Instructions for Authors

International Journal of Biological Sciences publishes high-quality papers across all areas of biology and biological sciences. Manuscripts may be submitted under the following categories:

• Research Paper: We recommend organizing the manuscript as follows: Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, followed by Acknowledgements, Conflict of Interest, and References. Authors are encouraged to be concise, although there is currently no length limit for research papers.
• Short Research Communication: Articles in this category present concise studies or preliminary yet innovative research findings that may be less substantial than a full research paper. These are limited to 2500 words and should include an abstract. The Results and Discussion sections should be combined, followed by a Conclusion. The Materials and Methods section should remain separate. The reference count is limited to 30, and the total number of figures and/or tables is limited to 4.
• Letter to the Editor: Novel findings that may not be suitable for a full research paper or short research communication can be submitted as a Letter to the Editor. This is limited to 1500 words and without an abstract, one figure or table, and no more than 15 references.
• Commentary: Articles in this category are for discussing controversial or interdisciplinary topics, viewpoints, and other issues of interest. These are limited to 1000 words including references, with a maximum of 10 references and one figure or table.
• Review or Mini-Review: These should be authoritative and of high interest. Reviews should be between 4000 and 7000 words (excluding references and figure legends) and must include at least two figures or illustrations. High-quality reviews from leading researchers in their fields are particularly welcome.

When suggesting potential reviewers, please provide their names, academic ranks, affiliations, and email addresses. Reviewers must be credible and free from any potential conflicts of interest. The decision to use the suggested reviewers rests with the editors. At least 30% of the suggested reviewers must be from different countries. Please also provide the website links for all suggested reviewers.

Notes

• Studies conducted using only a single cell line are not acceptable for publication in this journal. Please do not submit manuscripts based on studies with a single cell line.

• All raw, original images in research articles, such as Western blots and compact panels in figures, must be provided at the revision stage or upon editorial request. These images should be submitted as supplementary files (preferably in a single PDF) along with their corresponding figure legends.

• Authors are required to make genomic and transcriptomic data publicly available prior to acceptance or as soon as possible.

Pre-submission Inquiries

We do not offer pre-submission evaluations, as it is difficult to make a proper judgment based solely on an abstract or limited information. Additionally, our submission system is straightforward, allowing for the submission of the full manuscript.

Authorship

Each author listed on a manuscript submitted to this journal must adhere to the four authorship criteria set by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE):

1. Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
2. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
3. Final approval of the version to be published; AND
4. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism Policy (please read before submission): Our journal has a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism, including self-plagiarism. Manuscripts are screened for plagiarism before, during, and after publication. If plagiarism is detected at any stage, the manuscript will be rejected. If a published paper appears in PubMed Central and plagiarism is later detected or reported by experts, the paper will be retracted, and the authors' institutions and department heads will be notified to take appropriate action. This policy also covers data fabrication, data falsification, and image manipulation.

Submission

★ To submit a new manuscript, please use the new submission link.

• Please place all figures at the end of the manuscript so that they can be submitted as a single file (PDF or Word).
• For supplementary figures, kindly combine them into a single file (PDF or Word), if possible.
• Ensure that line numbers and page numbers are included in the manuscript.
• References should be formatted according to the style guidelines provided below.

★ To submit a revision, please log in, select your manuscript, and click the 'Submit Revision' link. Do not submit a revision as a new manuscript.

All files must be uploaded directly to the journal's website. Manuscripts submitted via email (either to the editors or the journal office) will not be accepted and will be automatically discarded.

The submitting author must be the corresponding author or one of the corresponding authors.

Please embed figures and tables within the manuscript to create a single file (Word or PDF) for submission. After submission, the system will generate a manuscript ID, which will be sent to the corresponding author's email.

Supplementary Files: During the initial submission, you may upload one supplementary file along with the main manuscript and cover letter. Additional supplementary files can be uploaded after the initial submission via the manuscript login page by clicking the "[Add More]" link under the 'Supplementary File' section. Large files should be compressed into a ZIP file (RAR files will not be accepted). To create a ZIP file in Windows, first select the files, then right-click and choose "Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder." Supplementary materials will be linked to the paper online and will not be edited.

