How to submit an article to our journals
This guide will help make submitting an article to a Frontiers journal as easy as possible, so you can focus on creating a high-quality manuscript for publication.
Finding a journal for your article
Frontiers publishes journals covering more than 1,700 academic disciplines, so you can easily find a suitable home for your research. You can browse our journals alphabetically or by category. Or search by keyword to find your ideal journal.
Finding a Research Topic for your article
Research Topics are interdisciplinary collections focusing on innovative research questions, emerging issues, or new ideas.
Submitting an article to a Research Topic involves a slightly different approach, so we recommend reading our guide on submitting an article to a Research Topic to learn more about this.
How to submit your manuscript
The submission process is straightforward once you're logged into your My Frontiers account. (You can also submit directly from preprint servers such as Chronos and bioRxiv.)
The exact information required will vary depending on the type of article you are submitting. Below, we outline the main sections common to most article types to help you prepare. To start a new submission, simply click the 'Submit' button, then select 'Start new'. You can save your progress at any point and return to complete your submission later.
1. My submission details
In this section, you’ll choose the relevant journal to publish in and the type of article you’re writing. You can also select a relevant Research Topic to submit to and upload your manuscript and associated files.
Journal
Here, you can search for the journal or journal section you wish to publish in or browse categories to find the journal that best fits your research. When you find a journal, you can then choose the most suitable specialty and click ‘Select’.
Article type
You’ll need to choose which article type you are submitting from a list of options. The article type you choose will affect the length of your manuscript and accompanying abstract, as well as the number of figures and tables you can include. Read our guide on article types to find which will best fit your aims. Please note that not all article types are available for all journals, so check the ‘mission and scope’ page' of the journal you are considering.
Research Topic
If you have a specific Research Topic in mind for submitting your article, you can find it here. Alternatively, if you're interested in finding a Research Topic, please search Frontiers’ website and learn more before selecting a Research Topic in the submission portal. Checking the Research Topic's aims and scope before submitting will help make sure your manuscript is in scope for the collection, and please also note that some Research Topics may not welcome all article types.
Manuscript
In this section, there are upload options for:
your manuscript (its source file – please include both the PDF and use our Word templates or LaTeX template with bibliography.
figures (in TiF/TiFF or JPG format; 300 DPI; 8.5 to 20cm width)
any additional files, such as data sheets, presentations, supplementary images/tables, audio, or video, with a maximum size of 30MB)
You also need to indicate the number of tables in your manuscript, which will be limited depending on your chosen article type.
Scope statement
This is a 200-word maximum description of how your manuscript contributes to the research field. Frame the research question(s) addressed in your work in the context of current knowledge, highlighting how the findings contribute to progress in your field and how your manuscript fits within the scope of your chosen journal and section.
2. Manuscript information
You’ll also want to add more information about your manuscript. The information needed will depend on the article type. As an example, for an Original Research article, you’ll provide:
Article title
A well-crafted title is more than just a label. It’s your first opportunity to signal your work's relevance, clarity, and value. Including precise, informative keywords helps readers quickly grasp your article’s focus and significantly improves its discoverability in online searches and databases. For more on creating a strong title, see our guide on preparing your manuscript.
Running title
A running head is a short version of the paper title that is printed as a heading at the top of each page. This ensures every page is clearly labelled as being part of your article. We recommend using five words maximum.
Keywords
Strong keywords boost your article’s reach by helping search engines and databases surface it to the right audience. Choose terms that reflect your core concepts, match your peers' language, and avoid general or ambiguous wording.
Abstract
Your abstract is often the first (and sometimes only) part readers see, including potential reviewers. In just 250–300 words (depending on your journal), it should clearly capture your study's purpose, methods, and key findings to help others quickly decide its relevance. This can be copied across in plain text from your uploaded manuscript.
Methods
The methods section is your research roadmap. It shows how you got your results and ensures others can replicate your findings. Clear, detailed methods support transparency, reproducibility, and reader trust in your findings. Again, this can be copied and pasted from your manuscript's materials and methods section.
Products and equipment details
Listing equipment and product details (including manufacturers) supports reproducibility and clarity. It helps peers accurately interpret your work and replicate it with confidence.
3. Authors and contributors
In this section, provide full contact and affiliation details for yourself and all co-authors. If you or another author would like to be contacted directly by the editorial team and Frontiers, tick the box labeled ‘This is a corresponding author.’
By default, the submitting author's details are added as the first author. If needed, you can adjust the author order using the 'move up' and 'move down' options once all authors have been added.
In the authors’ contributions statement, describe the specific tasks each author completed, using only their initials. For more detailed guidance, see our author guidelines.
Please note: All author names must be provided using the English alphabet. If a name is entered in other text (such as Cyrillic or Chinese characters), our team will follow up to request an English version, which may delay your submission.
4. Editorial
In this section, you can select your preferred handling editor, recommend reviewers, and describe how your manuscript will contribute to your field.
