Evidence-Based Toxicology

Evidence-Based Toxicology is a gold open-access journal created to support open science practices and the use of evidence-based methods in the toxicological and environmental health sciences. It is the official journal of the Evidence-Based Toxicology Collaboration.

We define “evidence-based toxicology” as the development or application of approaches to research and publishing that contribute to making better use of evidence when evaluating and responding to how environmental exposures affect human health.

“Exposures” can include any potentially health-affecting exogenous stressor, from chemical substances to noise to long working hours. Recognising the interdependence of human health and ecological and social change, evidence-based research relating to ecosystem and planetary health that can in turn affect human health is eligible for submission.

We define " open science" as the set of practices aimed at improving the transparency, validity, reproducibility, and accessibility of scientific research, while promoting equality of opportunity to participate in and benefit from the products of said research.

EBT has implemented a range of editorial policies designed to support open science practices and maximise our accountability for the publishing decisions that we make. These include: requiring manuscripts to be available as preprints before submission; open triage and peer-review; decision-making that prioritises scientific rigour and compliance with open data standards over perceived novelty and impact; and the eligibility of study protocols as a submission type.

Through these policies we hope to inspire change in scientific publishing practices that will lead to a healthier, better-functioning research ecosystem for toxicology and environmental health.

Examples of topics, study designs, and areas of investigation that we will consider include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

• Epidemiology and epidemiological methods
  
• New Approach Methods (NAMs) and Next Generation Risk Assessments (NGRAs)
  
• Modes of action, adverse outcome pathways, key characteristics of carcinogens and other diseases
  
• PBPK, IVIVE, QSAR, and other modelling methods
  
• Chemical risk assessment and chemical risk management
  
• Occupational exposures of any type, including long working hours and stress
  
• Air pollution exposures and their effect on health
  
• Positive impacts of the environment on health, such as from greenspace and bluespace
  
• Decision frameworks, equity and ethics
  
• Computable research, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and FAIR data
  
• Advances in scientific publishing and developing the evidence ecosystem
  

We publish manuscripts of the following types:

1. Primary research: Experimental and observational studies that apply the principles of evidence-based toxicology ( described here) when investigating potential human health impacts of environmental exposures.

2. Secondary research: Systematic reviews, systematic evidence maps, and other studies that systematically summarise and synthesise evidence.

3. Research into methods: Research of any appropriate design that aims to investigate or improve the utility, credibility, and/or transparency of primary or secondary research. This includes guidance, appraisal instruments, meta-epidemiological studies, etc.

4. Research into the science-policy interface: Research of any appropriate design that aims to investigate and improve how scientific research informs decision-making, covering issues from risk assessment and risk management to equity and ethics.

5. Protocols: The planned methods for any study design, primary or secondary, for any of the above types of research.

6. Expert commentary: Advice, guidance, and comment designed to inform and educate readers about evolving contexts, trends, and practices in evidence-based toxicology.

Manuscripts need not be directly about human environmental health, so long as they have obvious application in evidence-based toxicology. For example, general methods papers presenting guidance that is readily actionable by environmental health scientists would be eligible for consideration.

If authors have any questions about the eligibility of their manuscripts, they are warmly encouraged to contact Paul Whaley, Editor-in-Chief.

As a journal we aim to set an example of best practices in scientific publishing. This includes publication regardless of significance of results, reputation, or career level of authors, and a commitment to consistent treatment of all authors and transparency of decision-making.

We accept manuscripts that have already been posted on a preprint server. We also accept in-scope manuscripts that have been recommended for acceptance by the Peer Community in Registered Reports