Author guidelines
The following information can be downloaded here.
REVIEW PROCESS
- At the time of submission, it is necessary verify that your article complies with the journal's submission requirements, structure, and citation rules (described below), because a first review will be made of the compliance with the guidelines of the journal, those articles that do not comply with all the rules can not initiate the process, and it will immediately rejected (see check list).
- All submitted manuscripts would be reviewed through software tools for plagiarism detection. Once the analysis of plagiarism verification results has been made, the decision about continuity or not of the review process resides in the Editor in Chief.
- If the manuscript complies correctly with the guidelines and does not present originality problems, it will be assigned to a specialized section editor, who evaluates the scientific merit of the manuscript and determines whether it can be sent for review by academic peers.
- With the approval of the section editor, will proceed to select and assign at least to each article two reviewers, external to the journal and experts in the subject of the manuscript. They will evaluate the quality, relevance and ethical aspects of the document to record their observations and thus achieve improvement for it. The review process will be developed under the modality of a double-blind pair, conserving the anonymity throughout the process both for the authors and for the reviewers. Here it will be determined if an article is approved or not for publication.
ACCEPTED ARTICLES
- When manuscripts are accepted for publication, authors are notified and receive comments from the reviewers and the section editor. These comments indicate and/or suggest major or minor changes to the manuscript that should be made. The corrected version should be submitted in the editor response format (found on the journal website) within the timeframe stipulated by the editor.
- Letter for editor (for download click here): In this letter, reasons for not following some suggested changes in the new version of the article should be clearly justified, and changes or corrections that were accepted in the new version should be highlighted in the document using track changes mode. If the corrected version is not received by the stipulated date, it will be considered as a withdrawal, and the manuscript will be removed from the editorial process. Rejected manuscripts may not be resubmitted. Articles will be published in order according to the dates that each study is received and accepted, and it will be organized according to their topics in every new issue.
- Once the corrected version of an article is conclusively accepted for publication, the manuscript may be modified editorially to meet the style requirements of the journal. Editorial changes are performed to improve writing style and to avoid grammatical errors. Editorial changes will be submitted to the corresponding author for approval.
- Once the adjustments have been made, the article will initially appear in a pre-print format on the web page, and then, the final version is published on the same website.
TYPES OF ARTICLES:
Reviews. Most reviews will be requested by the editorial committee based on the expertise of the authors on the topic. However, it is also possible that an author may submit a subject susceptible of becoming a review article, for which it is necessary that they comply with the requirements established for that purpose (see "Submit a Review article"). To this end, the Editorial Committee evaluates the relevance of the topic based on detailed information requested from potential authors.
This type of article relays the current state of knowledge on a topic in which the author has established expertise. The maximum length is 30 pages, double spaced, in the Word file format. Reviews should have at least 50 relevant bibliographical citations, preferably from only the past decade.
Research articles. They are scientific manuscripts that should include an abstract, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusions, acknowledgments, and a bibliography. A maximum of five figures and/or tables and a maximum of 50 recent and relevant bibliographical citations are allowed. The maximum length is 30 pages, double spaced, in the Word file format
Reflection paper. They are articles in which the authors present a specific position on a topic, basing their argument on their work and the relevant consulted literature. Must contain between 30 and 50 bibliographical references. The maximum length is 30 pages, double spaced, in the Word file format
Brief notes. They are concise and critical commentaries regarding an original result in a topic, with a maximum of five pages. The text is written as one section, without divisions into introduction, materials and methods, etc. When it is strictly necessary, a maximum of two figures or tables may be included per paper. Short notes contain a maximum of 30 bibliographical citations.
GUIDELINES FOR AUTHORS
MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION
Manuscripts submitted to Acta Biológica Colombiana for possible publication should be unpublished (not submitted simultaneously to any other print or digital publication). The authors are responsible for the opinions and ideas declared in the manuscript. The accuracy of the information included in the manuscripts, including figures, tables, and bibliographical citations, is the full responsibility of the author or authors.