Preferred handling editor
When submitting your manuscript, you can choose a preferred handling editor from the associate editors in your chosen specialty section.
If you submit to a Research Topic, a topic editor will automatically be assigned to handle your manuscript. You can change this selection if you prefer a different editor as long as there is no conflict of interest between the editor and any authors.
If your first-choice editor is unavailable, another editorial board member will be invited to manage your submission. If you think an assigned editor poses a conflict of interest, please email the editorial office at editorial.office@frontiersin.org.
Recommend reviewers and suggest reviewers to exclude
You can recommend reviewers for your manuscript and suggest reviewers to exclude. Please consider conflicts of interest when choosing either of these options.
5. Statements
Before submitting, you’ll need to complete several statement sections that confirm ethical compliance, clarify funding or conflicts of interest, and ensure authorship and that your manuscript meets our submission requirements. They help protect the integrity of the research process and support trust in your work.
Conflicts of interest
A conflict of interest (COI) statement helps maintain transparency and trust. It lets readers and editors assess whether any personal, financial, or professional ties could have influenced the study, supporting ethical standards and the credibility of your work.
Manuscript submissions
We ask if your manuscript has been submitted to a Frontiers journal before to ensure transparency and proper editorial handling. This helps avoid duplicate reviews, track earlier decisions, and support efficient peer review.
Funding
A funding statement ensures transparency about who supported the research. It helps readers assess potential influences, properly credits funders, and promotes ethical publishing standards.
Generative AI disclosure
If you used generative AI tools (like ChatGPT or image generators), you must disclose how and why. This ensures transparency, supports ethical standards, and helps editors assess the originality and integrity of your work. See our publishing policies on AI tools for full details.
Ethics
An ethics statement is required for studies involving humans, animals, or sensitive data. It confirms compliance with ethical standards, including approvals and informed consent, and helps protect participants while maintaining research integrity. See our ethics policies for details.
Data
You must include a data availability statement to explain where the data supporting your manuscript can be found. This helps ensure transparency and reproducibility of your research.
6. Payment and funding
This section shows the preliminary publishing fees based on your chosen journal and article type. You will be sent a pro forma invoice upon submitting your manuscript, which is only preliminary and doesn’t consider discounts and waivers.
See our fee policy to learn more about how our article publishing charges (APCs) work, what they cover, and our fee support program.
Discount code
For more information on discounts, see our fee support guide.
Payer selection
You can pay as an individual or via an applicable institutional partner. The billing details should include reference information that the payer requires, such as a funder, organization VAT number, or purchase order.
Submissions checklist
Preparing and submitting an article to a research journal can be a complex process, from choosing the right journal or Research Topic to preparing your manuscript – why not use our submissions checklist to help you along the way?
Frequently asked questions
Who can I contact about submissions?
If you have a question about the submissions process, it's best to contact the appropriate journal team. You can do this by:
heading to the relevant journal’s page
clicking on the ‘About journal’ dropdown menu
clicking on ‘Contact editorial office’ to find the relevant journal email address - it will have the format journalname@frontiersin.org
If you have confirmed your participation in a Research Topic or got a call for participation, you can find these contact details in the emails you have received.
Can I use preprint servers before submitting my manuscript?
Yes, you can share your work before or during submission on repositories or preprint servers (e.g., arXiv, PeerJ Preprints, OSF), provided the server doesn’t restrict your full copyright and reuse rights.
If you have used a preprint server, please attribute it within your manuscript, including a listing within the acknowledgment section and a full citation in your reference list. When your manuscript is published, it’s best practice to link to your published article from the preprint server so readers can access and cite the final version.
Note that you can submit to Frontiers directly from Chronos and bioRxiv.
Do the figures/tables limit apply to supplementary tables/figures?
No, the article limit on figures/tables does not include supplementary materials. See our author guidelines for more information about supplementary material.
I submitted my manuscript, but it’s now been recommended for transfer - what does this mean?
Sometimes, after submission, an editor or specialist may recommend transferring your manuscript to a different journal, journal section, or Research Topic. This typically happens when the article is out of scope for the original submission but may be a better fit elsewhere. All transfer recommendations must include a reason, and the editorial office reviews and validates each request before proceeding.
Transfers can take a few forms.
Within the same journal – for example, from one section to another. This does not affect your submission status and allows it to proceed smoothly within a more suitable editorial environment.
To another journal – if your manuscript aligns better with the scope and readership of a different Frontiers journal.
Between Research Topics – if the topic editors feel your article fits better in a different RT, or if it remains in the original RT after being moved to a new journal/section (this is at the discretion of the editors).
Transfers are suggested to improve:
scope alignment – ensuring your work is reviewed by the most relevant editors and peer reviewers.
discoverability – placing your article in a journal or section where it will reach the most appropriate audience.
peer review efficiency – by matching your manuscript with editors who have the right expertise.
Authors can choose to decline a transfer recommendation; however, please note that this may result in rejection if the manuscript remains out of scope and no suitable alternative is identified.