Overview

Acta Radiologica is a peer-reviewed medical journal devoted to the field of radiology, encompassing diagnostic and interventional radiology, clinical radiology, experimental investigations in animals, and all research related to imaging procedures. It is published by SAGE Publications in association with the Nordic Society of Medical Radiology (Nordisk Förening för Medicinsk Radiologi), a federation of the societies of medical radiology in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. With a publication history stretching back to 1921, it is among the oldest continuously published radiology journals in the world, and its Scopus coverage runs from 1921 through 2026, documenting more than a century of radiological science.

The journal publishes original research articles on diagnostic and interventional radiology, clinical radiology, experimental investigations in animals, and all other research related to imaging procedures. Its coverage extends across all radiological specialties and technical utilities, as well as the physiology and physics related to imaging — including ultrasonography, computed tomography, radionuclide imaging and magnetic resonance imaging. In addition to original papers, the journal publishes invited review articles, short communications, and technical and instrumental notes.

Although contributions are mainly drawn from Northern European institutions, reflecting its Nordic sponsorship, high-quality research from all parts of the world is regularly included, making it a genuinely international information source for radiologists. Its longevity, society backing and broad scope — spanning clinical imaging, interventional procedures, experimental studies and imaging physics — secure its place among the established general radiology journals.

Key Facts at a Glance

History and Development

Acta Radiologica was established in 1921 by Gösta Forssell, a pioneering Swedish radiologist, who served as its editor until his death in 1950. In its earliest years the journal was published in German, reflecting the dominant scientific language of continental Europe at the time; it later transitioned to English, the language in which it is now published.

A significant structural change occurred in 1963, when the journal split into two titles: Acta Radiologica: Diagnosis and Acta Radiologica: Therapy, Physics, Biology. This division reflected the growing specialization of the radiological sciences, separating diagnostic imaging from radiotherapy and the basic sciences of radiation physics and biology. The therapy title later evolved into the independent journal Acta Oncologica, which continues today as the official journal of the Nordic oncology societies.

In 1987 the diagnostic title renamed itself simply Acta Radiologica, the name under which it continues. Throughout these changes the journal has remained anchored in the Nordic radiological community through its association with the Nordic Society of Medical Radiology, a federation spanning Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

The journal's archive, with Scopus coverage from 1921 to the present, constitutes one of the most complete records of the development of diagnostic imaging — from plain-film radiography through the CT and MRI eras to contemporary interventional techniques.

Aims and Scope

Under its editorial leadership, the journal aims for the prompt publication of original research articles on diagnostic and interventional radiology, clinical radiology, experimental investigations in animals, and all other research related to imaging procedures. Acta Radiologica provides a complete update on all radiological specialties and technical utilities, as well as physiology and physics related to imaging, including ultrasonography, computed tomography, radionuclide imaging and magnetic resonance imaging.

The journal publishes the following article types:

• Original research articles — full-length reports of diagnostic and interventional radiology research, including clinical studies and experimental animal investigations.
• Invited review articles — commissioned overviews of important topics in radiology.
• Short communications — concise reports of significant findings.
• Technical and instrumental notes — reports on imaging technology, instrumentation and methodology.

The scope explicitly includes the physiology and physics underlying imaging, so the journal also serves physicists and physiologists working on imaging science, not only clinical radiologists.

Editorial Board and Leadership

The journal is edited by Arnulf Skjennald of Ullevål University Hospital, Oslo, Norway, according to encyclopedic records. Readers should confirm the current masthead on the journal's official SAGE page, as editorial appointments change over time. The journal is supported by a distinguished international editorial board drawn substantially from the Nordic radiological community, with the sponsoring Nordic Society of Medical Radiology providing the institutional backbone of the publication.

Peer Review Process

Acta Radiologica is a peer-reviewed journal. Manuscripts submitted for publication undergo evaluation by independent experts in radiology and related fields before acceptance. Detailed operational specifics of the review model (single- versus double-anonymized review, number of reviewers, acceptance rates and turnaround times) are not verified from the official sources consulted for this profile and are not stated here; authors should consult the journal's current author guidelines on the SAGE platform for the definitive submission workflow.

Indexing and Abstracting

Acta Radiologica is indexed in the following databases and services (per directory and aggregator records):

• Scopus (coverage 1921–2026)
• Web of Science — Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE)
• PubMed / MEDLINE
• Embase
• UGC CARE

Its CODEN is ACRAE3 and its OCLC number is 15802741. The journal's ISO 4 abbreviation is Acta Radiol.

Impact Metrics

All metric figures below are attributed to the aggregator or directory source named; readers should verify current figures against the live Journal Citation Reports and Scopus databases.