For the manuscript to be considered, it must be submitted through the Manuscript format with Submission letter fit the topic and formatting instructions of the journal. The submission process is only through the OJS platform of the journal, for which you must register and log in. At the time of doing so, the "comments to the editor" section must be included the names and emails of at least five possible evaluators, who must have published at least one article in other indexed journals related to the coverage in the previous two years and not be immersed in any possible conflict of interest.
FORMAT. The document should be A4 letter sized (8.5” x 11”), double spaced, with 3 cm margins on all four sides, lines of text and pages numbered consecutively and written in Times New Roman 12 points font (see Manuscript format).
LANGUAGE. Manuscripts are accepted in Spanish and English. However, the title, summary, and keywords should be provided in both English and Spanish. To increase the dissemination and visibility of results, it is suggested that manuscripts will be written in English.
The title page should include the following:
Title. The title should be concise but informative and not exceed 120 characters including spaces. For scientific names, write the taxonomic family in parenthesis after the name of the species. Do not add species author or year in the title.
Author(s). To maintain the double-blind review process, the Word manuscript should not have any information about the authors. Author information will only be added in STEP 3 when the online submission takes place. (See ONLINE SUBMISSION PREPARATION in this document).
Abstract. Includes the main objective of the study, basic procedures (selection of study subjects and methods of observation and analysis), the most important findings (providing specific information or data and statistical significance whenever possible), and main conclusions. The most novel and most relevant observations and aspects should be highlighted. The maximum size is 250 words, and the summary always must be provided in both Spanish and English.
Keywords. A maximum of five keywords, which should follow internationally accepted standards should be provided. Do not include words which also are present in the title of the study (common and scientific names, concepts, etc.) Keywords must always be given in both English and Spanish and should be arranged alphabetically.
We recommend consulting the following: http://decses.bvsalud.org/E/homepagee.htm
For words in Spanish, consult the Scielo database
http://decs.bvs.br/E/DocumentosDeCS_e.htm
For keywords in English, you may consult the National Medicine Library of the United States or similar.
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/http://regional.bvsalud.org/php/decsws.php).
Text.
- Section titles (Abstract, Resumen, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, Acknowledgments, and References) must be centered, in all capitals and bolded. The primary and secondary subtitles should be left-justified and in bold; primary subheadings should be written in all caps, and secondary subheadings should be written with only the first letter capitalized.
- Statistical terms should always be defined, as should abbreviations and symbols. For units of measure, use the decimal metric system, except in cited texts, and do not use periods after an abbreviation (e.g., mm, m, km, ha, l, etc.). When numbers are not followed by units, whole numbers up to ten should be written out (one, two, ten), and numbers greater than ten should be given as numerals (11, 12, 102). When numbers are used, they should be followed by a symbol, and space should be left between the two (100 m, 50 mL). Lower case is recommended for symbols and abbreviations, some exceptions include K for the Kelvin unit of temperature; the A for ampere, units of electric current; M for molar concentration; and the L for liter. No symbol should be expressed in the plural; all symbols will be singular (km, m, etc.). For “p” values of statistical significance, the letter p should be used in lower case and italics.
- If your study includes geographical coordinates, they are to be written according to the following abbreviated format: (4°46’ N and 75°24’ W). To express altitude, the abbreviation m.a.s.l. should be used.
- 4. In Spanish language manuscripts, the decimal points will be separated with a comma (,) and in English, a point (.) must be used.
- Scientific names: Scientific names for taxa must be written in italics. Nomenclature must conform to the rules and recommendations of the pertinent international nomenclature code. The author and year of each taxon will only appear the first time it is mentioned in the manuscript text.
Scientific names are to be written out completely the first time they are used in the text. Subsequently, the genus name should be abbreviated, except when it appears at the beginning of a sentence.
Do not use any special lettering within the text. Abbreviations such as sp., nov. sp., spp. should not be italicized. Note that in Spanish, the word “taxón” is written with an accent (plural, taxones); in Latin, the corresponding terms are taxón and taxa.
- Cite each figure and table in the text according to the order in which it appears using the following format: (Fig. 4) or (Figs. 4 and 5) or (Fig. 3A-3F) or (Table 1.).
