Submissions

Author Guidelines

INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS

We sincerely appreciate the trust placed in Revista Bio Ciencias as a platform for disseminating your scientific work. Due to the substantial increase in the number of manuscripts received, and in order to optimize editorial processing times, all submissions must comply with the following requirements:

1. Complete authorship registration

All authors must be properly registered on the platform, including updated identification information.

2. Cover Letter

A Cover Letter, signed by the corresponding author and addressed to any of the Editors-in-Chief, must be submitted along with the manuscript. This letter provides an opportunity to highlight the significance of the research during the journal’s preliminary editorial review. Therefore, it should clearly explain why the manuscript warrants publication.

3. Manuscript

The manuscript must be written in Spanish or English and strictly follow the journal's format and Manuscript Template.

4. Copyright Transfer Letter

A Copyright Transfer Letter, signed by each author, must be submitted, granting the rights of the manuscript to Revista Bio Ciencias. This letter must be signed by all authors, or at least by the corresponding author. Both the Cover Letter and the Copyright Transfer Letter must be prepared in letter size (28 x 21.5 cm), using Arial, 12-point, with 1.5 line spacing. Both the Cover Letter and the Copyright Transfer Letter must be submitted as separate PDF files.

5. Suggested reviewers

As part of our efforts to ensure a fair and high-quality peer review process, authors are kindly requested to provide three suggested reviewers who are external to their institution and with whom they have not previously collaborated.

By avoiding reviewers with prior collaboration, we prevent potential conflicts of interest or undue influence on the evaluation process. The final selection of reviewers remains the responsibility of the editors of Revista Bio Ciencias.

Suggested reviewers must meet the following criteria:

1. They must not be active members of the authors’ institution.
2. They must not have collaborated previously with any of the authors.
3. They must have expertise in the subject area of the manuscript.

Authors must submit this information in a separate document, including:

1. Reviewer’s full name
2. Institutional affiliation
3. Email address

Important

All supplementary documents (Cover Letter, Copyright Transfer Letter, and Suggested Reviewers list) must be submitted as separate files. Failure to comply with any of these requirements will result in the immediate rejection of the submitted manuscript.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in maintaining the quality and efficiency of the editorial process.

For review articles and conference abstract publications, submissions must be requested in advance via a formal letter addressed to the Editors-in-Chief. Only after this request is approved will the submission be authorized for editorial consideration.

Please read and follow the journal guidelines carefully to facilitate and ensure an efficient publication process. All materials submitted to Revista Bio Ciencias must comply with the following specifications for each article type and section. Additionally, the proposed template must be followed when preparing the manuscript. The main manuscript must be submitted digitally in MS WordⓇ format.

Authors are strongly encouraged to prepare their manuscripts using the Manuscript Submission Template. This step is currently mandatory to proceed with the editorial process and move toward eventual publication. Prior to submission, the document must be submitted without track changes and in its final version.

MANUSCRIPT COMPONENTS AND SECTIONS

Front Page. Title, author(s), affiliation(s), country, and corresponding author information.

Title. Clear and precise, with a maximum of 25 words in both Spanish and English. A short title (running title) must also be included and should not exceed four words.

Authors. The name(s) of the author(s) must be placed below the title on the first page of the manuscript, including institutional affiliation, country, and ORCID.

Corresponding Author. Full name, postal address, email address, telephone number, and institutional or personal website link.

Abstract. Manuscripts must include an abstract in Spanish and English (Abstract), 150 to 250 words long. The abstract must include the importance of the topic, the study's objectives, the methods used, the main results, and the conclusions. The abstract must not include abbreviations or acronyms.

Introduction. This section presents the research problem and establishes the study's objectives. It may highlight the importance, scope, limitations, and approach of the problem. It includes a literature review, consisting of a brief analysis of relevant publications presented in a logical sequence to provide background and link the study to previous research. This section must conclude by clearly stating the study's objectives.

Materials and methods. This section must describe the materials used and provide a detailed explanation of the research methods applied during the study. It must conclude by specifying the statistical analyses used to objectively evaluate the results.

Results and discusión. This section represents the core of the scientific article. The most relevant results and trends must be presented in a logical, objective, accurate, and clear manner. Results should primarily be presented in tables and/or figures, complemented by a rigorous interpretation and discussion by the authors, including comparisons with findings from other studies.

