Editorial Policies

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Editorial Policies

Frontiers in Environmental Biology endorses and applies the standards and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), to ensure the rigor and integrity of its review and publication processes. These policies may be periodically updated to remain aligned with evolving international publishing standards.

Open Access

The journal provides immediate open access to all published content. All articles are freely available without subscription barriers. Users may read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles, or use them for any lawful purpose, without prior permission from the publisher or authors, provided appropriate credit is given.

Copyright

Authors retain full copyright and publishing rights for their work without restriction. By submitting to Frontiers in Environmental Biology, authors agree to make their original work freely accessible and reusable, allowing others to use, copy, and redistribute the content in any format provided proper attribution is given to the authors and the original source. A copyright statement is included in all published article formats, including HTML, PDF, and XML versions. Prior to publication, authors grant the journal the right of first publication by signing a License to Publish agreement. Authors must confirm in their cover letter that the submitted manuscript is original, is not under consideration elsewhere, and has not been previously published. A similar declaration is required during manuscript submission through the submission checklist. If copyrighted material such as figures, tables, or other content from external sources is included in the manuscript—including reproduced, adapted, or modified materials—authors are responsible for obtaining written permission from the copyright holder prior to submission.

CC BY License

Articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) License.

Under this license, users are free to:

Share — copy and redistribute material in any medium or format;

Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, including commercial use.

Under the following terms:

Attribution — appropriate credit must be given, a license link provided, and changes indicated if made.

No additional restrictions — users may not impose legal or technological restrictions limiting permitted use.

Publication Fee

The journal may waive Article Processing Charges (APCs) during its initial development phase. Any future APC implementation will be announced transparently with waiver or discount policies for eligible authors.

Editorial Freedom

Peer Review Policy

Peer Review Model

Frontiers in Environmental Biology adopts a single-blind peer review model, in which reviewer identities are kept confidential while author identities are known to reviewers. All accepted manuscripts, except selected invited editorials, undergo a rigorous peer review process to evaluate originality, scientific quality, methodological soundness, clarity of presentation, and academic integrity.

Peer Review Process

Each manuscript submission first undergoes an initial screening conducted by the Managing Editor and Academic Editor. During this stage, the Managing Editor performs plagiarism screening and checks whether the manuscript fits within the journal’s scope and meets formatting and submission requirements. Manuscripts passing this screening are assigned to an Academic Editor after appropriate conflict-of-interest disclosures are reviewed. The Academic Editor is typically the Editor-in-Chief but may delegate this responsibility to an Editorial Board member, Guest Editor, or qualified subject expert when appropriate. The Academic Editor then evaluates whether the manuscript merits full peer review. Manuscripts considered unsuitable in quality or scope may be rejected at this stage without external review. Manuscripts that pass this evaluation are sent to independent expert reviewers. Peer reviewers are selected based on expertise and experience relevant to the manuscript subject. Reviewers assess submissions for significance, originality, scientific validity, clarity, and overall contribution to the field. Reviewers are normally requested to submit their reports within 14 days of accepting the review invitation.

Each manuscript generally receives at least two independent review reports, including detailed comments and one of the following recommendations:

Acceptance
Minor Revision
Major Revision
Rejection

The Academic Editor considers reviewer reports and makes the final decision regarding publication.

Additional reviews may be requested in certain cases, including:

★ When initial reviewer recommendations conflict;
★ When the Academic Editor determines additional expert opinion is necessary.

Manuscripts Submitted by Editorial Board Members and Guest Editors

Submissions from Editorial Board members or Guest Editors are managed independently by other editors to avoid conflicts of interest. The submitting editor is excluded from all editorial decisions and review procedures related to their manuscript.

Processing of Special Issue Manuscripts

Manuscripts submitted to Special Issues must meet the same scientific and ethical standards as regular submissions. Both invited and unsolicited contributions undergo full peer review, except selected invited editorials.

The Editor-in-Chief maintains oversight of all Special Issue content and supervises Guest Editors to ensure consistency with journal standards.

Peer Reviewers

Reviewers play a critical role in maintaining the scientific quality and credibility of Frontiers in Environmental Biology. Reviewers are carefully selected to ensure fair, competent, and timely evaluation of submitted manuscripts. Selection is based on academic expertise, research activity, and the ability to provide objective assessments of scientific work.

Reviewers are selected based on:

★ Demonstrated expertise in the subject area relevant to the manuscript;
★ Recent publications or active research contributions in related fields;
★ Ability to provide fair, objective, and unbiased evaluations;
★ Independence from authors and their affiliated institutions to avoid conflicts of interest;
★ Availability and commitment to complete peer reviews within required timelines.

Authors Suggest Reviewers

Authors are welcome to suggest potential reviewers who possess relevant expertise in the manuscript topic. Suggested reviewers should be qualified experts capable of providing objective evaluations. However, the journal retains full discretion in selecting reviewers and is not obligated to invite suggested individuals.

Suggested reviewers must not:

★ Have conflicts of interest with the authors;
★ Have recent collaborations or joint publications with any author;
★ Share current or recent institutional affiliations with authors;
★ Have personal or financial relationships that may influence review objectivity.