- Descriptions for new species. These must be presented in the following order: Species name (according to the stipulations of the pertinent International Nomenclature Code), type of specimen (holotype) with the number of the collection where it is deposited, the name of collection, and exact location. The site of collection or capture (country, department/state/province), exact town, latitude, longitude, altitude, date, etc.; isotypes, allotypes, and paratypes (if they exist) along with collection data and location where they are deposited. Name etymology, data regarding its distribution and ecology, comments on its taxonomic neighbors, uses, or other pertinent observations.
INTRODUCTION
This section should state the purpose of the study and summarize the logical grounds used to perform it. Only the most relevant references should be given, and it should not include data or conclusions of the study being published.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Precisely identify all reagents and equipment used (include the name of the manufacturer and the country in parentheses). Describe the procedures used in sufficient detail to allow other professionals to reproduce the study. Include methodology and statistical method references. Provide references and a brief description of methods that are already published but may not be well known. Describe new methods or those that have been substantially changed, and provide reasons for their use while evaluating their limitations.
Authors submitting the revised article should write a short, structured description of the methods used to identify, select, extract, and synthesize the information. When applicable, the authors should describe statistical methods with sufficient detail to allow readers to access original information and verify results. Whenever possible, findings with the appropriate margin of error or reliability (for example, confidence intervals) should be quantified and presented. Avoid relying only on statistical hypothesis tests, such as the use of “p” values, given that these omit important quantitative and qualitative information. Justify the selection of individuals participating in the study, detailing randomization, information about the possible complications of the intervention, number of observations made, and loss of individuals (such as losses in a clinical trial, see ETHICS section in this document). Whenever possible, references for research design and statistical methods should be from existing studies, rather than from original studies where they were first described. If software was used, indicate and provide a reference to the origin and permission for its use.
RESULTS
Results shall be presented in logical order and should highlight or summarize only the most important observations. The information contained in the text should not be repeated in tables and figures.
DISCUSSION
New and relevant aspects of the study should be highlighted. Authors should avoid giving detailed information and other material already provided in the Introduction or Results sections. New hypotheses should be established when justified. When possible, recommendations on the topic studied should be included.
CONCLUSIONS
At least one conclusion paragraph should appear linked with study objectives, and unqualified statements should be avoided unless the data clearly support them. Avoid using lists or loose phrases.
Acknowledgments
Mention financial sources of research projects and/or support received for performing the study (grants, equipment, reagents, etc.). You may name those people who have given intellectual support to the study but whose contributions did not justify co-authorship, and the contribution they provided will be described. For example, “scientific advisement,” “critical review of the research study,” or “data collection”.
REFERENCES
The journal Acta Biológica Colombiana welcomes the standards proposed in the 7th version of the American Psychological Association (APA) that can be consulted directly on its official website (https://normas-apa.org/).Before sending the manuscript online please be sure to manage your references automatically from bibliographic managers such asZotero (https://www.zotero.org/)or Mendeley (https://www.mendeley.com/download-desktop-new/).
Dating
All quotations in the text must match those presented in this section and must be correctly written according to the APA 7thformat. Use strictly necessary appointments. Avoid quoting summaries presented at conferences or other meetings.
Allusions to works admitted for publication, but not yet published, shall be cited in accordance with the rules proposed for this purpose (https://normas-apa.org/referencias/componentes/fecha-de-publicacion/). Authors must obtain written permission to cite these works, as well as be aware that they are admitted for publication. Where strictly necessary, unpublished information should appear as"unpublished observations"and always with written consent fromthose responsible for the source of information.
To the extent possible, expressions such as "personal communication" should be avoided unless the above provides essential information that cannot be obtained frompublished sources, in which case the name of the person and the date on which the communication was made shall be entailed in parentheses in the text.