Conclusions. This section should include the main conclusions and contributions of the study, derived from the results. It may also include recommendations for future research or potential applications of the findings to solve relevant problems.

References. Citations must be included throughout the text using the author’s last name followed by the year of publication in parentheses. In cases where surnames are hyphenated, they should be cited accordingly. The reference list must include full details of all cited sources, arranged alphabetically, with the corresponding DOI or link when available. All cited authors must appear in the reference list, and all listed references must be cited in the text.

All materials submitted to Revista Bio Ciencias must comply with these specifications for each type of article and section.

• Original article

This type of article presents results from original research. The manuscript must not exceed 20 pages, including tables and/or figures, and must include the following sections:

1. Title (Spanish and English)
2. Short title (Spanish and English)
3. Author(s) (include ORCID if available)
4. Affiliation(s) (including country)
5. Email address (corresponding author)
6. Abstract (200 words)
7. Keywords (5)
8. Abstract in English (200 words)
9. Keywords in English (5)
10. Introduction
11. Materials and Methods
12. Results and Discussion
13. Conclusion
14. References

• Review article

This type of manuscript is accepted by invitation only. Topics must be highly relevant to the field. The objective of the review must be precise and specific. The manuscript must not exceed 30 pages, including references, and may include a maximum of six tables and/or figures. Sections required:

1. Title (Spanish and English)
2. Short title (Spanish and English)
3. Author(s) (include ORCID if available)
4. Affiliation(s) (including country)
5. Email address (corresponding author)
6. Abstract (200 words)
7. Keywords (5)
8. Abstract in English (200 words)
9. Keywords in English (5)
10. Introduction
11. Discussion
12. Conclusions
13. References

• Case reports

This type of article presents a relevant biological event, such as species occurrence in specific geographic areas or methodologies applicable under particular conditions. The manuscript must not exceed 10 pages, including tables and/or figures, and must include:

1. Title (Spanish and English)
2. Short title (Spanish and English)
3. Author(s) (include ORCID if available)
4. Affiliation
5. Email address (corresponding author)
6. Abstract (100 words)
7. Keywords (5)
8. Introduction
9. Materials and Methods
10. Results (observations) and Discussion
11. References

• Technical report

This document aims to present research results and procedures precisely. It must include:

1. Title (Spanish and English)
2. Short title (Spanish and English)
3. Author(s) (include ORCID if available)
4. Affiliation(s) (including country)
5. Email address (corresponding author)
6. Abstract (100 words)
7. Keywords (5)
8. Introduction
9. Project objective
10. Report objective
11. Study area
12. Methods used
13. Results
14. Acknowledgments
15. Appendices

• Editorials

This section presents opinion pieces, including arguments on current issues, comments on published articles, or reflections on the journal. Maximum length: one page. The title must be short and clear. The author’s affiliation and country must appear below their name.

• Letters to the Editor

These aim to elicit feedback that informs evaluation and, if necessary, the redefinition of Revista Bio Ciencias' editorial policies and practices. This section also serves as a forum for open discussion of topics published in the journal or other relevant issues. The letter must include: title, author’s name, affiliation, country, and main text.

• Short article

This section includes manuscripts with a maximum length of five pages, including up to two tables or figures, and an abstract not exceeding 200 words. These manuscripts typically present preliminary or complementary results that warrant further research. They must comply with the same standards of scientific rigor as original articles.

• Special Issue Articles

This type of article includes results from original research and must not exceed 20 pages, including tables and/or figures. It must include the same sections as an original article:

1. Title (Spanish and English)
2. Short title (Spanish and English)
3. Author(s) (include ORCID if available)
4. Affiliation(s) (including country)
5. Email address (corresponding author)
6. Abstract (200 words)
7. Keywords (5)
8. Introduction
9. Materials and Methods
10. Results and Discussion
11. Conclusion
12. References

Additionally, authors must comply with the specific requirements of the current call, which may include an acceptance letter or a conference participation ID (for exclusive special issues).

• Clinical cases

Clinical case articles describe in detail the presentation, diagnosis, management, and progression of one or more patients with medical or scientific conditions of interest. These works aim to provide relevant clinical evidence, document rare findings, atypical disease manifestations, specific therapeutic responses, or experiences that contribute to medical knowledge and guide future research or clinical practice. The manuscript must include the following sections:

1. Abstract
2. Keywords
3. Introduction
4. Clinical findings
5. Therapeutic intervention
6. Follow-up and outcomes
7. Discussion
8. Recommendations (optional)
9. Patient perspective (optional)
10. Ethical statements and considerations
11. Acknowledgments
12. References

• News

This section reports on results and events of importance for scientific knowledge in general.

