Editorial Guidelines

Our Editorial Mission

Since 2001 the Biology Online mission has been  to promote awareness of all things about Biology. We do that by publishing articles on Biology topics that have gone through meticulous editing and verification to guarantee accuracy and substance. We strive to be up-to-date with the latest news and insights circulating within the Biology community. 

Our Editorial Commitment

We always adhere to the highest editorial standards. Information on Biology Online is prepared and reviewed by Biology experts with years of professional experience and mastery on specific topics. Our goal is to  provide you Biology related content that is up-to-date, readable, verified, unplagiarized, and useful.

Our Editorial Values

We aim for all visual and written content to be worthy of your trust. Thus, we focus not just on facts but also on the latest research findings. We are able to meet that goal by leveraging our Advisory Board of reputable Biology experts from around the world. The content goes through rigorous reviews and verifications to confirm that what we publish is factual, current, and accurate. Also, we conduct routine checks of the previous publications and rectify them should there be any obsolete information. 

While we make sure that the content is reliable and of excellent quality, there may be aspects warranting modifications. We embrace diversity in views and interpretations, thus, we encourage everyone to get involved by sending us their opinions, queries, and concerns. If you have suggestions on how we can further improve, please contact us. We solicit feedback and approbate valid suggestions/csomments. 

Our website is visited by  Biology professionals, scientists, researchers, students, and educators.We strive to make our content concise, comprehensive, and clear to all users. We do so by proofreading and implementing the necessary changes and by appending photos, videos, and other supplementary materials. By making our content easy to understand, we can be certain to sustain quality content to the ever-growing number of users visiting our website. 

All these measures are essential to guarantee that our content is trustworthy, authoritative, and conveying the best and latest information in the field of Biology. 

Our Editorial Quality Standards

The editorial process of Biology Online has evolved over the last 20 years, and is rooted in our experiences.   Below is the process we currently undertake to achieve our editorial mission and standards. 

Topic Selection

Selecting topics for publication is a collaborative effort of the team. We select topics based on data analysis and trends. We search for Biology topics that are not yet published on the website but are piquing the interest of the science community. We consult scientists and experts or search scholarly websites for topics to cover on our website. Occasionally, we include previously published content in our roster of content requests. They are subject to further optimization and improvement. 

Preparing Quality Content

Our editors create and publish content for every approved topic. We make sure that every article follows the Editorial Guidelines. To qualify the article as legible and comprehensible, we proofread and rectify errors, including grammar and spelling. We also add illustrations, schematic diagrams, pictures, and/or videos as an adjunct to the written content. Related literature is crucial to a fact-based article. Thus, we include a list of references to vouch for the facts. We are selective of the source materials we use. References regarded as valid are as follows:

• Reputable scholastic or authoritative websites, e.g. *.edu and *.gov websites
• Scientific journals, especially with high impact factor
• Trusted news agencies
• Textbooks written by renowned, well-established authors
• Interviews or communication with experienced  scientists and professionals

The reference materials are obtained via online research or provided by a member of the site’s Advisory Board. Proper citations of both visual and written content are mandatory to ensure that plagiarism is precluded. The citation style we use is typically the APA style. We write original content and we produce many of the supplementary images. In instances wherein the images must come from external sources, we always see to it that we give them proper credits. We prefer images with a Creative Commons license. Occasionally, we also purchase from a stock photography provider.

Accuracy

To ensure the accuracy of the article, we send it to a member of the Advisory Board specializing on the topic. The Board Member will see to it that all the information is factual and up-to-date. After reviewing the article, the Reviewing Board Member returns the article with comments and recommendations to the Editor-in-Chief for any necessary revision. 

Updating Content

The content of the article will be checked routinely for relevancy. To do this, the published article is reviewed and evaluated by our editorial team or a member of our Advisory Board. When it contains information that is outdated or inaccurate, it is updated expeditiously. The same procedure applies to reported content with inaccurate information. 

Article Submissions

We welcome submissions from contributors intending to publish their work on our website. The guest article goes through the following procedure: 

(1) Article deliberation by the editorial team: the Editor-in-Chief evaluates the article for topic relevance and originality (article will be subject to plagiarism checking). If considered for publication, the article is submitted to the suitable Advisory Board Member for review.