Appointments in the text must conform tothe corresponding Date-Author appointment method with the APA Standards (https://normas-apa.org/citas/). According to the number of authors the subpoena in the text may have slight changes. The following table lists the most common options:
Authors |
Narrative quote |
Quote in parentheses |
An author |
Desta (2021) |
(Desta, 2021) |
From the authors |
Bagnall and Morgan (2021) |
(Bagnall and Morgan, 2021) |
Three or more authors |
Paredes-García et al. (2021) |
(Paredes-García et al., 2021) |
Institution, Corporation, Association or University |
Primera cita en el texto (Organización de las Naciones Unidas [ONU], 2014)
Siguientes citas ONU (2014) |
Primera cita en el texto Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU, 2014)
Siguientes citas (ONU, 2014) |
Reference format
References must be organized alphabetically according to the first surname of the first author and in chronological order. All must be correctly written according to the APA 7 format tobe edited. The information below is a brief description of the most representative APA standards for the magazine, however, it is important that you consult the standard formats on the official website (https://normas-apa.org/referencias/).Do not forget that these rules only apply to the References section.
Authors
Enter the Surnames of the authors followed by the Initials of the Name (e.g. Franco, C. A., Novillo, B.C. and Castillo, A.C). The initials of the name must be separated by a space, if the author has more than one last name, he must add the two surnames (e.g. Morales Torres, P.M). The names of the authors must be separated by commas and "y" or "and" should be used between the penultimate and last author depending on the language in which the manuscript is written. Always enter the first 20 authors, if there are more than twenty authors, include the first 19 names, then insert three ellipsis and add the name of the last author.
Other cases
Table 1. Variations in the format of the authors' name in the references.
Same last name and same initial first |
Tabarez, Fr. [Paul]. (2020). Anthology of The Short Story. The Square Editors. Tabarez, P. [Peter]. (2020). An Argentine case study. The Editors Triangle. |
If an author's first name is separated by scripts like Joan-Carles Glenn. |
Glenn, J.-C. (2015). Fragmentation of society. The Losango Editors. |
If the author has a hyphen-separated name, but is written in lowercase letters such as Say-iumi Manimoto. |
Manimoto, S. (1999). The history of the mani. ABC Editors. |
Look at the following examples and apply the formatting accordingly.
Books
The book reference has the following format:
Printed book
Last name, N. (year). Title of work. Editorial.
Book online
Last Name, N. and Last Name, N. (year). Book title. Publishing. DOI or URL
Book with editor
Last Name, N. (Ed.). (year). Title of work. Editorial.
Chapter of a book with editor
Quote book chapters with an editor other than the author. If the author is the same editor, quote the entire book according to the formats mentioned above. The book chapter reference has the following format:
Chapter of a book printed version:
Last Name Author, N.N. (year). Chapter title or entry in N. Last Name Editor (Ed.), Book Title (xx ed., Vol. xx, pp. xxx–xxx). Editorial.
If you cannot find information such as editing or volumeing the book, omit it.
Last Name, A. and Last Name, B. (year). Chapter title. In N. Last Name (Ed.), Book Title(pp. xx-xx). Editorial.
Chapter of a book electronic version:
Last Name, A. and Last Name, B. (year). Chapter title. In N. Last Name and B. Last Name (Eds.), Book Title (pp. xx-xx). Publishing. http://www.url.com
Last Name, A. and Last Name, B. (year). Chapter title. In N. Last Name (Ed.), Book Title (pp. xx-xx). Publishing. https://doi.org/xxxxxxxxx
Thesis or monograph
Thesis references or monographs have the following format:
Last Name, A. and Last Name, B. (year). Thesis or monograph title [Thesis or Monograph]. Publishing. http://www.url.com
Magazine
The journal articles reference has the following format:
Last Name, A., Last Name, B. and Last Name, C. (2019). Title of the specific article. Magazine Title ,Volume (magazine number), home page number – end page number.https://doi.org/xx.xxxxxxxxxx
Website
Use this appointment style if there is no other reference category that more specifically fits the type of job you want to quote. The web page reference has the following standard format:
Websites with static content
Last Name, A., Last Name, B., and Last Name, C. (May 20, 2020). Title of the website. Name of the page. https://url.com
Websites with frequent updates
Last Name, A., Last Name, B., and Last Name, C. (May 20, 2020). Title of the website. Name of the page. Recovered on the month of https://url.com
Special format within a website
Last Name, A. (August 03, 2020). File title [Excel File]. Name of the page. https://url.com
To download and use Mendeley please review the next link: https://www.mendeley.com/guides
TABLES AND FIGURES
All illustrations, including photographs, diagrams, maps, and graphics, are classified as figures. The total number of figures and tables should not be greater than five (5). Figures should be used as an alternative to tables; please avoid redundancy in tables, figures, and text. Only the necessary number should be used to explain the argument of the study. Figures should be located at the end of the Word manuscript and should also be sent separately in one of the two image formats (.jpg or .tiff), at high quality, with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi and a size of 15 – 20 cm. Normal figures will be reduced to a size of 6 – 12 cm so that the legends are legible after shrinking. Color figures are accepted for the online version at no additional cost. However, an additional black and white version should be submitted for the print publication. The publication of color figures in the print version will be financed by the author(s). Do not send figures in PowerPoint format; if Excel tables or figures have been generated, we prefer to receive those files as Excel files or high-quality PDFs.