• Journal Impact Factor: 1.603 (2014 JCR, per encyclopedic record, ranked 72nd of 125 in "Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging"); 1.2 (June 2026 JCR, per journalsearches.com).
• Scopus CiteScore: 3 (per journalsearches.com).
• h-index: 82–84 (82 per Resurchify; 84 per journalsearches.com; 78 per ResearchBite — snapshots from different dates).
• SJR: 0.411–0.415 (per journalsearches.com / ResearchBite).
• Quartile: Q3 in Medicine (miscellaneous), Radiological and Ultrasound Technology, and Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging (per Scopus-based directories).
• Impact score (Scopus-based): 1.33 (2024, computed 2025, per Resurchify).

The journal has received more than 1,000 citations to its recent articles in three-year windows reported by aggregators, reflecting steady citation activity across its broad readership.

Publication Ethics

As a SAGE Publications journal, Acta Radiologica operates within SAGE's publication ethics framework, which aligns with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors of clinical and experimental studies are expected to comply with applicable ethical standards, including appropriate approvals for human and animal research. The precise text of the journal's ethics policy should be confirmed in the current author guidelines on the SAGE platform.

Standard expectations for submissions include: originality of the work and proper citation of prior literature; disclosure of conflicts of interest by all authors; accurate reporting of methods so that results can be evaluated and, where applicable, reproduced; and responsible authorship in which all listed authors have made substantive contributions. Duplicate submission of the same manuscript to multiple journals is not permitted.

Open Access Policy

Acta Radiologica is a subscription journal; directory sources list it as not open access and not diamond open access. SAGE typically offers authors an optional open-access publishing route (SAGE Choice) for its subscription journals, but the specific open-access options and any article processing charges for this title are not verified from the sources consulted here and should be confirmed on the journal's official SAGE page.

Submission Guidelines

Manuscripts are submitted through the SAGE online submission system. The journal welcomes original papers, invited reviews, short communications, and technical and instrumental notes. Authors should prepare manuscripts in English and follow the journal's formatting requirements, reference style, figure standards and ethical declarations as set out in the current author guidelines. Because the journal's detailed formatting requirements are updated periodically, authors should always consult the live guidelines before submission rather than relying on secondary summaries.

Frequency and Readership

The journal publishes 10 issues per year. Its readership comprises radiologists, imaging physicists and physiologists, and clinicians across the specialties that use medical imaging. Sponsorship by the Nordic Society of Medical Radiology gives it a strong institutional readership across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, while its international author base extends its reach worldwide.

The Nordic Society of Medical Radiology

The Nordic Society of Medical Radiology (Nordisk Förening för Medicinsk Radiologi) is the sponsoring association behind Acta Radiologica. It is a federation of the national societies of medical radiology in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. This institutional arrangement gives the journal a distinctive character: while it is a fully international publication open to authors worldwide, its governance and a substantial share of its authorship remain rooted in the Nordic radiological community, which has historically been a major contributor to the development of diagnostic imaging.

The Nordic countries have a long record of leadership in radiology — from early X-ray work through the development of computed tomography, interventional techniques and modern magnetic resonance imaging. The journal's association with the federation ensures a steady pipeline of high-quality clinical and experimental research from Nordic university hospitals and research institutes, while its SAGE publication platform distributes that research globally.

A Century of Coverage: What the Archive Contains

Because Acta Radiologica has been published continuously since 1921, its archive mirrors the entire history of diagnostic imaging. Researchers consulting the backfile will find:

• 1920s–1940s: Early plain-film radiography, contrast studies, and the foundational physics of X-ray imaging — the era in which the journal was founded and originally published in German.
• 1950s–1960s: Expansion of diagnostic techniques, angiography, and the beginnings of nuclear medicine — the period that preceded the 1963 split into Diagnosis and Therapy titles.
• 1970s–1980s: The computed tomography revolution and the early years of magnetic resonance imaging, covered in the reunified journal after 1987.
• 1990s–2000s: Interventional radiology, digital imaging, ultrasound advances and the growth of evidence-based imaging research.
• 2010s–present: Artificial intelligence in imaging, advanced MRI techniques, hybrid imaging, and interventional oncology applications.

This chronological depth makes the journal's archive a valuable resource for historians of medicine and for researchers tracing the evolution of imaging methods.

Article Types in Detail

Understanding the journal's article portfolio helps prospective authors target their submissions appropriately:

• Original articles: The core of the journal — full reports of clinical imaging studies, diagnostic accuracy research, interventional procedures and outcomes, and experimental investigations in animals. These undergo full peer review and represent the majority of published content.
• Invited reviews: Commissioned overviews that synthesize current knowledge on important radiological topics, often written by recognized experts and serving as reference points for clinicians.
• Short communications: Brief, focused reports of novel findings that merit rapid dissemination but do not require full-length treatment.
• Technical and instrumental notes: Descriptions of new imaging techniques, equipment modifications, phantoms, software tools and methodological innovations — content particularly valued by imaging physicists and technologists.