Notes for Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers are expected to follow professional ethical standards during the review process. Reviewers must:

★ Declare any conflicts of interest before accepting a review assignment;
★ Maintain strict confidentiality regarding manuscript content;
★ Provide objective, constructive, and unbiased evaluations;
★ Report suspected ethical issues or scientific misconduct;
★ Avoid requesting citations solely to increase their own citation counts;
★ Submit review reports within agreed deadlines or request extensions if necessary.

Reviewers must not use unpublished information from manuscripts for personal or professional advantage.

AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Scientific Writing

Artificial intelligence tools cannot be credited as authors because they cannot assume responsibility or accountability for scientific work. AI tools may be used to improve language clarity or formatting; however, authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all manuscript content.

If AI-assisted tools were used during manuscript preparation, authors must disclose this in the manuscript declarations.

Authorship

Authorship Criteria

Authorship must reflect genuine scholarly contribution to the research. The journal follows ICMJE authorship guidelines, under which authors must meet all of the following conditions:

★ Significant contribution to research conception, study design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation;
★ Participation in drafting or critically revising the manuscript;
★ Approval of the final version prior to submission;
★ Acceptance of responsibility and accountability for the work’s accuracy and integrity.

Individuals who do not meet these criteria should be acknowledged rather than listed as authors.

Corresponding Author

The corresponding author serves as the primary contact between the journal and all co-authors throughout submission, peer review, and publication. Responsibilities include ensuring all authors approve the manuscript, managing communication with the journal, submitting required declarations, and responding to post-publication queries or data requests.

Authorship Changes

Requests to add, remove, or rearrange authors are permitted only before manuscript acceptance. All authors, including those being added or removed, must provide written consent explaining the requested change.

Author Contributions

Manuscripts must include a statement detailing each author’s contribution using the CRediT taxonomy, promoting transparency and proper recognition of individual roles in the research.

ORCID

Authors are encouraged to provide ORCID identifiers to ensure accurate attribution of scholarly work and facilitate linkage of research outputs across databases.

Acknowledgments

Individuals or organizations contributing to the work but not qualifying for authorship should be acknowledged with a description of their contributions.

Authorship Criteria

Authorship must reflect genuine scholarly contribution to the research. The journal follows ICMJE authorship guidelines, under which authors must meet all of the following conditions:

Individuals who do not meet these criteria should be acknowledged rather than listed as authors.

Corresponding Author

Authorship Changes

Author Contributions

Manuscripts must include a statement detailing each author’s contribution using the CRediT taxonomy, promoting transparency and proper recognition of individual roles in the research.

ORCID

Authors are encouraged to provide ORCID identifiers to ensure accurate attribution of scholarly work and facilitate linkage of research outputs across databases.

Acknowledgments

Individuals or organizations contributing to the work but not qualifying for authorship should be acknowledged with a description of their contributions.

Research Ethics

All editors, board members, guest editors, and editorial staff must disclose any potential conflicts of interest related to manuscripts they handle. If a conflict exists or could be perceived as compromising impartiality, the editor must inform the editorial office and recuse themselves. The Editor-in-Chief will reassign the manuscript to an independent editor.

To maintain transparency, manuscripts submitted by editorial board members or guest editors are handled separately by other qualified editors, without the involvement of the submitting editor.

Research Ethics

Human Subject Research

Studies involving human participants must receive approval from an appropriate institutional ethics committee and comply with internationally accepted ethical standards. Written informed consent must be obtained from all participants prior to inclusion in the study.

Animal Research

Research involving animals must follow institutional and national ethical guidelines for animal care and use. Approval from relevant animal ethics committees must be obtained before conducting experiments.

Availability of Data and Materials

To promote transparency and reproducibility, authors are encouraged to deposit research data in publicly accessible repositories when legally and ethically possible. Manuscripts must include a Data Availability Statement specifying where supporting data can be accessed or how it may be requested.

Citation

Authors must cite relevant, original research accurately and avoid practices that artificially inflate citation metrics. Citations should directly support statements made within the manuscript.

Plagiarism

All submissions are screened using plagiarism detection software. Manuscripts found to contain plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, may be rejected or retracted following publication if misconduct is confirmed.

Duplicate Publication

Submitted manuscripts must represent original work not previously published or under review elsewhere. Posting on preprint servers, inclusion in theses, or conference abstracts is permitted if clearly disclosed during submission.

Misconduct

Scientific misconduct includes fabrication or falsification of data, plagiarism, unethical research practices, authorship manipulation, and failure to disclose conflicts of interest. Allegations of misconduct are investigated following COPE guidelines and appropriate corrective action may be taken.

Corrections and Retractions

Corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions may be issued when published work contains significant errors or ethical concerns, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.

Confidentiality

Editors and reviewers must maintain confidentiality throughout manuscript handling and peer review. Manuscript content must not be shared or used outside the editorial process prior to publication.

Preprint Policy

Authors may post manuscripts on recognized preprint servers prior to submission. After publication, authors should update preprint records to include citation details and links to the final published article.

Appeals and Complaints

Authors may appeal editorial decisions by contacting the editorial office with justification for reconsideration. Complaints regarding editorial conduct or publication ethics are investigated according to COPE recommendations, ensuring fair resolution of disputes.

Editorial Policies

Journal Information

Content