Submissions

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Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
  • The submission of this article represents original, unpublished material that is not under editorial consideration elsewhere, in whole or in part.
  • To complete the submission, it is essential to provide EXCLI Journal (via submission tool) with the valid affiliations, email addresses, and ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) of all authors. Missing metadata will result in immediate rejection of the submission for formal reasons.
  • Authors must indicate whether they have a financial relationship with the organization that sponsored the research. This note should be added in a separate section before the reference list. If no conflict exists, authors should state: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
  • The manuscript must include a statement specifying whether and in what way the authors have used artificial intelligence (such as Large Language Models, chatbots, or image creators) in the production of the submitted work. If figures contain AI-generated graphical elements, the used tool and version have to be stated in the corresponding figure captions.
  • All manuscripts must be submitted in Word-readable document formats (e.g. odt, doc, docx, rtf, txt). Due to IT security reasons, compressed file formats like zip or rar will not be accepted. Figures have to be uploaded as separate PNG-files with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi and a maximum file size of 4 MB each.
  • If previously published figures, tables or text passages are used in a submission, the authors must provide permissions for using them from the copyright owners (except in cases of CC-by-licenses without restrictions, or when they are the copyright owners themselves). The original source of previously published material must be referenced at the end of the corresponding caption.

Author Guidelines

Submission Requirements and Conditions

Choosing a Submission Category: There are five different submission categories in EXCLI Journal: Original, Review, Case report, Letter to the editor, and contributions to the Scientific Forum. See below for detailed descriptions and requirements for the different categories.

Online Submission: Manuscripts must be submitted by the corresponding author through the online submission system. Registration and login are required to submit items online and to check the status of current submissions. Please upload all submission files as specified in the tutorial on uploading your submissions. In case of problems with the online system please contact excli@ifado.de.

Terms of Submission: Manuscripts are submitted with the understanding that they have not been published elsewhere and are not currently under consideration by another journal. The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that the content of the article has been approved by all co-authors. Submissions by a person not included in the list of authors will not be accepted. The corresponding author accepts responsibility for the manuscript during the submission and peer review process. Authors should be aware that papers submitted for publication will be edited solely to improve readability.

Ethical Standards: For best practice publishing see Ethical Standards.

Manuscript Format: When preparing your manuscript, strictly adhere to the Formal Requirements.

Raw Data: Authors are encouraged to provide their raw data as supplementary files, or be prepared to submit data for review upon request by the editor or reviewers. When the editor or reviewers aks for this information, this is a non-negotiable matter. If the editor decides that the raw data are a substantial part of the scientific contribution, then the provision and publication of the raw data is mandatory. Discrepancies in the raw data will result in the irrevocable rejection of the manuscript.

Best Paper Sample: Authors are strongly encouraged to submit one of their most important previous articles in the research field of the current submission as a PDF file. This gives the editors the opportunity to check whether the present submission represents a progress compared to previous work of the authors and to the current state-of-the-art. Submissions accompanied by a PDF of a previous article have a higher chance to be forwarded to external reviewers and to be accepted for publication.

Revised Manuscripts: In case of a requested revision, the authors must submit:

  1. A point-by-point rebuttal letter addressing each point raised by the reviewers. If the authors do not agree with a specific point, they are requested to justify this in the rebuttal letter.
  2. A version of the mansucript where all changes addressing the reviewers’ comments are highlighted.
  3. A final, unmarked version of the manuscript that incorporates all changes made.

Proofs: Corrected proofs (galley proofs) must be returned to the publisher within 1 week of receipt. Accepted manuscripts will in most cases appear online within seven days of receiving the final corrected proofs.

Original articles

Original articles are studies reporting original research and are classified as primary literature. They include detailed methods, results, interpretation of findings, and a discussion of possible implications and a comparison to the literature. EXCLI Journal publishes original research articles in the field of experimental and clinical sciences with a broad and interdisciplinary perspective. While the primary emphasis is on the biological sciences, research from closely related disciplines is also encouraged. Relevant fields include, but are not limited to:

  • Aging research
  • Cell biology
  • Clinical and preclinical research
  • Drug development
  • Environmental health
  • Ergonomics
  • Gastroenterology and hepatology
  • Genetics, epigenetics and genomics
  • Immunology
  • Neuroscience and behavioral sciences
  • Oncology and cancer research
  • Pharmacology and toxicology
  • Physiology, biochemistry and metabolomics
  • Psychology
  • Regenerative medicine and stem cell research
  • Systems biology

The journal welcomes a wide range of methodological approaches, including:

  • In vitro studies, such as experiments using cell lines or primary cells
  • In vitro investigations using samples from patients or healthy volunteers
  • Pharmaceutical in vitro studies, including investigations of pharmacokinetics, galenics, and physicochemical properties
  • In vivo studies in animals
  • Clinical studies involving patients or healthy volunteers
  • Epidemiological research
  • In silico studies related to drug development, particularly when complemented by experimental or in vivo validation
  • Development of new analytical methods and clinical biomarkers

Submissions that combine several of these approaches or employ interdisciplinary strategies are particularly encouraged. We also encourage you to publish the raw data of your study if available.