Detailed titles and explanations of figures should be included in the captions and not in the figures or tables themselves. Captions should be sufficiently descriptive.
The legend of each table should be placed above the table; avoid using color gradients, shading, excessive lines, different background types, and outlines. Nonstandard explanations and abbreviations should be included in footnotes at the bottom of the table or figure. Measurements of statistical spread such as standard deviation and standard error of the mean must be identified. Distinguish between column titles and data.
If drawings or diagrams are included, they should be presented professionally. Hand drew or typewritten drawings will not be accepted. Letters, numbers, and symbols should be clear and uniform. Photographs taken via microscope or stereoscope should have internal scale bars, and the scale should be included in the lower left corner of the figure. Symbols, arrows, or letters used in this type of photograph should contrast with the background. The internal scale and identification of the staining used in photomicrographs should be shown in the figure caption.
Avoid using small, isolated figures: group related drawings or photographs in combined figures with letter titles (Fig. 1a, Fig. 3b, etc.). If an article has reproduced tables or figures (as from the same author), it is necessary to declare their origin and to show permission for their use. It is the responsibility of the authors to retain this permission.
PREPARATION FOR ONLINE SUBMISSION
Please take the following recommendations into account when making an online submission:
Comments to the editor (end of STEP 1 in online submission). Submit the names and emails for five possible evaluators who have published at least one article in the past two years in other indexed journals on a topic similar to that of the manuscript.
Author(s). In STEP 3, when the online submission is performed, please include information about each of the authors (name, surnames, highest academic degree, affiliation, city, country, and preferred institutional email address). The name and email of the corresponding author should be specified.
Additional files. In STEP 5 of the online submission process, the Submission letter should be signed by all authors and send to racbiocol_fcbog@unal.edu.co. The form is available on the journal website. Tables and figures should also be submitted as additional files.
Conflict of Interests
Acta Biológica Colombiana is committed to guaranteeing that the studies presented are free of all visible bias. The journal and its editors should account for all competing interests during the review process and assure that any related matters be declared in the published article.
The journal defines as a conflict of interest any matter that interferes or that could be reasonably perceived as interfering with the complete and objective presentation, peer revision, editorial decisions, or the publication of research articles in the journal. Conflicts of interests can be financial or non-financial, professional or personal, and may arise about an organization or another person.
Thus, Acta Biológica Colombiana has the following requirements:
Anyone involved in authorship, financing, review, or writing decisions of the articles shown or readers who wish to comment on published articles must declare any pertinent conflict of interest.
1. Authors must declare all pertinent conflicts of interests during the review process.
2. Editors and reviewers must declare their conflicts of interests, and if necessary, recuse themselves from participating in the evaluation of a specific manuscript.
3. Any reader commenting on studies published in Acta Biológica Colombiana must declare his/her conflicts of interest at the time of publishing his/her comments and/or ratings.
No article sent to Acta Biológica Colombiana will be published until conflicts of interest have been disclosed for all authors. Editors may request clarification on the declarations. The role of all financial sources of the study should be described, and the authors should explicitly declare whether the donor was involved in study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of results, document writing, and/or the decision to publish. If the donor was involved, the role/contribution should be explicitly described.
