Initial submission

Systems Ecology uses a low-friction, question-driven submission process.

At initial submission, authors should:

• Upload a complete manuscript PDF.
• Select one or more Field Map Coordinates from the category list provided during submission.
• Provide a Central Question and Contribution / Answer statement within the manuscript.
• Optionally suggest up to three editors whose expertise is particularly relevant to the manuscript.
• Optionally request double-anonymous peer review by submitting an anonymized manuscript while providing complete author information through the submission system.

Suggested reviewers and reviewer exclusions may be provided, but are optional.

Authors and corresponding author

At initial submission, Systems Ecology requires only one corresponding author to be entered into the submission system.

For standard submissions, the complete author list, affiliations, and author order should appear in the manuscript PDF.

Authors requesting double-anonymous peer review should instead upload an anonymized manuscript while providing complete author information through the submission system.

Formatting at initial submission

Systems Ecology does not require extensive formatting at initial submission. Manuscripts should be clear, complete, and readable, but authors do not need to reformat references, figures, or layout before editorial evaluation.

Production-ready files and final metadata are requested only for manuscripts that proceed through peer review toward publication.

Central Question

Each manuscript should include a concise statement identifying the primary systems-level ecological question addressed by the work.

Contribution / Answer

Each manuscript should briefly state how the work advances understanding of the Central Question. This may take the form of an answer, partial answer, mechanism, synthesis, methodological advance, empirical finding, or conceptual clarification.

How manuscripts are evaluated

Systems Ecology is a question-driven journal. Manuscripts are evaluated according to:

• the importance of the ecological systems question addressed;
• the contribution the manuscript makes toward answering that question;
• scientific soundness;
• transparency and reproducibility;
• clarity of scientific communication;
• and fit with the journal's scope.

Originality often accompanies meaningful scientific contributions, but the journal does not seek novelty for its own sake or evaluate manuscripts according to predicted citation impact.

Systems Ecology seeks work that advances understanding of ecological systems through theoretical, empirical, computational, methodological, or synthetic contributions.

Field Map Coordinates

Authors should select one or more Field Map Coordinates during submission.

• Organization and complexity
• Energy, matter, and ecosystem function
• Information, diversity, and structure
• Interactions, networks, and trophic systems
• Dynamics, resilience, and transitions
• Succession, recovery, and transformation
• Scaling, levels, and macroecological patterns
• Inference, prediction, and models

Field Map Coordinates are intended to position manuscripts within an evolving map of systems ecology rather than to function as a rigid classification system. Many manuscripts will naturally span multiple coordinates.

Manuscript preparation

The manuscript should normally include:

• Title
• Author names and affiliations (omit from the PDF if requesting double-anonymous review)
• Central Question
• Contribution / Answer
• Abstract
• Main text
• References
• Figures and tables (embedded or appended)
• Data and Code Availability statement
• Funding statement (when applicable)
• AI Use Statement (when applicable)

Article types

Systems Ecology considers the following article types. The recommended lengths below are intended as guidance rather than strict limits. We value clarity of scientific communication over arbitrary length restrictions. Manuscripts that substantially exceed these recommendations should do so because the science requires it, not because unnecessary material has been included.

Peer review

Systems Ecology normally uses single-anonymous peer review. Authors may optionally request double-anonymous peer review.

Reviewers are asked to evaluate:

• the importance and clarity of the Central Question;
• the contribution made toward answering that question;
• scientific soundness;
• transparency and reproducibility when applicable;
• whether the conclusions are supported by the evidence presented.

Reviewers distinguish essential revisions from optional suggestions. Reviewer recommendations are advisory. Final editorial decisions rest with the Handling Editor.

The journal seeks to minimize unnecessary revision cycles. Editors may make final decisions after satisfactory minor revisions without returning the manuscript to reviewers.

Systems Ecology aims to provide an initial editorial decision within approximately 6–8 weeks.

Peer review as a shared scholarly responsibility

Authors who benefit from peer review are encouraged to contribute to the review process in turn, whether for Systems Ecology or for the broader scientific community.

Data and code availability

Systems Ecology expects data and code necessary to reproduce the principal results to be publicly available at publication unless legitimate ethical, legal, privacy, confidentiality, or conservation constraints prevent this.

Whenever necessary for peer review, authors are encouraged to make data and code available confidentially to editors and reviewers.

Whenever data or code cannot be shared publicly, authors should explain the reasons in the Data and Code Availability statement.

AI-assisted tools

Authors remain fully responsible for all submitted content.

If AI-assisted tools contributed to the preparation of a manuscript, authors should include an AI Use Statement identifying the tools used, how they were used, and which parts of the manuscript were affected.

AI systems may not be listed as authors.

Open access and licensing

Systems Ecology is an independent diamond open access journal: free to read and free to publish, with no subscriptions and no article processing charges.

Authors retain copyright. Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).