Aims
Animals (ISSN 2076-2615) is an international and interdisciplinary scholarly open access journal. It publishes original research articles, reviews, communications, and short notes that are relevant to any field of study that involves animals, including zoology, ethnozoology, animal science, animal ethics and animal welfare. However, preference will be given to those articles that provide an understanding of animals within a larger context (i.e., the animals' interactions with the outside world, including humans). There is no restriction on the length of the papers. Our aim is to encourage scientists to publish their experimental and theoretical research in as much detail as possible. Full experimental details and/or method of study, must be provided for research articles. Articles submitted that involve subjecting animals to unnecessary pain or suffering will not be accepted, and all articles must be submitted with the necessary ethical approval (please refer to the Ethical Guidelines for more information). Animals does not publish articles describing the use of animals solely to provide information of relevance to humans, e.g. for development of human medicines.
Animals does not publish the results of tests of commercial products that do not provide any fundamental scientific advances.
Subject Areas
Zoology:
Physiology and physical structure of animals (e.g., breeding mechanisms, nutritional needs, development etc.) and its relevance to the ecosystem in which they live
Evolution, phylogeny, genetics taxonomy and biodiversity of animals
Ecology and conservation:
Protection and restoration of endangered and threatened species
Abundance and distribution of animals and the relevance to sustainability of the ecosystem
Predator-prey dynamics and interactions between animals in ecological communities
Animal management and welfare science:
Animal behavioral and psychological responses to human activity and the environment
Management of captive and domesticated animals
Rehabilitation of animals into the wild
Animals and society:
animal ethics and the morality of their use in human society
Pest management
Animal derived food
Animal diseases and public health
Ethnobiological and cross-cultural perspectives on animals
Preference will be given to those articles that incorporate interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary research to provide an integrated understanding of animals and their relationships with humans. Standards and guidelines related to animal welfare, or comments/suggestions upon those standards and guidelines are particularly welcome. We wish to support original research that provides a broad understanding of how humans and animals can better coexist in a sustainable and healthy manner.