About the Journal

Molluscan Horizons is a diamond open-access, peer-reviewed academic journal born from a joint effort of Latin American malacological societies. It is led and funded by the Brazilian Society of Malacology (SBMa) and publishes original scientific articles on all aspects of molluscan research, or Malacology.

Learned societies supporting Molluscan Horizons:

 

Focus & Scope

Molluscan Horizons publishes original scientific articles on all aspects of molluscan research, a.k.a. Malacology. Those include but are not limited to taxonomy, systematics, palaeontology, evolution, biogeography, conservation, invasion biology, physiology, ecology, behaviour, archaeozoology, medical malacology, fisheries, heliciculture, education and outreach, and cultural zoology. If in doubt regarding the suitability of a manuscript for Molluscan Horizons, please contact our editorial team.

The journal is available only in electronic format and is organised in annual volumes with articles published continuously throughout the year.

 

Peer review policy

After an initial evaluation of a received manuscript, the editors decide whether it proceeds to peer review or is outright rejected, specifying the reasons in the latter case. The most common reasons for rejection at this stage are non-conformity with the journal’s focus, scope and/or policies, or low scientific or linguistic quality.

In cases where the manuscript is suitable for Molluscan Horizons but needs technical or linguistic improvements, it will be returned to the authors. The authors will not need to re-submit the manuscript, but only upload the corrected file(s) to their existing submission.

Once a manuscript has been deemed suitable, it will be sent to at least two referees for independent peer review. Molluscan Horizons adopts a single-blind peer review process, that is, the identity of the referees is hidden from the authors. Referees are, however, encouraged to disclose their identities.

The referees’ recommendations will be assessed by the Subject Editor in charge of the manuscript and then forwarded to the corresponding author. Authors are expected to revise their manuscript accordingly. Authors who do not wish to comply with some or all of the referees' suggestions must provide details of their reasons in writing. The referees’ recommendations and authors’ replies will inform the final decision of the Subject Editor about whether to accept a paper for publication or not.

Authors are expected to suggest suitable referees and, if necessary, indicate referees to be avoided, as well as disclose and explain potential conflicts of interest. The final choice of referees is at the discretion of the Subject Editor.

 

Article types

Molluscan Horizons publishes the following types of articles:

Research article: Research articles are the most common output of the journal, reporting the findings of original research, including case studies and replications. Molluscan Horizons is committed to publishing good research and does not shy away from so-called “negative results”.

*Molluscan Horizons does not have a Research Note type of article. All research studies, irrespective of size, should be submitted as full research articles.

Review article: Review articles consist of comprehensive summaries of the research and literature on a given topic, presenting a current perspective as well as future expectations.

Methods article: A methods article aims to report new or revised methodologies for work on one of the areas covered by Molluscan Horizons.

Book review: Reviews of scholarly books on molluscan research. Book reviews are usually by invitation, but authors are welcome to contact our editorial team for proposals.

Biography / Obituary: Articles focusing on the life of a relevant researcher and their work.

 

Article processing charges

Publication in Molluscan Horizons is free of charge for Global South researchers. That is, when the manuscript’s first author is based primarily in a Global South country. Teams led (i.e., last author) by a Global South researcher might also be granted a waiver on a case-by-case basis, to be requested from the editors before submission.

For authors and teams outside the Global South, we suggest a contribution of USD 90 per article. That contribution helps us to keep the journal running.

 

Open access policy

Molluscan Horizons provides open access to its content immediately upon publication under the conditions of Creative Commons Attribution Licence CC BY 4.0. This licence allows unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction of Molluscan Horizons’ articles in any medium, as long as the original authors and source are credited.

Licence and copyright agreement:

In submitting the manuscript to Molluscan Horizons, the authors certify that: 

  • They are authorised by their co-authors to enter into these arrangements.
  • The publication of the work has been approved by all author(s) and responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – of the institutes where the work has been carried out.
  • The work has not been published before, except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, or thesis.
  • The work is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
  • They secured the right to reproduce any material that has already been published or where the copyright is owned by someone else.
  • They agree to the following licence and copyright agreement:
    • Copyright on any article is retained by the author(s) or the author's employer. Regarding copyright transfers, please see below.
    • The authors grant Molluscan Horizons a licence to publish the article and identify itself as the original publisher.
    • The authors grant any third party the right to use the article freely as long as its original authors and citation details are identified. 
    • The article and published supplementary material are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution Licence CC BY 4.0.

Copyright transfers:

Usage rights are regulated through the Creative Commons License. According to the Creative Commons Attribution Licence CC BY 4.0, anyone (the author, their institution/company, the publisher, and the public) is free to copy, distribute, transmit, and adapt the work as long as the original authors are credited. Therefore, specific usage rights cannot be reserved by the author or their institution/company, and the publisher cannot include the statement “all rights reserved” in any published paper.