal-Ready Submission

Professional support is most useful when it improves communication and compliance without changing the ownership of the research. For an author considering Cureus or another medical journal, the relevant services are focused rather than broad.

• Language and copyediting: improving grammar, sentence clarity, terminology consistency, and academic tone.
• Substantive manuscript review: identifying gaps in structure, logical flow, section balance, and alignment between objectives, methods, results, and conclusions.
• Journal formatting: checking headings, references, tables, figures, declarations, and submission files against the selected journal’s instructions.
• Pre-submission quality control: reviewing internal consistency, abbreviations, citations, disclosures, and common technical errors.
• Reviewer-response support: helping authors organize a respectful point-by-point response while preserving the author’s scientific judgment.

Contentxprtz does not promise acceptance or publication. The goal is to help authors present accurate, ethical research clearly and to reduce avoidable submission problems.

Summary: Cureus Impact Factor

The most accurate 2026 answer is that Cureus’s last valid 2024 Journal Impact Factor is 1.3, while the journal’s October 2025 removal from Web of Science means it will not receive a 2025 JIF in the June 2026 release. Earlier Web of Science records may remain, and Cureus continues to describe itself as a peer-reviewed, open-access medical journal with PubMed and PubMed Central visibility. The NLM Catalog, however, states that Cureus is not currently MEDLINE-indexed.

For authors, the practical question is not simply “Is 1.3 good?” It is “Does this journal’s current scope, indexing, editorial model, readership, cost, and institutional recognition fit my manuscript and career requirement?” Verify the live status, compare alternatives, and prepare the manuscript to the same high scientific and ethical standard you would use for any journal.