Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find information about submitting to Biological Psychiatry?
Our Guide for Authors is available at
http://journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/bps/authorinfo.

I want to submit a Brief Report to Biological Psychiatry, but I no longer see that option available. Can I still submit?
Biological Psychiatry eliminated Brief Reports in October 2010. All original research articles should be submitted as Archival Reports, written as clearly and concisely as possible.

I am considering submitting a manuscript to Biological Psychiatry, but it exceeds the maximum word limit. Must I reduce it prior to initial submission?
No, you may proceed with submission. We do not require authors to meet our length requirements until they have been invited to submit a revision. You may receive some suggestions from the reviewers and/or editors about areas of your manuscript that are unnecessarily lengthy or that are better suited for classification as Supplemental Information, and you can work to reduce it at the revision stage.

My revised manuscript is over the word limit after addressing all of the reviewer concerns. What can I do?
Generally, we strictly enforce our word limits when a revised manuscript is submitted. Authors should take a critical look at their manuscript to ensure that it is written as concisely and clearly as possible. Additionally, we strongly encourage authors to consider the use of Supplemental Information. This can be text, tables, and/or figures that are relevant to the work but not critical to support the findings. Supplemental Information is published online, but does not appear in print and therefore, does not count against the word limits.

If my clinical trial was completed before Biological Psychiatry implemented its registration policy, do I still have to register?
Yes. Biological Psychiatry requires the registration of all clinical trials regardless of when they were completed. We simply have an additional requirement that a study must have been registered at or before the onset of patient enrollment for clinical trials that began patient enrollment on or after February 1, 2007.

Can we assign one corresponding author to handle the submission process, but designate a different one upon acceptance?
Unfortunately, we must require that only a single person be responsible for the manuscript from submission through publication. The corresponding author should not be changed after submission without a valid reason. If the corresponding author wants to ensure that another author also receives communications about a manuscript, please contact the Editorial Office.

Do all of the authors have to sign a single Manuscript Submission Form?
No, we understand that authors are often spread among various institutions, and even across continents. Authors are welcome to sign and submit individual forms for a manuscript if it is more convenient.

One or all of the authors are employees of the U.S. federal government and cannot transfer copyright. Do we still have to sign the Manuscript Submission Form?
Yes, the form already makes exception for federal government employees in the Transfer of Copyright section.

My NIH-funded manuscript has been accepted by Biological Psychiatry. How do I comply with the NIH Public Access Policy?
As a service to our authors, our publisher, Elsevier, will deposit manuscripts to PubMed Central that have reported NIH-funded research. The full Elsevier policy is available here: www.elsevier.com/fundingbodyagreements. The only action necessary as an author is to indicate on the Publishing Agreement form, which is sent to the corresponding author after acceptance, that the study received NIH funding.

My manuscript has been accepted by Biological Psychiatry, and the study's funding body has manuscript archiving requirements. What do I need to do?
Our publisher, Elsevier, has established agreements and policies with multiple funding bodies in the U.S. and U.K. Please see the full details here: www.elsevier.com/fundingbodyagreements.

How soon will my accepted article be published?
Accepted articles are published online ahead of print in an average of 35 business days, and articles are published in print 4-6 months after acceptance. Please ensure you respond to all proof inquiries as quickly as possible to prevent any delays in this process.

What percentage of submissions does Biological Psychiatry accept?
Our current acceptance rate is approximately 15%.

What is the likelihood that my submission will be sent out for peer review?
The Editors of Biological Psychiatry send out approximately 50% of submissions for peer review, while the other 50% are editorially rejected, i.e., rejected without peer review, within 5 days.

How fast can Biological Psychiatry evaluate my manuscript?
The average time from submission to first decision is less than 20 days, with an editorial rejection (reject without peer review) decision issued within 5 days. Please keep in mind that if your manuscript has been sent out for peer review, it may take longer than 20 days to receive enough reviews for an editor to reach a decision.

I want to use material from an article published in Biological Psychiatry. How do I obtain permission?
All permissions are handled through our publisher, Elsevier. Interested parties may contact the Elsevier Global Rights Department directly by phone at (215) 239-3804 or +44 (0)1865 843830, or by e-mail at permissions@elsevier.com. Requests may also be completed online at www.elsevier.com/permissions.

I am interested in submitting special cover art for Biological Psychiatry. How can I do so?
We are happy to accept scientifically and visually interesting images that would be suitable for cover art. At the "Attach Files" screen during the submission process, you may upload additional images for consideration as cover art. You may also email the files to the Editorial Office. Please note that all images that appear in the paper are automatically considered.

Thank you for your interest in Biological Psychiatry. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact the Editorial Office by phone at (214) 648-0880 or by e-mail at biol.psych@utsouthwestern.edu.