How to submit an article to a Research Topic
What is a Research Topic?
Research Topics are peer-reviewed article collections centered on impactful research themes, drawing on the shared knowledge of researchers within the community. They serve as a focal point for researchers to stay updated on areas of interest, bring together researchers for collaboration, and highlight emerging trends and directions within a field.
Who leads a Research Topic?
Researchers within a field drive Research Topics. Together, they form an editorial team and collectively curate the vision for the collection, known as Topic Editors.
How to find a Research Topic
You can explore open Research Topics on the journals’ homepage. Use the search filter to find an existing Research Topic in your field. You can also find more specific information on the structure and process in call for participation messages and the journals’ social media.
Why submit an article to a Research Topic?
Research Topics consolidate impactful research or highlight important research themes and trends for the scientific community. Participating in a Research Topic offers several benefits. Explore the benefits of submitting to a Research Topic.
The Research Topic timeline
1. Call for participation
Authors are either:
Invited by the Topic Editors to contribute based on their expertise.
Discover an open Research Topic via the journal website or social media promotion.
2. Article submission
Authors prepare and submit their manuscripts through the journal’s online platform.
The submission must align with the scope of the Research Topic and follow the journal’s author guidelines.
3. Constructive peer review
Submissions undergo Frontiers’ collaborative peer review process, ensuring scientific rigor, transparency, and speed.
Authors receive reviewer feedback and can revise their manuscripts accordingly.
4. Publication
If accepted, the article will be published under an open-access license.
It becomes part of the collection, benefiting from the added visibility and engagement that Research Topics typically generate.
5. Promotion and engagement
Published articles are promoted alongside the Research Topic via newsletters, social media, and the journal platform.
Authors benefit from being part of a community-focused initiative, increasing the chances of citations and wider academic recognition.
Responding to a call for participation
Responding to a call for participation is straightforward. It starts with responding to the email from the topic editors.
Submitting your article without a call for participation invitation
If you did not receive a call for papers but would like to contribute to a specific Research Topic, first check that submissions are still open; an active submission link should be visible on the collection page. If in doubt, contact the editorial team to confirm.
Before submitting your full manuscript, we recommend reviewing the Research Topic scope carefully. You may also choose to send a summary of your proposed article to the Topic Editors in advance. This helps ensure your work is a good fit for the collection.
Please note: If a submission falls outside the scope of the Research Topic, the Topic Editors may request that it be considered as a general submission to the journal instead.
Submit your article to a Research Topic
Submitting a manuscript summary to a Research Topic
Register your interest with a manuscript summary submission. This highlights the key details and focus areas of your article and acts as a
Learn how to learn more about how to submit your manuscript summary to a Research Topic.
How to submit your manuscript
Go to the Research Topic page:
Select “Submit your manuscript”.
A personal Loop account is required to submit a manuscript; instructions are provided in the submission pathway, and a chat option is available for any questions.
Documents can be prepared in any typical text editor, but Microsoft Word, LaTeX and PDF documents are the preferred file type. Templates are available on your chosen journal’s webpage. Learn more about preparing your manuscript.
Upload these files or use the available forms found on the dedicated publisher page.
Ensure all personal, contact, and statement information is completed.
What support does Frontiers offer for authors?
Frontiers provides dedicated support at every stage of the publishing journey — from submission to peer review to publication.
Support teams
Our support teams are here to assist if you have questions about your submission or need help using the platform.
You can:
Check the Help Center for step-by-step guidance
For technical support, contact support@frontiersin.org
For journal specific enquiries, go to the Journal page, click About journal and choose contact editorial office.
Chatbot on the Review Forum
After you submit your article, our chatbot is available directly in the Review Forum to guide you through the peer review process. It provides quick answers to common questions at any time of day and if the chatbot can’t answer your enquiry, it is forwarded to the editorial office who will respond via email.
Deadline extensions
If unexpected delays arise, you can request a deadline extension for your Research Topic submission by contacting the relevant Journal team. Requests are reviewed individually and granted based on need.
Fee support
If you do not have the means to cover the Article Processing Charges (APCs), you can request assistance through our fee support application.
Before applying, we recommend checking whether your institution or funder has a partnership with Frontiers that could partially cover your APCs. You can explore these options via our institutional partnerships.
Please note that fee support is limited, not guaranteed, and may result in partial rather than full coverage. Each application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Learn more about eligibility and criteria on our Fee Support Policy page.