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About Frontiers in Science

Mission & scope

Frontiers in Science is Frontiers’ flagship, multidisciplinary, open access journal focused on transformational science accelerating solutions for healthy lives on a healthy planet.

The journal publishes impactful peer-reviewed lead articles, invited from internationally renowned researchers, on scientific and technological advances addressing global challenges in human and planetary health. These are enriched by unique hubs of multi-audience content that create bridges between researchers, decision-makers, innovators, and the public—empowering people across all areas of science, policy, and society to share and build on these advances.

Reflecting its mission, Frontiers in Science has a panoramic scope encompassing human health and well-being, climate change, ecology and biodiversity, urban development, agriculture, food, water, and energy systems, computing, and social and economic sciences. The journal also invites lead articles exploring the many intersections between these fields. 


Articles and multi-audience content

Frontiers in Science lead articles describe transformational advances and important new paradigms in science and technology. Going beyond a state-of-the art review, lead articles add novel and impactful insights to the body of literature. Typically, they offer a roadmap for the future direction of relevant and emerging fields of research, addressing challenges and solutions. We also publish a limited number of articles describing original research or new research tools falling within the mission of the journal.

Lead articles reflect the interdisciplinarity and internationalism necessary to provide scientific solutions to global challenges. Under the leadership of world-renowned researchers, author panels are expected to include all relevant disciplines and to take a global perspective.

Each lead article is enriched by a diverse hub of content that extends its visibility, reach, and impact across multiple audiences—providing further context, connecting communities, and sparking worldwide conversations. Each hub includes:

  • an editorial by a leading authority from academia, policy, and civil society, placing the lead article in its international scientific and societal context
  • peer-reviewed viewpoints by influential researchers in relevant fields (including the lead article’s peer reviewers where relevant), providing further scientific commentary
  • a Frontiers Forum Deep Dive, an online scientific symposium where authors discuss the article and hub content with academic peers and key stakeholders from around the world
  • policy outlooks from policy experts, published by Frontiers Policy Labs
  • an explainer, infographics, and video highlighting the lead article’s main concepts to a broad audience
  • an article version for kids, published by Frontiers for Young Minds
  • press materials.

Frontiers in Science publishes approximately 15 lead articles and complementary hubs each year.

Editorial office

Frontiers in Science is operated by a multidisciplinary team of professionals with expertise in scientific research, publishing, editing, illustration, communication, programming, and events, together with public policy and engagement.

Team members include:

Contact the Frontiers in Science editorial office:

Advisory Board: Frontiers in Science is establishing an International Advisory Board of renowned experts representing academia, policy, and society to provide ongoing guidance to the journal. The board’s role is to provide thought-leadership on current and emerging priorities in science to help Frontiers in Science  deliver its mission to accelerate solutions for healthy lives on a healthy planet. At the time of launch, advisory board members were Prof Idan Segev (Chair), Prof Kongjian Yu, Prof François Baylis CM, and Vivienne Parry OBE. 

Editorial and quality processes

Frontiers in Science maintains the highest scientific and editorial standards in compliance with the principles outlined in the Frontiers Editorial policies and publication ethics and publishing and quality control processes.

    • Article commissioning and development

      • Frontiers in Science publishes articles by invitation only. To pitch an idea for a lead article, please contact the journal editorial office at frontiersinscience@frontiersin.org. Proposals falling within the journal’s mission and scope may be considered at the discretion of the Editorial office team.

      • The editorial office works closely with authors at all stages of the publication process, from the identification of priority topics, development of article concepts, review and editing of interim drafts prior to submission, and finalization for submission to peer review according to Frontiers author guidelines. The editorial office may also support the establishment and coordination of author groups during article development.

    • Figures and illustrations

      • The Frontiers in Science editorial office provides support in the design and production of high-quality scientific figures and illustrations for all articles.

    • Peer review

      • Lead articles are rigorously peer-reviewed via Frontiers’ collaborative forum, Editor guidelines, and peer review guidelines to ensure all meet the journal’s mission and quality standards.

        For each lead article, the Frontiers in Science editorial office appoints at least two internationally eminent, independent field experts as reviewers and a senior field expert to act as the handling editor overseeing the peer review process.

        Handling editors and reviewers are mandated to only accept to review and edit a manuscript if they have no conflicts of interest. In specific cases, the editorial office may choose to transparently disclose the relationship through a statement added to the manuscript. Should it become clear that a particular handling editor or reviewer has a prohibitive conflict of interest or is unable to perform the peer-review in a timely and adequate fashion, they are replaced by the editorial office.

