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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 complemented 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. 

Article types

Frontiers in Science publishes three article types, all by invitation only: lead articles, editorials, and viewpoints.

Lead articles

Lead articles describe transformational advances and important new paradigms in science and technology addressing global challenges in human and planetary health. 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. The journal also publishes a limited number of articles describing original research or new research tools falling within the mission of the journal.

Lead articles are peer-reviewed by at least two independent peer reviewers, the review process being overseen by an independent handling editor.

Editorials 

Editorials place the lead article in its international scientific and societal context, offering insights on its transformative themes and stimulating discussion. They are invited from prominent figures from relevant fields of science, practice, policy, and civil society.

Editorials are reviewed and edited by the Frontiers in Science editorial office.

Viewpoints 

Viewpoints provide scientific commentary on the lead article. They are invited from established experts in relevant fields, including the lead article’s peer reviewers.

Viewpoints are peer reviewed by an independent expert peer reviewer.

See below for more detail on Frontiers in Science article specifications and editorial and quality processes.

Accepted lead articles, editorials, and viewpoints are published fully open access with no article processing charges. All receive a digital object identifier (DOI), published in PDF and HTML format and submitted for indexing in relevant digital archives.

Multi-audience article hubs

Each Frontiers in Science 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.

The hub brings together content from multiple sources, including Frontiers in Science, Frontiers Policy Labs, Frontiers Forum, and Frontiers for Young Minds.

Each hub includes:

  • a lead article, editorial, and one or more viewpoints, all published by Frontiers in Science

  • an explainer, infographics, and video highlighting the lead article’s main concepts to a broad audience, developed by the Frontiers in Science editorial office team in collaboration with lead article authors

  • a lead article Deep Dive hosted by the Frontiers Forum, an online scientific symposium where authors discuss the lead article and hub content with academic peers and other stakeholders from around the world

  • a policy outlook invited from one or more policy experts, published by Frontiers Policy Labs

  • a version of the lead article for kids, published by Frontiers for Young Minds

  • press materials.

Article hubs may also feature additional content, including online Forum Stories articles published by the World Economic Forum, and related Research Topics and specific articles.

Advisory Board

Frontiers in Science is establishing an Advisory Board of renowned experts in science and its interface with 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.

Advisory Board members are listed here.

Editors & reviewers

The Frontiers in Science editorial office appoints leading researchers to act as handling editors and reviewers for individual articles based on their specialist expertise in the topic concerned. The editorial review processes are detailed below.

Handling editors and reviewers are indicated on each article. Handling editors and reviewers for all Frontiers in Science articles published to date are listed collectively here.

Editorial & 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 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.

      • In-house editors within the editorial office work 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. These experts are identified by the editorial office based on their expertise in the topic concerned and are vetted through quality checks by the Frontiers peer review and research integrity teams.

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

      • Policy outlooks are not peer-reviewed according to the process above but are instead published separately by Frontiers Policy Labs following review by its editorial board.

      • 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, the editorial office appoints a replacement.

      • 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 or rejection of lead articles and viewpoints lies with the handling editor. In case of dispute or concern over an editorial decision, members of the advisory board may be called in as external scientific experts to consult on the case. In such instances, the ultimate decision remains with the Frontiers in Science Executive 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. Editorials are reviewed and accepted by the Frontiers in Science editorial office.

      • 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.

Author guidelines

Frontiers in Science accepts submissions by invitation only. If you would like to propose an idea for a lead article, please contact 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 must ensure 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 articles must be submitted in Word using the official template provided by the Frontiers in Science editorial office. Text should be double-spaced and include page and line numbers. All Frontiers in Science articles are published in American English.

Further guidance and support are available by contacting the editorial office at frontiersinscience@frontiersin.org. Specific instructions for each article type are as follows.

Lead articles

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. The journal also publishes a limited number of articles describing original research or new research tools falling within the mission of the journal.

Specifications and formatting guidelines:

  • Authorship: 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. Due consideration should also be given to gender and generational balance.

  • Title: This should be concise and impactful, summarizing the article's main contribution.

  • Abstract: Maximum 250 words, unstructured.

  • Key points: Three to five points summarizing the article's transformative insights.

  • Main text: Typically, 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 can be included in the main text; additional materials may be placed in supplementary files.

  • References: There is no specific limit to the number of references that may be included. References must be comprehensive and unbiased, and listed using Vancouver style.

Editorials

Editorials place the lead article in its international scientific and societal context, offering insights on its transformative themes and stimulating discussion. They are invited from prominent figures from relevant fields of science, practice, policy, or civil society.

Editorials are written in an accessible style for a wide audience, including both lay and scientific readers.

Specifications and formatting guidelines:

  • Authorship: Editorials are typically authored by a single individual, but can have up to three co-authors at the discretion of the editorial office.

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

  • Key points: Three points summarizing the article's main insights or messages.

  • 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.

  • References: Five to 10 references, using Vancouver style.

Viewpoints

Viewpoints provide scientific commentary on lead articles, for example offering critical responses, exploring specific aspects, or adding cross-disciplinary or regional insights.

Aimed at relevant scientific communities, viewpoints are invited from established experts in relevant fields, including the peer reviewers lead article. All viewpoints are peer-reviewed.

Specifications and formatting guidelines:

  • Authorship: Viewpoints can have up to three co-authors.

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

  • Key points: Three points summarizing the article's main insights or messages.

  • 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 one figure or table.

  • References: Five to 10 references, using Vancouver style.

Corrections

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 Scope statement field 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.

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:

Facts

  • Short name

    Front Sci

  • Abbreviation

    fsci

  • Electronic ISSN

    2813-6330

  • Indexed in

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