(2) Fact-checking by the Advisory Board Member: the Board Member checks the article for accuracy. Evaluations and/or recommendations are given to the Editor-in-Chief.

(3) The Editor-in-Chief assesses the Board Member’s evaluation and/or recommendations. If workable, the article is returned to the author for revisions, e.g. content or layout modifications prior to publication. Otherwise, the author is notified about the nonacceptance of the article. 

If you have a manuscript or an article you would like to publish on our website, please contact us.

Recommendations

You may encounter certain hyperlinked texts or images on some of our articles that will lead you to specific pages within our website or to an external source. They are our recommended materials relevant to the article you found on our website. We believe that by recommending helpful resources it will further aid you in your research and learning endeavors by curtailing the time spent on searching for relevant materials. As for the external links, rest assured that we only recommend highly esteemed websites. They have their independent editorial team that ensures the accuracy and usability of their content. We have no control over their content. They may execute modifications under their sole discretion. 

Our Editors

Our editors have expertise fortified by many years of professional experience. We are certain we are delivering high-caliber content. Meet the members of our Advisory Board here. Get to know them through their bio that specifies their skill set, credentials, experience, education, affiliations, and other essential information.

Editorial Corrections

We are doing our best to keep our content as accurate, up-to-date, and coherent as possible. However, we cannot discount the plausibility of human error. There may still be aspects that fortuitously escape our scrutiny. Thus, in case you find any error, inconsistency, ambiguity, or obsolescence, please notify us by filling out the form found on this page. 

Advertising

Biology Online is financially supported through the sale of Advertising, all of which is procured by our Advertising Sales team. The Advertising Sales function is purposely separated from our Editorial Department and Advertising has no influence on our Editorial decision. 

Ownership

Biology Online is independently owned and operated by Digital Ventures, a private company located in California, USA.

Funding

All the content on our website is free for anyone to access. To continue to provide you a freely accessible website, our advertisements help us cover our operating expenses, which include payments for hosting, domain registration, software, professional services, and taxes.

ADVISORY BOARD

The Advisory Board of Biology Online consists of Editor-in-Chief and Advisory Board Members. The primary functions of the Editorial Board are as follows: 

• Setting the content direction of the website, e.g. by conveying proposals, evaluating them, and implementing what is useful to the overall success of the website
• Identifying topics of significance and providing quality content for each while upholding the values and commitment of the website
• Working as a team to ensure that the site’s content adheres to the Editorial Standards
• Communicating with one another with utmost respect and courtesy at all times
• Approaching potential article contributors
• Endorse the website to the science community, colleagues, authors, readers, and subscribers

EDITORIAL POLICIES

References and Citations

References are important to bring substance to an article that presents scientific facts and studies. Not only will they help the users track the veracity of the content but it will also prevent plagiarism. However, not all materials can be used as a valid reference. The main features of a valid reference are as follows: authority, accuracy, accessibility, purpose, and currency. Thus, valid sources are generally those that come from authoritative and scholastic websites, such as *.gov and *.edu. Papers recently published from reputable scientific journals and the latest press releases from trusted news agencies are also good resources. Textbooks written by prominent authors are also trustworthy provided that they are in their most recent edition. Interviews with scientists and consultation with experts may also be cited as credible sources of information. The use of anonymous sources is, as much as possible, discouraged. The reference list is affixed right after the main content, typically in APA citation style. 

Media

Illustrations, schematic diagrams, pictures, and videos are clearly useful in presenting complex information. We create our own visual/graphic aids or we purchase stock photos. Occasionally, we use images from external sources and then make proper attributions. In this regard, we often choose images released to the public domain or with a Creative Commons license. 

Copyright Content

All content, visual and written, published on the website are owned by the company. Thus, any form of reuse or reproduction is prohibited without the consent and approval of the company. If you wish to use the site’s content, fill out the form here.

Links

Hyperlinking should be used only when necessary. Links are installed with the intent to bring further clarity to the topic. The link may lead to a page within the website or to an external source. Linking to other website pages should be restricted to linking to credible and approved sources only. 

For any questions related to Editorial Policies, please contact us.