Other technical sections

• Graphical Abstract

A graphical abstract is an image that represents the central theme of the manuscript. This element is optional but recommended to enhance the submission's visual appeal. It must not replicate figures from the manuscript or be a simple composition of multiple figures. It must be: An original and unpublished illustration or diagram with a high-quality resolution (300 dpi), in one of the following formats: TIFF, PNG, PDF, JPEG, or JPG. It must be clear, concise, easy to interpret, and properly sized for correct reproduction.

• Tables

Tables must be submitted in editable MS Word® format, in English. Font size must be between 8 and 10 points. All abbreviations must be in English in both versions of the manuscript.

• Figures

Figures and/or graphs must be presented in English, with a white background, included within the main file, and in Spanish as numbered supplementary attachments. They must be submitted in TIFF, PNG, PDF, JPEG, or JPG format, at 300 dpi in all cases. Abbreviations must be in English in both versions of the manuscript (i.e., in both the English and Spanish versions).

• Equations

Equations must be included in the main text and numbered in order of appearance (Equation 1, Equation 2, etc.). Please use the MS Word equation editor. Equations must not be submitted as images.

• Supplementary materials

Some manuscripts may require supplementary material to support or validate their results. Examples include IR spectra, NMR data, and chromatograms, among others. During submission, these must be attached in TIFF, PNG, PDF, JPEG, or JPG format at 300 dpi. Additionally, the file(s) must be saved consecutively (if applicable) as: “supp.mat1”, “supp.mat2”, “supp.mat3”, etc.

• Author contributions

To promote equitable work, research articles with multiple authors must include a brief paragraph specifying individual contributions. This section must correspond to the total number of authors. The following categories should be used: “Conceptualization, author 1, author 2; methodology development, author 1, author 2; software management, author 1, author 2; experimental validation, author 1, author 2; data analysis, author 1, author 2; data management, author 1, author 2; writing-original draft preparation, author 1, author 2; writing-review and editing, author 1, author 2; project administration, author 1, author 2; funding acquisition, author 1, author 2.” Add the statement: “All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.” Authors must be identified using their initials. Authorship must be limited to those who have made substantial contributions to the reported work.

• Funding

If the manuscript, as part of a research project, was or was not funded, please include one of the following statements: “This research received no external funding.”, “This research was funded by [FUNDER NAME], grant number XXX.”, “This research was funded with internal resources.” Please carefully verify that all details provided are accurate and complete.

• Artificial intelligence (AI) use statement

Revista Bio Ciencias allows the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, provided that the principles of integrity, transparency, and responsibility in scientific communication are maintained. Authors are fully responsible for all submitted content, including any AI-generated or AI-assisted material.

The use of these tools must be explicitly declared in the manuscript, indicating the name and version of the tool, as well as the specific purpose of its use. AI tools do not meet authorship criteria and must not be listed as authors.

• Ethical statements

Submitted publications must arise from responsible and ethical research and comply with applicable research standards and regulations. Please include the Institutional Review Board (IRB) statement and approval number, if relevant to your study. This statement may be omitted if ethical approval is not required. Please note that Revista Bio Ciencias may request additional information.

• Informed consent statement

If the research involved human subjects, authors must include: “Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.” Or: “Patient consent was waived due to [REASON] (provide a detailed justification).”

• Acknowledgments

In this section, authors may acknowledge any support received (institutional or personal) not covered under the contributions or funding sections. This may include administrative or technical assistance, as well as donations (e.g., experimental materials).

• Conflict of interest

If no conflict of interest exists, include: “The authors declare no conflict of interest.” If conflicts exist, authors must clearly identify and disclose any personal or financial interests that could be perceived as influencing the representation or interpretation of the research results.

• References

The reference list must include detailed information for all articles and documents cited throughout the text (only those explicitly used in the manuscript).

Revista Bio Ciencias follows the APA style (American Psychological Association, 7th edition). Therefore, all references must comply with this format prior to submission. The use of reference management software is recommended.

• Each reference must include: author’s last name, initials, publication date, title of the work, and source. Include the DOI when available; otherwise, provide the URL.
• References must be listed in alphabetical order. All cited authors must appear in the reference list, and all listed references must be cited in the text.

How to cite?