Acta Biológica Colombiana may decide not to publish an article if it determines that the conflicts of interest declared by the authors or financial backers may have endangered the objectivity or validity of the study, analysis, or interpretations included in the manuscript. Acta Biológica Colombiana does not publish research articles if the editors are aware of any existing conflicts of interest that might introduce bias or a reasonable perception of partiality. Any failure to disclose a conflict of interest may result in the immediate rejection of the manuscript. If a conflict of interest is revealed after publication, ABC will print a formal correction or retraction on a case-by-case basis.
ETHICS
Authors must be aware of how to comply with the best ethical practices of publication, specifically with reference to authorship (for example, avoid ghostwriting or invited authors), the duplication of published results, plagiarism, manipulation of data, conflicts of interests, and following ethical research policies in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): http://publicationethics.org/
Research on humans, animals, and plants
Indicate in the Materials and Methods section that you followed ethical guidelines when conducting studies or sampling that required approval from a committee or agency (institutional or regional) responsible for supervising research projects. Do not use proper names, initials, or the clinical identification numbers of patients. When experiments are performed on animals, it should be indicated whether institutional or national research council directives were followed or whether a national law on the care and use of laboratory animals was taken into account. It is preferable to include the date and number of the law or the relevant resolutions. Authors should be able to show, upon request, a declaration from the research ethics committee, institutional review board, or the corresponding authority showing approval of the study and the name of the institution. Permit numbers should also be included in the manuscript.
Sample declaration of ethics approval: This study was performed in strict accordance with the recommendations of (place name of the guide followed). The protocol was approved by the Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee of the National University of Colombia (Permit number: 27-2956). All possible efforts were made to minimize suffering during individual sacrifices, using the following procedures: (describe the procedures followed).
For manuscripts including results requiring that samples be sent to biological collections, it is necessary to indicate the collection numbers and information about the collector, indicating the location where they were deposited, or where specimens or vouchers were consulted. For frozen tissues deposited in collections and DNA sequences deposited in databases, access numbers should also be included. Indicate the collection permit number and/or access to genetic material resources when available.
Availability of data
Acta Biológica Colombiana requires authors to provide unrestricted access to the data underlying the findings described in the complete manuscript. Publication is conditional upon the agreement of the authors to place any material or information described in the publication at the free disposal of others who have reasonably requested it (pooled data, metadata, materials, and software).
The journal defines the “minimum data set” as the set of data used to arrive at the conclusions described in the manuscript, the related metadata and methods, and all additional data necessary for fully replicating the findings of the studies reported. Descriptions of data, methods, and basic results of the study should be included within the primary document. ABC does not accept references to “data not shown.” Editors and reviewers may require particular types of data for certain articles. Authors who have data sets that are too large to share via repositories or large files should communicate with the journal for editorial advice.
When submitting a manuscript online, the authors should present a declaration regarding the availability of data describing how ABC policies were met. If the article is accepted for publication, the data availability declaration will be published as part of the final article. Refusing to share data, metadata, and procedures by this policy will be grounds for rejection.
If new software or a new algorithm is necessary for a document accepted in the Acta Biológica Colombiana, authors should confirm that the software meets the definition of open coding and place the contents in an open source file; this information should be included in the manuscript as supporting information.
Open access agreement
After an article is submitted, authors are asked to indicate that they agree to comply with Creative Commons 4.0 open access. Under the terms of this license, the authors retain ownership of author rights for their articles. Nevertheless, the license allows any user to download, print, extract, reuse, archive, or distribute the article if and only if appropriate credit is given to the authors and the source. The license assures authors that the article will be as widely available as possible and that the article may be included in any scientific archive, and the journal will manage the inclusion and dissemination of the complete text via the institutional repository of the National University of Colombia and all specialized databases that the editor feels are appropriate for indexing and increasing the visibility of the journal.
Changes in authorship
Acta Biológica Colombiana follows COPE guidelines for describing changes in authorship. If modifications to the author list of a manuscript are necessary after initial submission (but before publication), the corresponding author should first communicate with journal staff and provide a clear reason for the change. If the change in the authorship list is appropriate and in agreement with the guidelines mentioned above, the corresponding author will be asked to provide a written confirmation of the changes suggested were approved by all the authors.