Submissions

Original Research

Section default policy

Opinion

Opinion articles allow authors to contribute viewpoints on the interpretation of recent findings in any research area, value of the methods used, as well as weaknesses and strengths of scientific hypotheses. They should abide to the following guidelines: not contain unpublished or original data, be supported by evidence, be fully referenced, encourage constructive discussion, refrain from emotionally-charged argumentation. Opinion articles are peer-reviewed and have a maximum word count of 2,000 and may contain no more than 1 Figure/Table. Authors are required to pay a fee (C-type article) to publish an Opinion article. Opinion articles should have the following format:

1. Introduction
2. Subsections relevant for the subject
3. Discussion

Brief Research Report

Brief Research Report articles present original research and/or preliminary findings in a more succinct way, and with fewer details, than Original Research articles. Additionally, in line with the Frontiers ethos of publishing scientifically-sound discoveries, Brief Research Reports also encourage submission of negative results and may report on the non-reproducibility of previously published results. Brief Research Reports articles are peer-reviewed, have a maximum word count of 4,000 and may contain no more than 4 Figures/Tables. Authors are required to pay a fee (B-type article) to publish a Brief Research Report. Brief Research Report articles should have the following format:

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Method
4. Results
5. Discussion

Supplementary material may be included with Brief Research Reports.

Review

Review articles cover topics that have seen significant development or progress in recent years, with comprehensive depth and a balanced perspective. Reviews should present a complete overview of the state of the art (and should not merely summarize the literature), as well as discuss the following:

1. Different schools of thought or controversies,
2. Fundamental concepts, issues, and problems,
3. Current research gaps
4. Potential developments in the field.

Review articles are peer-reviewed and have a maximum word count of 12,000. Authors are required to pay a fee (A-type article) to publish a Review article. Review articles should have the following format:

1. Abstract,
2. Introduction
3. Subsections relevant for the subject
4. Discussion.

Review articles must not include unpublished material (unpublished/original data, submitted manuscripts, or personal communications) and may be rejected in review or reclassified, at a significant delay, if found to include such content.

Systematic Review

Systematic Review articles present a synthesis of previous research, and use clearly defined methods to identify, categorize, analyze and report aggregated evidence on a specific topic. Included in this article type are meta-syntheses, meta-analyses, mapping reviews, scoping reviews, systematic reviews, and systematic reviews with a meta-analysis. Systematic Review articles are peer-reviewed and have a maximum word count of 12,000. Authors are required to pay a fee (A-type article) to publish a Systematic Review article. Systematic Reviews should: clearly define the research question in terms of population, interventions, comparators, outcomes and study designs (PICOS), and state which reporting guidelines were used in the study. For design and reporting, systematic reviews must conform to the reporting guidelines (e.g., PRISMA, Cochrane, Campbell), and include the PRISMA flow diagram http://prisma-statement.org/prismastatement/flowdiagram.aspx (if applicable), as well as funding information (if no specific funding to carry out the research, please state so). Systematic Reviews should have the following format:

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Methods (including study design; participants; interventions; comparators; systematic review protocol; search strategy; data sources; study sections and data extraction; data analysis)
4. Results (including a flow diagram of the studies retrieved for the review; study selection and characteristics; synthesized findings; assessment of risk of bias)
5. Discussion (including summary of main findings; limitations; conclusions)

Systematic Reviews must not include unpublished material (unpublished/original data, submitted manuscripts, or personal communications) and may be rejected in review or reclassified, at a significant delay, if found to include such content.