Manuscripts previously posted on preprint servers (e.g., BioRxiv, MedRxiv, ChemRxiv) may be submitted to our journal. Authors can also post their manuscripts to other preprint servers if the manuscripts are accepted by our journal.

Review/Decisions

Manuscripts that are deemed to be of insufficient quality or unlikely to be competitive for publication are rejected during the initial screening. Remaining manuscripts undergo a single-blind peer review process with two or more reviewers. In single-blind review, the reviewers' identities are concealed from the authors, but not vice versa. After the review, possible decisions include: accept as is, minor revision, major revision, or rejection. Authors should submit their revisions within 1 months for minor revisions or 3 months for major revisions. If more time is needed, please contact the editor-in-charge for an extension. Manuscripts with significant results are typically prioritized for review and publication.

Note: Once the manuscript is accepted, any publishing-related inquiries (such as copyediting, fees, proofs, etc.) should be directed to our publishing team only. Please do not send or cc such inquiries to the editor-in-chief or editors, as they are not involved in the publishing process after acceptance.

License

Articles in our journal are now distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC-BY license). Authors retain copyright of their articles.

For articles published prior to June 10, 2019, the default license was the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (CC BY-NC license), with copyright held by the publisher. Please refer to the copyright and open access statement for each individual article.

Publication Fee

Publication fees are payable only if a manuscript is accepted for publication. There is no additional charge for color figures, nor is there a submission fee. Payment instructions will be provided during the publication process, and an invoice will be available on the manuscript login page after acceptance. Payments can be made via credit card (Visa/MasterCard/UnionPay) or bank transfer. The publication fee is required to cover the cost of publication and must be paid before copyediting, and within 3 months of acceptance.

Research paper/ Review/ Short research communication/ Erratum/ Others	$AUD 4500
Letter	$AUD 2250

* $AUD: Australian dollar. Currency Converter (external source)

Graphical Abstract

Authors are encouraged to provide a graphical abstract (a visually striking figure) to represent the paper and attract the attention of readers. The graphical abstract will be published online in the table of contents. It should be colorful and fit within a 12 cm (width) x 6 cm (height) area. The image must have a minimum resolution of 600 dpi for standard images and 1200 dpi for line art. Note: The height should not exceed half the width. To maintain clarity in the small space, please avoid overcrowding the graphical abstract with excessive information. Accepted formats include JPG (preferred), PDF, Word, PowerPoint, or PNG. A graphical abstract is not required at the initial submission, but it is mandatory at the revision or publication stage. See more sample graphical abstracts in https://www.thno.org.

Format for Publication

Once a manuscript is accepted, authors must submit the final version in Microsoft Word format, following the guidelines provided, for copyediting and publication. Please note that we cannot accept LaTeX or TeX files.

Figures should be included at the end of the manuscript in the Word file. Additionally, you may submit a high-quality PDF containing all figures, with each figure on a separate page. Ensure that images are of the highest resolution, with clear and legible text. If figures or tables were created using programs like PowerPoint, Photoshop, or Microsoft Excel, please also include the original files from those programs.

Title Page

The first letter of each word in the title should be capitalized. On the first page, include the article title, authors' full names, affiliations, and the corresponding author's phone/fax number and/or email address. Additionally, provide 3-6 keywords.

The abstract should not contain citations, images, or mathematical equations. It should be less than 200 words in one paragraph without subtitles.

Author names should be provided in full. Important: Write the first and middle names before the surname (e.g., 'Mike Johnson'), not 'Johnson, Mike,' 'Johnson M.,' or 'M. Johnson.'

Authorship: The list of authors and contributors must adhere to the guidelines established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

Web pages and Web links

We strongly discourage mentioning or citing web links/URLs in your manuscript, as web addresses are frequently changed by their owners. This often results in broken (dead) links, which can frustrate readers.

Text

In the main text or figure/table legends, please avoid coloring the font to distinguish text or using smaller or larger font sizes. Only bold, italic, superscript, and subscript are allowed in our XML format.

Please do not number subtitles (except in Review or Mini-Review articles).

Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should be numbered consecutively. Cite tables and figures using the format: Table 1, Table 2, ... Figure 1, Figure 2, ... (or Fig. 1, Fig. 2, ...). Parts of a figure should be labeled as A, B, C, D, etc., and cited as Figure 2A, Figure 2B, Figure 2C. Please do not abbreviate "Table" as "Tab."

Tables: Create tables using Microsoft Word's table format. Tables must be editable and not inserted as images.

Figures: Images should have a minimum resolution of 600 dpi, and line art should be at least 1200 dpi. Graphics downloaded from the internet are not acceptable due to their low 72 dpi resolution. Please submit one high-quality PDF containing all figures (one figure per page). Please remove the word "Figure" or "Fig." from the image itself.

Math Formulas and Symbols

Simple mathematical formulas should be typed in normal text using superscript, subscript, italics, and symbols in Microsoft Word.

• Use the "Normal Text" or "Symbol" fonts for symbols. To insert a symbol, go to Insert > Symbol in the Word menu.
• For "divide" or "over," use the slash (/) symbol. For example: 1/7, 5/(4+6).
• Use the "Symbol" font for symbols such as "±"; "≤" and "≥" (do not use underline).

Please avoid using Word's equation editor whenever possible. In the full-text XML/HTML version, math equations are converted into images, which disrupts the text flow and may not appear clearly.

References

References should be numbered consecutively, starting from 1, and cited in the manuscript using numbers (e.g., [1,2,3]), not by author and date. Each reference should correspond to only one article (e.g., not 1a, 1b, 1c). Personal communications, unpublished observations, conference abstracts, or conference papers should not be included in the reference list. References should be formatted as plain text—do not use images or mathematical equations.

EndNote: An EndNote reference style for our journal can be downloaded. Place the style file in the Windows directory: C:\Program Files (x86)\EndNote X?\Styles (where '?' is the EndNote version number). Afterward, open MS Word and select the "ivyspring" style from the EndNote tab. This style applies to all Ivyspring journals.

Please ensure that the total number of references does not exceed 200 for any article.

• Journal Paper
  Use the sequence: [Author surname] [Author initials], [Other author surnames & initials]. [Article title]. [Journal name abbreviation]. [Year]; [Volume]: [First page number]-[Last page number].
  • Journal paper must have journal name (or journal abbreviation), year, volume and page numbers.
  • Please make sure that the year of publication is not missing.
  • Please use ":" to separate volume and first page number.
  • Do not bold or italicize the title, journal name, or any part of references. Omit any "." in the journal abbreviations.
  Examples:
  • 1. Eknoyan G, Beck GJ, Cheung AK, et al. Effect of dialysis dose and membrane flux in maintenance hemodialysis. N Engl J Med. 2002; 347: 2010-9.
  • Supplement example:
    2. Volk HD, Reinke P, Krausch D, et al. Monocyte deactivation-rationale for a new therapeutic strategy in sepsis. Intensive Care Med. 1996; 22 (Suppl 4):S474-S481.
  • No author given example:
    3. [No authors listed]. Medicare program; criteria for Medicare coverage of adult liver transplants-HCFA. Final notice. Fed Regist. 1991; 56(71):15006-15018.
  • In press example:
    4. Cheung TMT, et al. Effectiveness of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation in the treatment of acute respiratory failure in severe acute respiratory syndrome. Chest; in press.
  • Epub ahead of print example:
    5. Li W, Chen Y, Cameron DJ, et al. Elovl4 haploinsufficiency does not induce early onset retinal degeneration in mice. Vision Res 2007; [Epub ahead of print].
• Book
  1. Kiloh LG, Smith JS, Johnson GF, et al. Physical treatment in psychiatry. Boston, USA: Blackwell Scientific Publisher; 1988.
• Chapter in Edited Book
  1. Beckenbough RD, Linscheid RL. Arthroplasty in the hand and wrist. In: Green DP, ed. Operative Hand Surgery, 2nd ed. New York: Churchill Livingstone; 1988: 167-214.
• Website (discouraged)
  1. [Internet] WHO. Summary of probable SARS cases with onset of illness from 1 November 2002 to 31 July 2003. https://www.who.int/
  2. [Internet] Kornberg R. https://nobelprize.org/

DOI: Please remove the "[pii]" field in any doi. E.g., doi:00932.2006 [pii] 10.1152/japplphysiol.00932.2006. Remove "00932.2006 [pii]".