Citations within the text may be presented in narrative form (author as part of the sentence) or in parenthetical form (author(s) and year in parentheses, separated by a comma). Citations should begin with the author’s last name followed by the year of publication.

One author:

• Parenthetical citation: (Botkin, 1993)
• Narrative citation: Botkin (1993)

Two authors:

• Parenthetical citation: (Roller & Covill, 2000)
• Narrative citation: Roller & Covill (2000)

Three or more authors:

• Parenthetical citation: (Castilhos et al., 2019)
• Narrative citation: Castilhos et al. (2019)

Multiple publications in a single citation:

To include multiple works within parentheses, authors must be listed alphabetically according to their order in the reference list. A semicolon (;) is used to separate citations.

• (Cox-Foster et al., 2007; Guzmán-Novoa et al., 2010; Stankus, 2014)

Multiple works by the same author in the same year: letters (a, b, c…) are added to the year according to publication order. Example:

• Parenthetical citation: (Toledo-Ibarra et al., 2016a), (Toledo-Ibarra et al., 2016b)
• Narrative citation: Toledo-Ibarra et al. (2016a), Toledo-Ibarra et al. (2016b)

The distinction of letters must also be reflected in the references, placed within the parentheses of the publication year:

• Toledo-Ibarra, G. A., Díaz-Resendiz, K. J. G., Pavón-Romero, L., Rojas-García, A. E., Medina-Díaz, I. M., & Girón-Pérez, M. I. (2016a). Effects of diazinon on the lymphocytic cholinergic system of Nile tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus). Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 176, 58–63.
• Toledo-Ibarra, G. A., Resendiz, K. D., Ventura-Ramón, G. H., Romero-Bañuelos, C. A., Medina-Díaz, I. M., Rojas-García, A. E., Vega-López, A., & Girón-Pérez, M. I. (2016b). Assessment of pollution of the Boca de Camichin Estuary in Nayarit (Mexico) and its influence on oxidative stress in Crassostrea corteziensis oysters. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 200, 47–55.

*Multiple works by the same author in different years: list the author’s surname followed by the years in parentheses, separated by a semicolon (;). Example:

• Parenthetical citation: (Toledo-Ibarra et al., 2021; 2019)
• Narrative citation: Toledo-Ibarra et al. (2021; 2019)

Different authors with the same surname: include the initials of the authors’ names:

• Parenthetical citation: (Girón-Pérez, M.I. et al., 2021) (Girón-Pérez, D.A., et al., 2019)
• Narrative citation: Girón-Pérez, M.I., et al. (2021), Girón-Pérez, D.A., et al. (2019)

The following are examples of how different types of bibliographic materials should be referenced in your manuscript:

Journal article:

Castilhos, D., Bergamo, G. C., Gramacho, K. P., & Gonçalves, L. S. (2019). Bee colony losses in Brazil: A 5-year online survey. Apidologie, 50, 263–279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-019-00642-7

Journal article with article number:

Dos Santos, C. F., Otesbelgue, A., & Blochtein, B. (2018). The dilemma of agricultural pollination in Brazil: Beekeeping growth and insecticide use. PLOS ONE, 13(7), Article e0200286. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200286

 Journal article with more than 20 authors:

Gray, A., Brodschneider, R., Adjlane, N., Ballis, A., Brusbardis, V., Charrière, J. D., Chlebo, R., Coffey, M. F., Cornelissen, B., da Costa, C. A., Csáki, T., Dahle, B., Danihlik, J., Drazic, M. M., Evans, G., Fedoriak, M., Forsythe, I., de Graaf, D., Gregorc, A., … Soroker, V. (2019). Loss rates of honey bee colonies during winter 2017/18 in 36 countries participating in the COLOSS survey. Journal of Apicultural Research, 58(4), 479–485. https://doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2019.1615661

Online newspaper article:

Cruz Martínez, A. (2021, September 22). Birmex recibe nuevo cargamento con 585 mil vacunas de Pfizer. La Jornada.  https://www.jornada.com.mx/notas/2021/09/22/politica/birmex-recibe-nuevo-cargamento-con-585-mil-vacunas-de-pfizer/

Printed book:

Morales Montor, J., Ponce Regalado, M. D., & Becerril Villanueva, L. E. (2018). Nuevos enfoques en el estudio de las interacciones neuroinmunoendocrinológicas. Ed. Pandora.

