eLife

Scope & Guideline

Unlocking Discovery, Inspiring Innovation

Introduction

Immerse yourself in the scholarly insights of eLife with our comprehensive guidelines detailing its aims and scope. This page is your resource for understanding the journal's thematic priorities. Stay abreast of trending topics currently drawing significant attention and explore declining topics for a full picture of evolving interests. Our selection of highly cited topics and recent high-impact papers is curated within these guidelines to enhance your research impact.
LanguageEnglish
ISSN2050-084x
PublishereLIFE SCIENCES PUBL LTD
Support Open AccessYes
CountryUnited Kingdom
TypeJournal
Convergefrom 2012 to 2024
AbbreviationELIFE / eLife
Frequency1 issue/year
Time To First Decision-
Time To Acceptance-
Acceptance Rate-
Home Page-
AddressSHERATON HOUSE, CASTLE PARK, CAMBRIDGE CB3 0AX, ENGLAND

Aims and Scopes

The journal 'eLife' serves as a prominent multidisciplinary platform, focusing on a wide range of biological and biomedical research. It aims to advance scientific understanding by publishing high-quality research articles, reviews, and perspectives that contribute to the fields of life sciences, including but not limited to molecular biology, neuroscience, and environmental sciences.
  1. Multidisciplinary Biological Research:
    eLife publishes research across various disciplines in biology, including molecular biology, genetics, neuroscience, and ecology, which facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange.
  2. Innovative Methodologies:
    The journal emphasizes the use of cutting-edge methodologies, including advanced imaging techniques, computational modeling, and high-throughput sequencing, to address complex biological questions.
  3. Open Science and Transparency:
    eLife promotes open science practices, encouraging data sharing, reproducibility, and transparency in research, which enhances the credibility and accessibility of scientific findings.
  4. Focus on Mechanisms and Processes:
    Articles often explore underlying mechanisms of biological processes, highlighting the molecular and cellular bases of phenomena such as development, disease, and ecological interactions.
  5. Public Engagement and Education:
    The journal also aims to engage the public and scientific community through accessible content that explains research significance and implications for health and the environment.
Recent publications in eLife indicate a shift towards several trending and emerging themes that reflect the current interests and advancements in the life sciences. These themes demonstrate a focus on innovative techniques, interdisciplinary research, and pressing global health issues.
  1. Neurobiology and Neuroscience:
    There is an increasing emphasis on research exploring neural circuits, synaptic plasticity, and the molecular basis of neurological disorders, reflecting the growing interest in understanding brain function and its implications for mental health.
  2. Microbiome Research:
    Research investigating the human microbiome and its role in health, disease, and metabolism is gaining traction, showing the importance of microbial communities in various biological processes.
  3. Cancer Biology and Therapeutics:
    A notable increase in studies focusing on cancer mechanisms, therapeutic strategies, and immunotherapies indicates a heightened interest in understanding and combating cancer.
  4. Environmental and Ecological Studies:
    Research on the impacts of climate change, biodiversity, and ecosystem health is trending, highlighting the urgency of addressing environmental challenges within biological research.
  5. Gene Editing and Synthetic Biology:
    Emerging technologies in gene editing, particularly CRISPR-based approaches, are rapidly advancing, showcasing innovative applications in genetic engineering and synthetic biology.

Declining or Waning

While eLife continues to explore a wide array of topics, some research areas appear to be experiencing a decline in focus or frequency of publication. This may reflect shifts in scientific priorities or emerging technologies that alter research trajectories.
  1. Traditional Model Organisms:
    Research utilizing established model organisms (e.g., mice, fruit flies) may be waning as the field shifts towards more complex systems that better mimic human biology or environmental conditions.
  2. Basic Mechanistic Studies:
    There seems to be a decline in purely mechanistic studies that do not have immediate translational applications, as funding and interest increasingly favor research with direct implications for human health and disease.
  3. Single-Discipline Focus:
    There is a trend away from research that limits itself to single disciplines, such as basic ecology or traditional microbiology, as interdisciplinary approaches become more favored.
  4. Reductionist Approaches:
    Reductionist approaches that focus on isolated biological processes without considering broader ecological or systemic contexts may be losing prominence in favor of integrative and systems biology.

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