About the Journal

Focus and Scope

Science should be understood as a crucial area of social participation, forming the conceptual basis of democracy. It allows anyone interested to engage in scientific debates that drive us forward socially and technically, becoming co-participants in scientific and technical advancements on equal terms and responsibilities. Therefore, prioritizing access to scientific culture suitable for non-specialists is essential.

In this context, the digital magazine B-ON (Biologia On-Line) publishes science outreach articles written by students from undergraduate, postgraduate, master's, and doctoral programs at the Faculty of Biology of the University of Barcelona. This provides them with an opportunity to initiate themselves in the field of scientific communication while presenting to society, in plain language yet scientifically rigorous texts, some of the many research projects undertaken at the Faculty of Biology, including their findings, applications, and the opinions of the protagonists involved.

Authors retain the copyright of their articles and are responsible for their content.

Peer Review Process

As a magazine created by students as part of their academic training, article reviews will be conducted by the editor and other authors of each issue, covering both formal aspects related to professional science communication practices and scientific content. Other faculty members will also participate based on the content of each issue.

Publication Frequency

Starting from the year 2024, the publication frequency will be one annual volume released in July.

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content, following the principle that freely sharing research benefits the global exchange of knowledge.

Article Authors

Authors of articles published in Biologia On-Line are students from undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs offered at the Faculty of Biology, seeking experience in the field of scientific outreach as part of their academic training.

Authors retain the copyright of their articles and are responsible for their content.

Publication Guidelines

Articles should be submitted directly to the director and editor of the magazine (Dr. David Bueno; dbueno@ub.edu). Both students interested in participating in this outreach project and faculty members who wish to include this option in their students' curricular assignments can submit articles. In all cases, the relevance of the topic and the quality of communication will be considered. Authors should adhere to the format of the articles, which will be provided to them upon requesting participation in this project.

Journal History

Science and technology have a fundamental impact on all aspects of our lives, influencing much of our future. From everyday objects to sophisticated biomedical treatments, their origins or consequences lie in science. Science should be viewed as a significant area of social participation, forming the conceptual basis of democracy, allowing anyone interested to engage in scientific debates that drive us forward socially and technically, becoming co-participants in scientific and technical advancements on equal terms and responsibilities. Therefore, prioritizing access to scientific culture suitable for non-specialists should be a priority.

In this context, the University, as an institution, has three main objectives: to generate, accumulate, and transmit knowledge. Within the University of Barcelona, the primary objectives of the Faculty of Biology are to generate, accumulate, and transmit knowledge related to all aspects of biology. Although a significant part of these objectives is achieved within the Faculty itself, through professional training via undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and the work of numerous research groups, society often remains unaware of the research conducted within the Faculty, despite it being mostly funded by public funds, and the discoveries and applications benefiting society. For these reasons, the digital magazine Biologia On-Line (B-ON) was born in 2011, written by students in Biology, Biomedicine, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, and Environmental Sciences as part of their 4th-year internships. On the one hand, to initiate them into scientific communication, and on the other hand, to bring to society, in plain language yet scientifically rigorous texts, some of the many research projects undertaken at the Faculty of Biology, including their findings, applications, and the opinions of some of the protagonists.

If culture broadens our thinking and helps us be more free, knowledge and the cultural dissemination of science are clearly essential to ensure our freedom of opinion and choice in a world governed by science and technology. We sincerely hope (with a biological heart) that this digital magazine, created with the brain (also biological), serves these objectives.