The inclusion of experimental animal investigations in the stated scope distinguishes Acta Radiologica from purely clinical imaging journals: translational and preclinical imaging research has an explicit home here.

Guidance for Prospective Authors

Authors considering Acta Radiologica should note the following practical points, all subject to confirmation in the current author guidelines:

• Scope fit: The journal covers diagnostic and interventional radiology broadly, including clinical studies, experimental animal imaging, and the physics and physiology of imaging. Manuscripts purely on radiotherapy or oncology are generally better directed to Acta Oncologica, the sister title that inherited the therapy lineage.
• Language: Manuscripts are published in English. Authors whose first language is not English should ensure professional language editing before submission.
• Ethics statements: Clinical studies must include appropriate ethics committee approval and informed consent statements; animal studies must document compliance with applicable animal-welfare regulations.
• International authorship: While Nordic institutions are strongly represented, submissions from all countries are welcomed and regularly published.
• Submission system: Submissions are handled through SAGE's online manuscript system; authors should follow the journal-specific instructions hosted on the SAGE platform.

Related Journals and How They Differ

Acta Radiologica sits within a family of Nordic-associated SAGE journals and a broader landscape of imaging titles. Key distinctions:

• Acta Oncologica: The sister journal that inherited the 1963–1987 "Therapy, Physics, Biology" lineage; focuses on oncology rather than diagnostic imaging.
• Acta Radiologica Open: Readers should verify whether a similarly named open-access title is currently active, as SAGE has operated open-access companion titles for some journals; naming and scope should be confirmed on the publisher's site rather than assumed.
• European Radiology / Radiology: Larger general radiology journals with higher impact factors; Acta Radiologica differentiates itself through its Nordic institutional base, its century-long archive, and its explicit inclusion of imaging physics and experimental work.

The SAGE Publishing Partnership

SAGE Publications, headquartered in the United Kingdom, is one of the world's large independent academic publishers, and its stewardship of Acta Radiologica provides the journal with global distribution, professional production, and integration into major library and discovery systems. For a society-associated journal, the partnership model — publisher handling production and distribution while the Nordic Society of Medical Radiology provides the scientific community and editorial governance — combines commercial publishing infrastructure with academic-society credibility.

Through SAGE, the journal's content is available on the SAGE Journals platform with standard features: online-first publication, reference linking, supplementary materials hosting, and institutional subscription access. Authors benefit from SAGE's author services, including production tracking and post-publication promotion tools, while readers benefit from consistent archiving and discoverability across indexing services.

Role in Radiology Education

Beyond its function as a research outlet, Acta Radiologica serves an educational role for the radiological community. Its invited review articles provide structured overviews suitable for trainees and practicing radiologists keeping current with subspecialty advances, while its technical and instrumental notes help imaging departments evaluate and adopt new methods. The journal's Nordic base — a region known for strong radiology training programs — reinforces this educational dimension, and its century-long archive is routinely consulted by researchers and educators documenting the historical development of imaging practice.

How to Cite This Journal

The standard ISO 4 abbreviation is Acta Radiol. Example citation format: Author(s). Article title. Acta Radiol. Year;Volume(Issue):pages. Print ISSN 0284-1851; online ISSN 1600-0455.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who publishes Acta Radiologica?

SAGE Publications, in association with the Nordic Society of Medical Radiology.

When was Acta Radiologica founded?

1921, by the Swedish radiologist Gösta Forssell.

What is the impact factor of Acta Radiologica?

Aggregator snapshots report a June 2026 JCR impact factor of 1.2 and a 2014 impact factor of 1.603. Verify current figures in Journal Citation Reports.

Is Acta Radiologica open access?

No — directory sources list it as a subscription journal. Optional open-access routes, if any, should be confirmed on the official SAGE page.

What is the relationship between Acta Radiologica and Acta Oncologica?

In 1963 Acta Radiologica split into a Diagnosis title and a Therapy, Physics, Biology title; the therapy lineage evolved into today's Acta Oncologica, while the diagnosis lineage reclaimed the name Acta Radiologica in 1987.

Which databases index Acta Radiologica?

Scopus (1921–2026), Web of Science SCIE, PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase and UGC CARE, among others. Its continuous indexing since 1921 makes it one of the longest-indexed radiology titles in these databases.

Sources and Verification Note

This profile was compiled from the journal's encyclopedic record, SAGE-associated journal descriptions, and bibliometric aggregators (Resurchify, ResearchBite, journalsearches.com, JournalsInsights, Journals and Congresses). Metric figures are attributed per source with their snapshot dates. Editorial personnel are reported from encyclopedic records and should be confirmed against the current official masthead. Fields for which no verified source was located — including current article processing charges, acceptance rates and review turnaround times — are left unstated rather than estimated.