About the Journal

Focus and Scope

The Journal of the Colombian Association of Biological Sciences (ACCB Journal) is an international scientific publication that publishes original and unpublished articles, topic reviews, case studies, and brief communications in the field of biological sciences, with a special focus on animal biology, plant biology, environmental sciences and sustainable development, agricultural sciences, biomedical sciences, genomic sciences and biotechnology, and science education.

Additionally, other topics of general interest, as determined by the Editorial Committee, are also considered.

ACCB Journal adheres to the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and Equator Network to ensure publication quality, transparency, scientific integrity, and ethical research practices.

Peer Review Process

All manuscripts submitted to ACCB Journal undergo a double-blind peer review process to ensure compliance with quality and scientific impact standards.

1. Editorial Committee Review: The Editorial Committee evaluates compliance with the journal’s editorial policies.
2. Peer Review: Manuscripts passing the first stage are reviewed anonymously by two external reviewers. If there is disagreement between reviewers, a third reviewer is assigned.

Confidentiality

All documents under review are considered confidential. Reviewers must not disclose manuscript information or use its content for personal benefit.

Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must decline evaluation of manuscripts where direct or indirect conflicts of interest exist.

• Lack of Expertise: Reviewers should report if they lack sufficient expertise in the subject area.
• Plagiarism or Fraud: Reviewers should notify the Editorial Committee if plagiarism, fabrication, or falsification is suspected.

Review Timeline

Reviewers have a maximum of five days to accept or decline a review invitation and 20 days to submit their evaluation reports.

Possible Review Outcomes

• Accepted
• Rejected
• Accepted with Modifications

Publication Frequency

Open Access Policy

ACCB Journal provides immediate open access to its content, promoting global knowledge exchange and scientific dissemination.

• Content may not be used for commercial purposes.
• No derivative works may be created.
• Original source and authorship must always be cited.

Ethical Statement and Best Practices

ACCB Journal is committed to ensuring ethical standards, scientific quality, and transparency in all published content, following the COPE Code of Conduct and Best Practices.

Authors’ Responsibilities

• Guarantee originality of submitted manuscripts.
• Follow journal formatting and submission guidelines.
• Ensure all listed authors contributed significantly.
• Correct errors or revisions when requested.

Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism

All manuscripts are checked using plagiarism detection software. Proven misconduct may result in manuscript rejection, article removal, and permanent submission restrictions.

Editors’ Responsibilities

• Editors retain authority to accept or reject manuscripts.
• Editors must declare absence of conflicts of interest.
• Corrections or retractions will be issued when necessary.

Anti-Plagiarism Policy

ACCB Journal implements strict anti-plagiarism measures. All submissions are analyzed using plagiarism detection tools before editorial decisions are made.

Publication Fees

Sponsors

Colombian Association of Biological Sciences

Submission Checklist

• Is the article original and authored by you?
• Has it been submitted to another journal?
• Are URLs or DOIs included whenever possible?
• Does the manuscript follow the journal formatting guidelines?
• Are references formatted using Vancouver style?
• Has the copyright transfer form been attached?

Indexing

ACCB Journal is indexed in: