Journal of Avian Biology is an international, society-owned journal for scientists engaged in all aspects of avian biology.

Aims and Scope

Journal of Avian Biology (JAB) is an international, society-owned journal for scientists engaged in all aspects of avian biology. The primary goal of the journal is to publish high-quality papers relevant to the central theme of avian biology and to foster communication among researchers in many disciplines with a common interest in the biology of birds.

JAB is an outlet for bird-related research from all parts of the globe. It focuses on work that is of general interest: for example, because the findings advance a specific field, or because they are intrinsically of wide interest to the global community of scientists working with birds. Research published in JAB can be theoretical or empirical, and there is an emphasis on studies that test hypotheses in ecology, evolution and behaviour. The journal does not publish purely descriptive papers unless they contain important information that results in novel questions and/or opens up new areas for investigation.

Research areas include but are not limited to: ageing, behaviour, biogeography, communication, conservation, diseases, distribution, ecology, evolution, genetics, growth, immunology, migration, morphology, parasitology, physiology, population studies, speciation and reproduction.

JAB is a gold open-access journal and one of five journals published by the Nordic Society Oikos. It therefore has a wide reach that goes beyond the field of ornithology. The journal has various formats for publishing, ranging from original research articles and reviews to short communications and viewpoint articles (see Article Categories below for details). It puts emphasis on fairness and transparency, and is at the forefront of adopting new best practice standards in publishing (e.g., through open data policy, peer review transparency, double-blind peer review, CRediT taxonomy). JAB has been published continuously since 1970 and articles are currently published bi-monthly, in six issues per year.

Article categories

Research Articles are normal full length papers, that make up the main part of each issue (no word limit). Articles focus on empirical and theoretical research in all areas of avian biology, with an emphasis on ecology, evolution and behaviour. 

Short Communications are short contributions (max 5 printed pages; about 4500 words) that present biologically interesting findings within ornithology and notes on methodology and equipment.

Reviews provide a comprehensive and insightful overview of a particular field or aspect of avian research (no word limit). They should go beyond a summary of the literature and aim to combine different concepts or views into a coherent whole. They should discuss current research gaps and be forward-looking. Reviews can incorporate meta-analyses. 

Mini-Reviews are shorter than standard reviews (about 6000 words) and can be used to highlight a sub-topic within a broader research area. They provide a succinct and clear summary of the research topic and give readers a quick overview of the most recent and significant advances. Mini-reviews can be submitted at any time, but the Journal of Avian Biology also has an annual call for mini-reviews as part of the 'JAB Review Award' for early career researchers. Read more here about this article category.

Viewpoint Articles are short papers (max 5 printed pages; about 4500 words) that are intended for discussion or comments on papers concerning recent issues. Authors are encouraged to be provocative and argue their own views on controversial issues. Viewpoint articles can also present new ideas and re-evaluate concepts and hypotheses. An abstract is not required.

Special issues

Special issues are an important feature of Journal of Avian Biology. They can be used to highlight emerging areas of research within a field or provide a venue for a deeper investigation into existing research topics. They usually contain a combination of novel research, reviews, and commentaries, thus advancing the theory and synthesis behind the topic as well as highlighting new experimental results.

Journal of Avian Biology is inviting authors, especially early career researchers, to submit proposals for special issues. Being a guest editor for a special issue is a great way to gain editorial experience, to strengthen the academic profile and to network with like-minded colleagues. Special issues also have increased visibility through targeted promotion. Guest editors are backed up by the JAB editorial board and receive dedicated support from the editorial office. Proposals for Special Issues can be submitted at any time.

Learn more here.

Open Access

Since 2022, Journal of Avian Biology is a fully Open Access journal. More background about the NSO's decision to flip JAB to Open Access can be found here. Our publisher, Wiley, has Open Access agreements with many countries, and researchers affiliated with universities and other research organizations in these countries may publish in JAB with no direct cost (a list over current Open Access agreements can be found here). Through the partnership between Wiley and research4life, authors based in low- and lower middle-income countries can request waivers and discounts (a list over countries covered by the research4life partnership can be found here). In addition, JAB offers a limited number of internal waivers for authors not covered by any agreement or the research4life partnership (for more information about how to request internal waivers click here). The current APC for authors that are not covered by any agreement or who are not eligible for waivers can be found here. 

Editorial office

Managing Editor: Dr Michael Tobler, Oikos Editorial Office, Lund University, Sweden. Email: jab[at]oikosoffice.lu.se.

Please direct all correspondence to the managing editor.

 

Journal Keywords

Behaviour, behavioural ecology, migration, life history, immune response, bird song, ecology, population ecology, predation, breeding, evolution, genetic differentiation, sexual selection, ornithology, bird, avian, evolution, genomic ecology, systematics, conservation, physiology, marine biology, molecular ecology, parasites, disease ecology, phylogeography, metabolism, energetics.

 

Abstracting and Indexing Information

• Academic Search (EBSCO Publishing)
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