Book chapter:

Nava-Castro, K. E., & Morales-Montor, J. (2018). Medicina ambiental, respuesta inmunitaria y enfermedades parasitarias: un enfoque en los disruptores endocrinos. In J. Morales Montor, M. D. Ponce Regalado, & L. E. Becerril Villanueva (Eds.), Nuevos enfoques en el estudio de las Interacciones Neuroinmunoendocrinológicas. (pp. 185-207). Ed. Pandora.  http://repositorio.cualtos.udg.mx:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/810

Online book:

Botkin, D. B. (1993). Forest dynamics: an ecological model. Oxford University Press on Demand. https://books.google.es/books?hl=es&lr=&id=8aZM4fWNOJQC&oi=fnd&pg=PR13&dq=ecological+model&ots=tIVTXysuLf&sig=XZiszdYwYGmfssqpOO2V2ucM69g#v=onepage&q=ecological%20model&f=false  

Audiobook:

Rowling, J. K. (2018). Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (G. Monsalve, Narr.) [Audiobook]. Ivoox. (Original work published 1997). https://bit.ly/2NyZ04G

Thesis:

Saldivar, R. M. (2007). Hydrodynamic variability in the channels of the Magdalena-Almejas lagoon system [Master’s thesis, Instituto Politécnico Nacional]. http://tesis.bnct.ipn.mx/dspace/handle/123456789/3043

Film:

Stanton, A. (2008). Wall-E [Film]. Disney Pixar.

Blog:

El blog de la tabla. (2021, September 15). Ode to the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus). https://www.elblogdelatabla.com/2021/09/lentisco-pistacia-lentiscus-arbusto-mediterraneo-arbol.html

Dictionary/encyclopedia:

Real Academia Española. (2019). Vegetal. Diccionario de la lengua española. https://dle.rae.es/vegetal

 Software:

Borenstein, M., Hedges, L., Higgins, J., & Rothstein, H. (2014). Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (Version 3.3.070) [Software]. Biostat. http://bit.ly/337mCnL

Conference:

Kan, J., & Padilla Benavides, T. (2020). The nuclear Zn transporter ZIP11 is necessary for the proliferation of HeLa cells [Poster]. Revista Bio Ciencias, 7(Suppl). Scientific Congress Proceedings. LXIII Congreso Nacional de la Sociedad Mexicana de Ciencias Fisiológicas, A. C. e1097. http://doi.org/10.15741/revbio.07Suppl.e1097

Tweet:

Servicio Sismológico Nacional [@SSNMexico]. (2020, June 22). Earthquake Magnitude 4.4… [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/SSNMexico/status/1275640323558060032/photo/1

Page or profile:

Centro Meteorológico del Pacífico. [Facebook page]. (2020, June 22). Tsunami warning lifted. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/cmptiempo/?ref=page_internal

Mobile application:

Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía. (2019). México en cifras (Version 3.0.9) [Mobile application]. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mx.org.inegi.MexicoCifras&hl=es_MX

Maps:

Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía. (2019). México en cifras, Nayarit. https://www.inegi.org.mx/app/areasgeograficas/?ag=18

Technical standard:

International Organization for Standardization. (2018). Online consumer reviews -Principles and requirements for their collection, moderation and publication (ISO Standard No. 20488:2018). https://www.iso.org/standard/68193.html

Podcast episode:

Aristegui, C. (Host). (2020, June 22). The pandemic: an invitation to reflect on what we have done wrong as a society [Podcast episode]. CNN en Español. http://www.radio-en-vivo.mx/podcasts/aristegui

Song:

Frank Sinatra. (1947). I Love You Baby [Song]. This Is the Night.

YouTube video:

FAB LAB ULL. (2019, March 24). The cell: unit of life [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljN3AG5APac

Artwork:

Giacometti, A. (1961). Caroline sur fond blanc [Painting]. Museo Botero, Bogotá, Colombia. https://bit.ly/325NVx8

Slides:

Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía. (2019, November). Censo 2020 Tabasco [PowerPoint slides]. https://tabasco.gob.mx/sites/default/files/users/planeacion_spf/1.%20Presentaci%C3%B3n%20Censo%202020%20Tabasco.pdf

Web page:

Comisión Nacional Forestal. (2021, August 05). Candelilla, a valuable non-timber natural resource. Gobierno de México. https://www.gob.mx/conafor/articulos/candelilla-un-valioso-recurso-natural-no-maderable?idiom=es