About the International Journal of Ethology
A premier platform for advancing the scientific study of animal behavior across natural and laboratory environments, bridging ethology with ecology, evolution, neuroscience, and comparative biology.
IJE's mission centers on advancing ethological research through the publication and dissemination of high-quality scholarship. Our objectives are designed to support the global community of behavioral scientists at every stage of inquiry:
- Publish Original Research: Empirical investigations of animal behavior in natural habitats, semi-natural environments, and laboratory conditions, employing observational, experimental, and computational methods.
- Foster Theoretical Development: Papers that propose novel frameworks, refine existing theories, or integrate mechanistic and functional perspectives on behavior.
- Promote Knowledge Synthesis: State-of-the-art reviews and meta-analyses that consolidate current understanding, identify knowledge gaps, and chart future research directions.
- Facilitate Scientific Dialogue: Commentaries, perspectives, and debates on methodological challenges, ethical considerations, and paradigm shifts in ethology.
- Ensure Quality and Integrity: Rigorous peer review, plagiarism screening, and adherence to ethical guidelines for research involving animal subjects.
- Maximize Research Impact: Open-access dissemination ensures broad visibility, enabling researchers to reach diverse audiences and influence future investigations, conservation strategies, and educational curricula.
IJE welcomes submissions across the breadth of ethology and related disciplines. Our scope encompasses both traditional ethological questions and emerging interdisciplinary approaches that enrich our understanding of animal behavior:
Foraging strategies, predator-prey interactions, mating systems, territoriality, parental care, life history trade-offs, and adaptive behavioral plasticity.
Communication systems, cooperation and conflict, dominance hierarchies, altruism, group dynamics, and the evolution of sociality across taxa.
Learning, memory, problem-solving, decision-making, tool use, spatial navigation, and the comparative study of animal cognition.
Ontogeny of behavior, imprinting, early experience effects, behavioral plasticity during development, and epigenetic influences.
Neural mechanisms underlying behavior, sensory systems, motor control, hormonal regulation, and the integration of neurobiological and behavioral approaches.
Phylogenetic perspectives on behavior, behavioral evolution, comparative methods, sexual selection, and adaptive radiation.
Behavioral responses to environmental change, human disturbance, habitat fragmentation, and the application of behavioral insights to species conservation.
Novel observational techniques, bioacoustics, telemetry, video analysis, computational modeling, statistical approaches, and reproducibility initiatives.
IJE offers multiple convenient submission methods to accommodate diverse author preferences and institutional workflows. All submissions undergo the same rigorous review process regardless of submission route:
Online Submission
Submit manuscripts via our online submission portal. Upload your manuscript, figures, supplementary materials, and complete author information through an intuitive interface.
Email Submission
Authors may also submit manuscripts and cover letters via email to [email protected]. Ensure all files are clearly labeled and accompanied by necessary metadata.
Manuscript Zone
Use our advanced editorial manager, Manuscript Zone, for step-by-step submission guidance. You will receive a manuscript acknowledgment number via email within 72 hours.
IJE is committed to upholding the highest standards of scholarly publishing. Every submitted manuscript undergoes comprehensive peer review by experts in ethology and related fields. Our editorial process prioritizes:
- Scientific Rigor: Reviewers assess methodological soundness, statistical appropriateness, data quality, and logical coherence of conclusions.
- Originality and Significance: Manuscripts must contribute new knowledge, challenge existing paradigms, or provide important synthesis of current understanding.
- Ethical Compliance: All research involving animal subjects must adhere to institutional and international ethical guidelines. Authors must provide ethical approval documentation.
- Plagiarism Detection: All submissions are screened using advanced plagiarism detection tools to ensure originality and proper attribution.
- Constructive Feedback: Reviewers provide detailed, constructive feedback to help authors improve manuscripts, regardless of final publication decision.
- Timely Review: IJE is committed to efficient peer review, typically completing the process within weeks rather than months, accelerating the dissemination of important findings.
IJE is guided by a distinguished editorial board comprising leading experts in ethology, behavioral ecology, evolutionary biology, neuroethology, zoology, and related disciplines. Board members contribute their expertise through:
- Reviewing submitted manuscripts to ensure scientific quality and relevance
- Providing strategic guidance on journal scope, policies, and priorities
- Identifying emerging research areas and soliciting high-impact contributions
- Upholding ethical standards and promoting best practices in behavioral research
- Fostering international collaboration and scientific exchange within the ethology community
IJE offers a compelling publishing platform for behavioral scientists worldwide. Key advantages include:
- Global Visibility: Open-access publishing ensures your research reaches readers worldwide without subscription barriers
- Rapid Publication: Efficient editorial workflows accelerate dissemination of your findings to the scientific community
- Expert Review: Rigorous peer review by specialists in ethology and related fields ensures quality and credibility
- Interdisciplinary Audience: Reach researchers across ethology, ecology, evolution, neuroscience, psychology, zoology, and conservation
- Professional Support: Responsive editorial staff provide guidance throughout the submission and review process
- Research Impact: Published articles are indexed and discoverable through major academic databases, maximizing citation potential
Submit Your Ethology Research to IJE
Join the global community of behavioral scientists advancing our understanding of animal behavior. Whether your research explores mechanisms, development, function, or evolution of behavior, IJE provides a rigorous, responsive, and respected platform for disseminating your findings.