        Frontiers uses the single anonymized peer review model, where the reviewers’ identities are not visible to the author, while the authors’ identities are visible to the reviewer. The identities of the reviewers and authors are visible to the handling editor and vice versa. Authors, reviewers and handling editor are expected to interact with each other through the collaborative review forum.

        In the Independent Review Stage, the reviewers perform an in-depth review of the article independently of each other to safeguard complete freedom of opinion. The reviewers are aided by an online standardized review questionnaire with the goal to facilitate rigorous evaluation according to objective criteria and the Frontiers Review Guidelines. Reviewers can recommend rejection at this stage if they find the manuscript has fundamental flaws that cannot be corrected through revisions. In such case, the handling editor can decide to secure an additional opinion or recommend rejection of the paper.

        The handling editor assesses the reviews and activates the Interactive Review stage—informing the authors of the extent of revisions required to address the reviewers’ comments, and starting the Interactive Discussion Forum, where authors and reviewers get full access to all review reports. Manuscript and review quality at this stage are enhanced by allowing authors and reviewers to discuss directly with each other in real-time until they reach consensus, and a final version of the manuscript is endorsed by the reviewers. The reviewers’ identities are protected at this stage to safeguard complete freedom of opinion, and all review forum discussion and material remain confidential.

        Reviewers can recommend rejection at this stage if their requests to correct objective errors are not being met by the authors or if they deem the article overall of insufficient quality. Should a dispute arise, authors or review editors can trigger an arbitration and will alert the editorial office and handling editor, who can assign more reviewers. The handling editor can also weigh in on the discussion and is asked to mediate the process to ensure a constructive revision stage.

        Decisions on the acceptance of lead articles and viewpoints lies with the handling editor. Upon publication, the endorsing reviewers and the handling editor are transparently acknowledged with their names and institutional affiliations disclosed on the published article. None have a financial incentive to accept articles, i.e., they are not paid for their role to act as handling or reviewers, and any Frontiers award scheme is not linked to acceptances of manuscripts.

        As a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), Frontiers abides by their guidelines and recommendations in cases of potential retraction. Frontiers has a community retraction protocol in place to retract papers where serious concerns have been raised and validated by the community that warrant retraction, including ethical concerns, honest errors, or scientific misconduct. More information can be found in the Frontiers policies and publication ethics guidelines.

        Frontiers in Science viewpoints are reviewed by a handling editor. Editorials are reviewed by the Frontiers in Science editorial office.

        Policy outlooks are not peer-reviewed according to the process above, and are instead published separately by Frontiers Policy Labs following review by its Editorial Board.

Article types

Frontiers in Science accepts submissions by invitation only. If you would like to propose an idea for a lead article, please reach out to the journal’s editorial office. All proposals will be considered at the discretion of the editorial team, provided they align with the journal’s mission and scope. Authors need to make sure that any manuscript they submit conforms to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations for ethics, as well as to Frontiers' general article requirements. All submitted manuscripts will be checked by plagiarism detection software. 

All Frontiers in Science articles are peer-reviewed, receive a DOI, are citable, published in PDF and HTML format, and submitted for indexing in relevant digital archives.  

Further guidance and support are available through the Frontiers author guidelines or by contacting the editorial team at frontiersinscience@frontiersin.org. 

Frontiers in Science Lead Article

Frontiers in Science Lead Articles focus on transformational science key to tackling the global societal and planetary challenges we face and accelerating solutions for healthy lives on a healthy planet. Lead Articles may take the form of original research, reviews, modeling studies, or explorations of emerging paradigms in scientific areas central to global challenges. They are directed at scientific audiences and are typically authored by world-leading researchers, invited by the editorial team. Collaborative, multidisciplinary, and multinational authorship is strongly encouraged, with due attention to gender and generational diversity. Lead Articles undergo rigorous peer review by established experts in the field. They are published fully open access with no article processing charge, benefiting from Frontiers’ open-access policies. 

Specifications and formatting guidelines: 

  • Title – Concise and impactful, summarizing the article's main contribution. 

  • Abstract – 250 words. 

  • Key Messages – 3–5 points summarizing the article's transformative insights for a lay audience. These support the development of an accompanying public-facing summary. 

  • Main Text – 6,000–8,000 words, excluding references, tables, and figures. 

  • Structure – Lead Articles can be structured as best suited to the aim, scope, and content of the article. In general, authors should clearly outline the challenges addressed, describe relevant cutting-edge science, and discuss the resulting research, frameworks, or solutions along with implications for practice, policy, or further research. 

