- International Journal of Ethology
- Short title IJE
- Open access · CC BY 4.0
Aims and Scope
The International Journal of Ethology publishes research on animal behavior and the evolutionary, ecological and physiological mechanisms that shape it.
What the journal sets out to do
- To publish rigorous research on the causes, function, development and evolution of animal behavior, in wild, captive and laboratory settings.
- To strengthen the observational, experimental and analytical methods on which the study of behavior depends.
- To report evidence that informs the understanding and conservation of animal populations and their behavior in a changing environment.
- To make this research openly available, so that researchers, students and practitioners can read and reuse it freely.
Research areas
IJE considers research on the behavior of animals. Like an ethogram, its scope is a catalog of behaviors and the questions asked about them. The eight areas below are illustrative, not a closed list, and each is framed around animal behavior.
- 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.
Work from the neighboring disciplines, such as ecology, physiology, genetics, psychology and computational science, is welcome when it addresses a question about animal behavior. A topic that is not named above is within scope when it meets that test.
Designs and approaches welcomed
IJE considers observational, experimental, comparative and theoretical work. The approaches are reported within the article types listed below; a field study, an experiment or a model, for example, is submitted as Original Research.
- Field studies
- Observation and monitoring of wild populations, including long-term studies and the use of telemetry, bioacoustics and remote cameras.
- Captive and laboratory studies
- Controlled experiments on learning, decision-making, development and physiology in captive, farmed or laboratory animals.
- Comparative studies
- Comparisons across species, populations or lineages that place behavior in a phylogenetic context.
- Neural and physiological mechanisms
- Studies of sensory systems, neural circuits, hormones and genes in relation to behavior.
- Modeling and theory
- Mathematical, statistical and simulation models of behavioral strategies, social dynamics and evolution.
- Evidence synthesis
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the behavioral literature.
- Methodological research
- New, adapted or validated methods for recording, scoring, analyzing and reproducing behavioral data.
What makes a manuscript a fit
Manuscripts are assessed for their relevance to animal behavior, the soundness of their methods and whether their conclusions are proportionate to the evidence. Natural history is valued when it is tied to a behavioral question.
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Registered Reports
Registered Reports are considered at both stages: the study plan before data are collected, and the completed study reported as planned.
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Data Notes
Data Notes describe behavioral datasets, such as recordings, tracking data or ethograms, with their collection, quality and access, to support reuse.
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Commentaries
Commentaries make a reasoned argument, supported by evidence and cited sources, on a question in the study of behavior or on work published in IJE.
Article types
The journal publishes the article types below. Guidance on the structure, abstract and reporting standard for each type is given in the Instructions for Authors.
- Original ResearchEmpirical studies of animal behavior in the field, in captivity or in the laboratory, and models of behavior.
- Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisSystematic syntheses of evidence on a defined question about behavior, with or without meta-analysis.
- MethodsNew, adapted or validated methods for recording, scoring or analyzing behavior, and protocols for planned studies.
- Registered ReportStudies whose plan is reviewed before data collection (Stage 1) and whose results are reported as planned (Stage 2).
- Short CommunicationConcise reports of a focused or preliminary finding about behavior.
- Data NoteDescriptions of behavioral datasets, their collection, quality and access.
- CommentaryEvidence-based argument on a current question in the study of behavior or on published research.
Where a manuscript sits between types, authors choose the closest type and explain the choice in the cover letter, and the editors confirm the classification. A scoping review is classified as a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, and a study protocol as Methods.
Scope questions
Is my topic within scope?
A manuscript is within scope when it addresses a question about animal behavior, whatever its discipline, taxon or setting. If you are unsure, send the title and abstract to the editorial office at info@openaccesspub.org before submitting.
Does IJE consider studies of a single species or site?
Yes. Single-species and single-site studies are considered. Authors explain how their findings relate to other species, populations or settings.
Are laboratory or molecular studies within scope?
They are considered when they address behavior, for example studies that link a gene, hormone or neural circuit to a behavioral phenotype.
Can I submit work that has been posted as a preprint?
Yes. Posting a preprint is compatible with submission to IJE. Cite the preprint and its DOI in the cover letter.
Preparing a submission
Read the Instructions for Authors and the Editorial Policies before submitting.