Review articles

Review articles summarize and evaluate the existing literature in a specific field, identify relevant problems or issues, and analyze published data. They are considered secondary literature. EXCLI Journal considers the following categories of review articles:

Case reports

Clinical case studies present the details of real patient cases from medical or clinical practice. The cases presented are of particular interest to the field. The study is expected to discuss the signs, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of a disease, and provide a summary specifying what the field can learn from this case. EXCLI Journal will consider clinical case reports if at least one of the following criteria is met:

  • An unexpected diagnosis with regard to demographic data of the patient or the geographical region (ruling out a recent relevant travel history)
  • An unexpected pathogen or cause of injury
  • An unusually high incidence in a geographic region or family
  • An unusual association with another disease or syndrome
  • An uncommon clinical presentation
  • Unusual diagnostic findings
  • An unexpected response to a therapy, either beneficial or adverse
  • The case challenges the current doctrines
  • The case is a cautionary tale for clinicians and can help to prevent bad outcomes for patients

Letters to the editor

EXCLI Journal welcomes Letters to the editor addressing topics relevant to science and the scientific community. Letters are short communications that allow authors to present opinions, observations, or discussions of issues that may be of interest to the journal’s readership.

This category is intended to encourage open and constructive discussion within the scientific community. Authors are free to express well-reasoned opinions on scientific, societal, or policy-related issues relevant to research and academia.

Letters to the editor may include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Short communications describing interesting observations or preliminary findings from laboratory or clinical research that do not justify a full research article
  • Commentaries on previously published articles, either in EXCLI Journal or in other scientific journals
  • Discussions of ongoing debates in a particular research field or in public media that are relevant to scientific work
  • Corrections or clarifications addressing perceived errors, misunderstandings, or misrepresentations in published work
  • Reports or reflections on recent events relevant to the research community, such as conferences or scientific meetings

Letters should be concise, clearly argued, and supported by appropriate references where necessary.

Scientific Forum

The Scientific Forum is a dedicated article format of EXCLI Journal intended to promote structured, evidence-based discussion of issues that affect scientific research, scientific practice, and the scientific working environment. The forum provides an opportunity for rigorous and constructive debate on systemic aspects of science, including topics that may be controversial or sensitive. The purpose of this format is not advocacy or polemics, but the transparent and scholarly examination of scientific structures, procedures, and practices. Contributions should support informed discourse and encourage independent critical evaluation by readers.

Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • integrity and transparency in publication practices,
  • fairness and accountability in funding decisions,
  • professional conduct and the protection of early-career researchers,
  • due process in allegations of misconduct,
  • academic freedom and pressures toward intellectual conformity,
  • external influences on research agendas,
  • institutional accountability and procedural fairness in science.

Contributions discussing perceived procedural imbalances or systemic shortcomings are welcome, provided that all arguments are presented in a scholarly, evidence-based, and respectful manner.

The Scientific Forum is designed to facilitate structured exchange. Contributions may include:

  • lead articles presenting a clearly defined position,
  • responses offering an alternative or critical perspective,
  • rebuttals or follow-up comments,
  • editorial syntheses of a discussion where appropriate.

Typically, discussions consist of an initial contribution followed by a response and, where justified, one or two additional rounds of rebuttal.

All submissions must adhere to the standards of scientific and scholarly discourse.

In particular:

  • factual claims must be supported by verifiable evidence,
  • authors must clearly distinguish between established facts, interpretation, and personal opinion,
  • arguments should be presented logically and transparently,
  • language must remain respectful and professional at all times.

Unsupported allegations, speculation, insinuations, or defamatory statements are not acceptable. Personal attacks (ad personam arguments) are strictly prohibited.

The editorial evaluation focuses particularly on ensuring:

  1. factual correctness and evidentiary support,
  2. clarity and coherence of argumentation,
  3. compliance with principles of fairness and scholarly conduct,
  4. avoidance of defamatory or personally attacking statements.

Responsibility for the content, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in a contribution remains entirely with the authors.

Contributions submitted to the Scientific Forum are not subject to external peer review. Instead, submissions are evaluated by a member of the editorial team. The purpose of this editorial assessment is to ensure compliance with the formal and scholarly standards outlined above. The editors do not modify or endorse the substantive positions expressed by the authors. Acceptance of a contribution does not depend on whether the views expressed align with prevailing opinions, but on the quality of reasoning, adequacy of evidence, and adherence to scholarly standards.

The Scientific Forum aims to strengthen the self-correcting capacity of science by enabling open, rigorous, and evidence-based discussion of challenges affecting scientific practice and scientific culture. Constructive disagreement and divergent perspectives are regarded as essential components of scientific progress when expressed transparently and with intellectual rigor.

Copyright Notice

Authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:

  • The authors keep the copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license, CC BY 4.0. This licencse permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.
  • The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not specifically identified, does not imply that these names are not protected by the relevant laws and regulations.
  • Because the advice and information in this journal are believed to be true and accurate at the time of publication, neither the authors, the editors, nor the publisher accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions presented in the publication. The publisher makes no guarantee, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein.
  • The authors can enter into additional contracts for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version by citing the initial publication in this journal (e.g. publishing in an institutional repository or in a book).

Privacy Statement

Names and e-mail addresses that are entered on the web pages of this journal are used exclusively for the purposes indicated in menue About / Privacy Statement and not disclosed to third parties.