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About

Aims and scope

Epigenetics Communications covers the broad spectrum of epigenetic science from basic research to technological and therapeutic innovations, as well as their theoretical, ethical and societal dimensions. Epigenetics Communications is an innovative new, open-access journal devoted to the study and problematization of epigenetic principles and mechanisms in basic and translational research settings. It is also a forum for interdisciplinary debates around epigenetics, as well as for the investigation of its societal dimensions. In support of open science initiatives, the journal will have a level 4 data policy requiring data be made publicly available. The journal is divided into the following sections:
 

  • Molecular Epigenetics (Histone Modifications; DNA Methylation; DNA Demethylation)
  • Nuclear Organization
  • Mitotic & Meiotic Heritability
  • Epigenetic Drugs
  • Epigenetic Technologies
  • Epigenetic Bioengineering
  • Network Epigenetics
  • Computational Epigenomics
  • Single Cell Epigenetics
  • Epigenetic Toxicology
  • Model Organisms (Vertebrates; Invertebrates; Plants; Unicellular systems)
  • Epigenetics and Society


Epigenetics Communications will support the publication of manuscripts that contribute to a further understanding of epigenetic mechanisms that impact functioning of systems and organisms. Submissions describing clinical applications are referred to the sister journal, Clinical Epigenetics.

This new and innovative journal will also act as a forum to showcase and discuss alternative conclusions/interpretations of well-established epigenetic phenomena. These can be based either on the (re-)analyses of published and/or new data, or on the findings and results of epigenetic research in interaction with other disciplines. As such, we welcome 'systematic’ and ‘critical’ studies, be them positive (expected) or negative (non-expected) with respect to their outcomes.

Open access

All articles published by Epigenetics Communications are made freely and permanently accessible online immediately upon publication, without subscription charges or registration barriers. Further information about open access can be found here.

As authors of articles published in Epigenetics Communications you are the copyright holders of your article and have granted to any third party, in advance and in perpetuity, the right to use, reproduce or disseminate your article, according to the BMC license agreement.

For those of you who are US government employees or are prevented from being copyright holders for similar reasons, BMC can accommodate non-standard copyright lines. Please contact us if further information is needed.

Article processing charges (APC)

Authors who publish open access in Epigenetics Communications are required to pay an article processing charge (APC). The APC price will be determined from the date on which the article is accepted for publication.

The current APC, subject to VAT or local taxes where applicable, is: £990.00/$1490.00/€1190.00

Visit our open access support portal and our Journal Pricing FAQs for further information.

Open access funding

Visit Springer Nature’s open access funding & support services for information about research funders and institutions that provide funding for APCs.

Springer Nature offers agreements that enable institutions to cover open access publishing costs. Learn more about our open access agreements to check your eligibility and discover whether this journal is included.

Springer Nature offers APC waivers and discounts for articles published in our fully open access journals whose corresponding authors are based in the world’s lowest income countries (see our APC waivers and discounts policy for further information). Requests for APC waivers and discounts from other authors will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and may be granted in cases of financial need (see our open access policies for journals for more information). All applications for discretionary APC waivers and discounts should be made at the point of manuscript submission; requests made during the review process or after acceptance are unable to be considered.

Indexing services

The full text of all articles is deposited in digital archives around the world to guarantee long-term digital preservation. You can also access all articles published by BMC on SpringerLink.

We are working closely with relevant indexing services including PubMed Central and Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics) to ensure that articles published in Epigenetics Communications will be available in their databases when appropriate.

Peer-review policy

Peer-review is the system used to assess the quality of a manuscript before it is published. Independent researchers in the relevant research area assess submitted manuscripts for originality, validity and significance to help editors determine whether the manuscript should be published in their journal. You can read more about the peer-review process here.

Single-blind peer review

Epigenetics Communications operates a single-blind peer-review system, where the reviewers are aware of the names and affiliations of the authors, but the reviewer reports provided to authors are anonymous. Single-blind peer review is the traditional model of peer review that many reviewers are comfortable with, and it facilitates a dispassionate critique of a manuscript.

Submitted manuscripts will generally be reviewed by two or more experts who will be asked to evaluate whether the manuscript is scientifically sound and coherent, whether it duplicates already published work, and whether or not the manuscript is sufficiently clear for publication. The Editors will reach a decision based on these reports and, where necessary, they will consult with members of the Editorial Board.

Citing articles in Epigenetics Communications

Articles in Epigenetics Communications should be cited in the same way as articles in a traditional journal. Because articles are not printed, they do not have page numbers; instead, they are given a unique article number.

Article citations follow this format:

Authors. Title. Journal Abbreviation [year];[volume number]:[article number].

e.g. Roberts LD, Hassall DG, Winegar DA, Haselden JN, Nicholls AW, Griffin JL. Increased hepatic oxidative metabolism distinguishes the action of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor delta from Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor gamma in the Ob/Ob mouse. Diagn Pathol 2009;1:115.

1:115 refers to article 115 from Volume 1 of the journal.

Editorial policies

All manuscripts submitted to Epigenetics Communications should adhere to BMC's editorial policies.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Appeals and complaints

Authors who wish to appeal a rejection or make a complaint should follow the procedure outlined in the BMC Editorial Policies.

Benefits of publishing with BMC

High visibility

Epigenetics Communications's open access policy allows maximum visibility of articles published in the journal as they are available to a wide, global audience. 

Speed of publication

Epigenetics Communications offers a fast publication schedule whilst maintaining rigorous peer review; all articles must be submitted online, and peer review is managed fully electronically (articles are distributed in PDF form, which is automatically generated from the submitted files). Articles will be published with their final citation after acceptance, in both fully browsable web form, and as a formatted PDF.

Flexibility

Online publication in Epigenetics Communications gives you the opportunity to publish large datasets, large numbers of color illustrations and moving pictures, to display data in a form that can be read directly by other software packages so as to allow readers to manipulate the data for themselves, and to create all relevant links (for example, to PubMed, to sequence and other databases, and to other articles).

Promotion and press coverage

Articles published in Epigenetics Communications are included in article alerts and regular email updates. Some may be highlighted on Epigenetics Communications’s pages and on the BMC homepage.

In addition, articles published in Epigenetics Communications may be promoted by press releases to the general or scientific press. These activities increase the exposure and number of accesses for articles published in Epigenetics Communications. A list of articles recently press-released by journals published by BMC is available here.

Copyright

As an author of an article published in Epigenetics Communications you retain the copyright of your article and you are free to reproduce and disseminate your work (for further details, see the BMC license agreement).

For further information about the advantages of publishing in a journal from BMC, please click here.

Affiliated with

  • Epigenetics Communications is affiliated with the International Society for Molecular and Clinical Epigenetics (isMOCLEP). isMOCLEP is open to all those interested in the wide spectrum of epigenetic research, from molecular to clinical aspects. isMOCLEP community welcomes academic researchers, early career scientists, companies, policy makers, and beyond.

Annual Journal Metrics

2023 Speed
6 days submission to first editorial decision for all manuscripts (Median)
10 days submission to accept (Median)

2023 Usage 
24,620 downloads
25 Altmetric mentions