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Previously a supplement to Proceedings B, and launched as an independent journal in 2005, Biology Letters is a primarily online, peer-reviewed journal that publishes short, high-quality articles, reviews and opinion pieces from across the biological sciences. The scope of Biology Letters is vast - publishing high-quality research in any area of the biological sciences. However, we have particular strengths in the biology, evolution and ecology of whole organisms. We also publish in other areas of biology, such as molecular ecology and evolution, environmental science, and phylogenetics.
Articles submitted to Biology Letters benefit from its broad scope and readership, dedicated media promotion and we aim for a turnaround time of within 4 weeks to first decision.
The journal is particularly suited to research that requires high visibility due to its novel findings.
Biology Letters has an international Editorial Board with expertise across the biological sciences.
The criteria for acceptance are: scientific excellence, work of outstanding quality and international importance, originality and interest across disciplines within biology. To be acceptable for publication a paper should represent a significant advance in its field, rather than something incremental. Pilot/preliminary studies are not usually considered in the journal.
All manuscripts are assessed by a member of the editorial board, who advises the Handling Editor on the suitability of the manuscript for Biology Letters. Many good papers are rejected before peer review on the grounds that they are insufficiently novel, due to high competition for space.
The Handling Editors and Editor-in-Chief are responsible for all final editorial decisions and make these decisions based on the reports received from the referees and board members.
Biology Letters publishes under a continuous publications model, meaning that articles are published as they are ready, with issues opening at the beginning and closing at the end of each calendar month. Along with all Royal Society journals, we are committed to archiving and providing perpetual access.
Although the printed version of Biology Letters is limited to 2500 words, there is the facility for Electronic Supplementary Material (ESM).
Articles must not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere. The main findings of the article should not have been reported in the mass media. Like many journals, Biology Letters employs a strict embargo policy where the reporting of a scientific article by the media is embargoed until a specific time. The Editor has final authority in all matters relating to publication. Please also refer to our Publishing Ethics Policy.
Biology Letters is indexed in PubMed, PubMed Central, Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar, as well as many other indexes.
