Open-access journal · Ethology
International Journal of Ethology
Research on animal behavior and the evolutionary, ecological and physiological mechanisms that shape it: from field observation of wild populations to experiments and models in the laboratory.
- Short title IJE
- Open access, CC BY 4.0
- Published by Open Access Pub
Aims and scope
The behavior of animals, read at every level
Like an ethogram, the journal's scope is a catalog of behaviors and the questions asked about them. The areas below are illustrative, not a closed list. Read the full Aims and Scope.
- B-01
Behavioral ecology
Foraging strategies, predator–prey interactions, mating systems, territoriality, parental care and behavioral plasticity.
- B-02
Social behavior
Communication, cooperation and conflict, dominance hierarchies and the evolution of sociality across taxa.
- B-03
Cognitive ethology
Learning, memory, problem-solving, decision-making, tool use and spatial navigation.
- B-04
Developmental behavior
Ontogeny of behavior, imprinting, early experience and developmental plasticity.
- B-05
Neuroethology
Neural mechanisms of behavior, sensory systems, motor control and hormonal regulation.
- B-06
Evolutionary biology
Phylogenetic perspectives on behavior, comparative methods and sexual selection.
- B-07
Conservation behavior
Behavioral responses to environmental change, human disturbance and habitat fragmentation.
- B-08
Methods
Observational techniques, bioacoustics, telemetry, video analysis, computational modeling and reproducibility.
Peer review
How manuscripts are evaluated
Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request.
All submissions undergo initial editorial screening. Manuscripts that meet the journal's scope and minimum requirements proceed to independent peer review.
Editorial decisions are based on scope, scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, reporting quality, and relevance to the journal.
Research ethics
Animals in research
Research involving animal subjects must follow institutional and international ethical guidelines, and authors provide documentation of ethical approval where it applies. Reporting guidelines such as ARRIVE are expected for animal research.
Submitted manuscripts are screened with Crossref Similarity Check, and publication ethics follow COPE guidance. See the Editorial Policies.
Journal register
Reference information on the journal's ownership, editorial responsibility, rights, review, fees and preservation.
Short title
IJE
- Publisher and owner
- Open Access Pub
- The journal is owned and published by Open Access Pub. Volume 1 appeared in 2018, and the journal has no fixed issue frequency.
- Editorial responsibility
- Editorial Board
- Editorial responsibility rests with the members of the Editorial Board.
- Access and license
- Open access, CC BY 4.0
- All articles are free to read and reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license; authors retain copyright.
- Peer review
- Single-blind by default
- Double-blind review is available on request. Manuscripts that proceed to external peer review are normally evaluated by at least two independent subject-matter experts.
- Article processing charge
- USD 1,200
- Payable only after acceptance; withdrawal after submission is subject to the journal's withdrawal policy.
- Preservation
- Portico
- IJE articles will be deposited in Portico, a not-for-profit digital-preservation archive. Read the preservation policy.
- Research integrity
- Crossref Similarity Check
- Submitted manuscripts are screened with Crossref Similarity Check, powered by iThenticate.
Article types
What the journal publishes
Empirical studies, syntheses and methods across field, captive and laboratory settings. Requirements for each type are set out in the Instructions for Authors.
- Original Research
- Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Methods
- Registered Report
- Short Communication
- Data Note
- Commentary
Editorial Board
Guided by researchers in animal behavior
- Board member
Amael Borzee
- Board member
Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Ommati
- Board member
Hongfu Zhang
- Board member
Hsueh-Wen Chang
For authors
Three ways to submit
Authors must use only one submission route for the same manuscript.
- 01 · Primary
ManuscriptZone
Step-by-step submission and tracking through the editorial system.
- 02 · Alternative
Simple submission form
A single-page form with the journal pre-selected.
- 03 · Assisted
Editorial office
Questions on scope, process or files: info@openaccesspub.org.
The article processing charge of USD 1,200 is payable only after acceptance; withdrawal after submission is subject to the journal's withdrawal policy. There is no submission fee.
Call for papers
Papers on how and why animals behave
The journal invites manuscripts on genetic, developmental, physiological and environmental influences on behavior, including migration, navigation and spatial memory.
- Migration
- Navigation
- Spatial memory
- Communication
- Mating systems
- Animal welfare