  • Research Data – Original data can be included. Where applicable, detailed methods and results can be provided in Supplementary Files. 

  • Figures and Tables – Up to 10 figures or tables included in the main text; additional materials may be placed in Supplementary Files. 

  • References – No limit. References must be comprehensive and unbiased, and listed using Vancouver style. Only published or accepted articles should be included.  

  • Language – American English. 

  • Submission Format – Articles should be submitted in Word format using the template provided by the editorial office, double-spaced, and with page and line numbers. 

Frontiers in Science Viewpoint 

Frontiers in Science Viewpoints offer expert scientific perspectives related to a published Frontiers in Science Lead Article. They provide analytical or reflective commentary that adds value to the discourse initiated by the Lead Article. Viewpoints may present critical responses, highlight specific aspects, or introduce cross-disciplinary or regional insights. Directed at scientific audiences, Viewpoints are typically authored by up to three established experts and are invited—often from among the peer reviewers of the corresponding Lead Article. All Viewpoints are peer-reviewed and published open access at no cost to authors, in line with Frontiers’ open-access policies. Each Viewpoint is linked directly to the associated Lead Article to support scholarly dialogue. 

Specifications and formatting guidelines: 

  • Title – Concise and impactful, reflecting the central theme. 

  • Main Text – 1,000–1,500 words (excluding references, tables, and figures). 

  • Structure – Can be flexible depending on the scope and content of the piece, with subheadings used as appropriate. 

  • Figures and Tables – Up to 1 figure or table.   

  • References – Between 5–10, listed in Vancouver style. Only published or accepted works should be cited. 

  • Language – American English. 

  • Submission Format – Articles should be submitted in Word format using the provided template, double-spaced, and with page and line numbers. 

Frontiers in Science Editorial 

Frontiers in Science Editorials provide a broader contextual reflection on the societal, scientific, or policy-related dimensions of a Frontiers in Science Lead Article. They are written in an accessible style for a wide audience, including both lay and scientific readers. Authored by a single, prominent figure from science, policy, or civil society, Editorials aim to stimulate thought and elevate discussion surrounding the transformative themes addressed in the Lead Article. They are commissioned by invitation and are peer-reviewed and validated by the Frontiers in Science Editorial Office. Editorials are published open access and carry no article processing charge, benefiting from Frontiers’ open-access model. 

Specifications and formatting guidelines: 

  • Title – Concise and impactful, conveying the editorial’s core message. 

  • Main Text – 1,000–1,500 words (excluding references, tables, and figures). 

  • Structure – Can be flexible depending on the scope and content of the piece, with subheadings used as appropriate.  

  • Figures and Tables – Up to 1 figure or table.   

  • References – 5–10 references, using Vancouver style. Only published or accepted works should be cited. 

  • Language – American English. 

  • Submission Format – Editorials must be submitted in Word using the official template. Text should be double-spaced and include page and line numbers. 

Correction

Should authors notice errors that affect the scholarly record or the integrity of the paper, authors are encouraged to submit a correction online. The correction must detail the reason(s) for the error(s) and include only the elements (e.g. sections, sentence, figure) of the manuscript being revised or corrected. All authors of the original paper need to agree to the request for changes. The contribution to the field statement should be used to clearly state the reason for the Correction. Depending on the extent of the correction required, corrections may require peer review. Authors are informed that requests for changes beyond that described here may not be accepted for publication.

Open access statement

Open access logo

Frontiers in Science articles are published fully open access, thereby benefiting from Frontiers’ open access policies. Frontiers in Science articles are published at no cost to authors (i.e., no article processing charges apply).

Frontiers’ mission is to make science open—so that scientists can collaborate better and innovate faster to deliver the solutions that enable healthy lives on a healthy planet. Research is the foundation of modern society and it’s thanks to advances in science that we enjoy longer, healthier, and more prosperous lives than ever before in human history. Frontiers in Science wants to make science even more powerful by ensuring it is openly available. This way, society will be able to generate more knowledge and accelerate innovation, health and prosperity for all.

Open access funder and institutional mandates

Frontiers publishes all articles under the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC-BY), in full compliance with funder and institutional open access mandates. Authors retain copyright of their work and can deposit their publication in any repository. The work can be freely shared and adapted provided that appropriate credit is given and any changes specified.

Facts

  • Short name

    Front Sci

  • Abbreviation

    fsci

  • Electronic ISSN

    2813-6330

  • Indexed in

    CrossRef, Google Scholar, CLOCKSS, OpenAIRE, DOAJ, Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)