* Please do not add web links or web URLs in references.

Supplementary materials

Supplementary materials may include figures, tables, methods, videos, and other content. These materials will be available online, linked to the original published article. Supplementary tables and figures should be labeled as "S1," "S2," etc. (e.g., Table S1, Figure S1, Video S1) and cited in the manuscript the same way. Do not refer to them as "S Table 1" or "S Figure 1."

The maximum file size for supplementary materials is 10 MB per file (uncompressed). To avoid issues with large file downloads, please keep files as small as possible. Large files can be compressed into a ZIP file (but not RAR).

Supplementary materials are published as provided by the authors and are not copyedited.

Abbreviations

Abbreviations should be presented in a single paragraph in the format: "term: definition." Separate items with a semicolon. Please strictly follow this format.

Example: HIV: human immunodeficiency virus; SIV: simian immunodeficiency virus; ...

Archiving

Our journal is fully open-access, with articles freely available on the journal website, including PDF, XML, and supplementary materials (if applicable). All published articles are permanently archived by PubMed Central (U.S. National Library of Medicine) and Europe PMC. Authors are also encouraged to self-archive their published articles on their personal or institutional websites, as well as governmental or library platforms, without needing permission.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools

In accordance with COPE guidelines, if any AI tool (such as ChatGPT) is used in the manuscript—whether for writing, generating images, collecting data, or analyzing data—authors must fully disclose this in the Acknowledgements section. Additionally, the Materials and Methods section should specify how the AI tool was used, which tool was used, and which parts of the manuscript (text or images) were affected. Please note that AI tools cannot be listed as authors of the manuscript.

Ethics Committee Approval and Patient Consent

Experimental research involving humans or animals must be approved by the author’s institutional review board or ethics committee. This approval should be mentioned in the manuscript, including the name of the board/committee. Research involving human subjects must adhere to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Authors should also comply with the clinical trial registration requirements from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, providing the clinical trial registration number.

For research involving human subjects, informed consent must be obtained from each participant. The identities and privacy of patients or participants must be fully protected in the manuscript, in line with ICMJE guidelines on Protection of Research Participants.

The manuscript should indicate whether informed consent was obtained, either in the Methods section, Acknowledgements, or in a separate section. If informed consent was obtained orally or not obtained, the authors must clearly explain the reasons and provide approval from the institutional review board or ethics committee.

Competing Interests

Competing interests (also known as "conflicts of interest") that may influence the objective presentation of research findings should be disclosed in a paragraph titled "Competing Interests," placed after the Acknowledgments section and before the References.

According to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, financial relationships—such as employment, consultancies, stock ownership or options, honoraria, patents, and paid expert testimony—are the most easily identifiable and often considered potential conflicts of interest. These can undermine the credibility of the journal, the authors, and science itself. Other potential conflicts may include personal relationships, academic rivalries, intellectual beliefs, or competition. Authors should avoid agreements with study sponsors (both for-profit and non-profit) that restrict access to all study data or hinder the ability to analyze, interpret, and publish the data independently. Policies that limit where authors may publish their work violate academic freedom. Authors may be asked to provide these agreements confidentially.

Authors must fully disclose any conflicts of interest. If no conflicts exist, please state: "The authors have declared that no competing interests exist."

Data Availability

Authors are recommended to deposit large datasets in a public repository. Smaller datasets may be published as supplementary materials. Authors may provide the following:

• The location and method for accessing the data. If all data are included in the manuscript or supplementary materials, please specify.
• If the data will be shared upon request, provide detailed contact information.
• If the data are deposited in a public repository, include the URLs (and DOIs, if available).
• If the data cannot be shared openly, explain the reasons (e.g., to protect study participants or patient privacy).

Publication Ethics

Our journals follow the guidelines set by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) for addressing publication ethics issues. For more details, please visit our dedicated Publication Ethics page.

Commercial advertising

Commercial advertising is not allowed in our journal.

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For general information about preparing biomedical manuscripts, please consult the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication", available from http://www.icmje.org/.

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