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Molecular Autism

Molecular Autism is a high visibility open access peer-reviewed journal publishing basic, translational, and clinical research relevant to the etiology, pathobiology, or treatment of autism and autism spectrum related neurodevelopmental conditions. It publishes empirical studies, research, reviews, and brief communications, and encourages integration across levels in a range of fields, including work that may close the gap between molecular and behavioural aspects of autism.

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Impact Factor 5.5
Quartile Q1
Open Access Type Open
ISSN 2040-2392
eISSN 2040-2392
Invitation Only Yes
Cost Range APC: £2690.00 GBP / $3990.00 USD / €3090.00 EUR, plus VAT or local taxes where applicable.

Submission Instructions

Molecular Autism is an invitation-only journal. Submissions are accepted by invitation from the editorial board only. The following article types are accepted:

Research

Cover Letter A cover letter is required. Cover letter must explain why the manuscript should be published, note any issues relating to journal policies, declare any potential competing interests, confirm all authors approved submission, confirm the manuscript has not been published or submitted elsewhere, and explain in the cover letter if replication is impossible.
Abstract A structured abstract is required. Abstract must not exceed 350 words. Abstract must be structured. Abstract must include the headings Background, Methods, Results, Limitations, Conclusions, and Trial registration.
Manuscript Manuscript must include Methods, Results, Discussion, a Limitations section between Discussion and Conclusions, Conclusions, and a Declarations section, and the Methods section must include the aim, design, setting, participant or material characteristics, and descriptions of processes, interventions, and comparisons. Manuscript must include three to ten keywords and a Declarations section with the subheadings Ethics approval and consent to participate, Consent for publication, Availability of data and materials, Competing interests, Funding, Authors' contributions, and Acknowledgements, with 'Not applicable' used for any irrelevant declaration subsection.
References References must follow Vancouver style. Only published articles, clinical trial registration records, abstracts, and public preprints may be cited in the reference list; unpublished abstracts, unpublished data, and personal communications must not appear there; journal abbreviations must follow Index Medicus/MEDLINE; and web references must include the site title, full URL, and access date.
Figures & Tables Figure titles and legends must be provided in the main manuscript while figures are uploaded separately, tables shorter than one page may be placed within the manuscript, and tables longer than one page may be placed at the end of the document. Figures must be numbered in first-citation order with multi-panel figures submitted as a single composite file, and tables must be numbered and cited in sequence and created using the word processor's table function rather than embedded as figures or spreadsheet files.
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Review

Cover Letter A cover letter is required. The cover letter must explain why the manuscript should be published in Molecular Autism, address any issues relating to journal policies, declare any potential competing interests, confirm all authors approved the submission, and confirm the manuscript has not been published or submitted elsewhere.
Abstract A structured abstract is required. Abstract must not exceed 350 words. Abstract must be structured with background, main body of the abstract, and short conclusion. Abstract headings must be Background, Main body of the abstract, and Short conclusion.
Manuscript Manuscript must include Background, Main text, Conclusions, a limitations section, and a Declarations section. Review manuscripts must include three to ten keywords and a Declarations section with the subheadings Ethics approval and consent to participate, Consent for publication, Availability of data and materials, Competing interests, Funding, Authors' contributions, and Acknowledgements, with Authors' information optional and non-relevant sections labeled 'Not applicable'.
References References must follow Vancouver reference style. Only published articles, clinical trial registration records, and abstracts that are published, in press, or publicly available as preprints may be cited; unpublished abstracts, unpublished data, and personal communications must not appear in the reference list; journal abbreviations must follow Index Medicus/MEDLINE; and web links must be numbered and included in the reference list in full.
Figures & Tables Figure titles and legends must be provided in the main manuscript while figures are uploaded separately, tables shorter than one page may be placed in the manuscript and longer tables may be placed at the end or uploaded as additional files if too large. Figures must be numbered in text order and multi-panel figures submitted as a single composite file, while tables must be numbered and cited in sequence, created with the word processor's table function, and not embedded as figures or spreadsheet files.
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Short Report

Cover Letter A cover letter is required. Cover letter must explain why the manuscript should be published, address any journal policy issues, declare any potential competing interests, confirm all authors approved submission, confirm the content has not been published or submitted elsewhere, and explain in both the cover letter and the Limitations section if replication is impossible.
Abstract An abstract is required. A structured abstract is required. Abstract must briefly summarize the aim, findings, or purpose of the article, minimize abbreviations, and contain no references.
Manuscript Manuscript should be between 1,000 and 1,500 words. Manuscript must include a title page, a Limitations section placed between the Discussion and Conclusions, and a Declarations section. Manuscript must include three to ten keywords, a list of abbreviations if abbreviations are used, and Declarations subheadings including Availability of data and materials, Competing interests, Funding, Authors' contributions, Acknowledgements, and Authors' information (optional), with nonrelevant sections labeled 'Not applicable'.
References References must not exceed 25. References must use Vancouver style. Web links and URLs must be cited with a reference number and listed in full in the reference list including the site title, full URL, and access date.
Figures & Tables Short Reports should include no more than two figures. Tables shorter than one page may be placed within the manuscript, while longer tables may be placed at the end of the document. Figure titles and legends must be provided in the main manuscript rather than the graphic file, and tables must not be embedded as figures or spreadsheet files.
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Recent Publications

Nitric oxide inhibition ameliorates cortical proteomic changes in the Cntnap2-/- and Shank3Δ4–22 mouse models of autism spectrum disorder

Wisam Bazbaz, Maryam Kartawy, Igor Khaliulin, Haitham Amal

10.1186/s13229-026-00716-1
View Publication

The Signposting Questionnaire for Autism-2 (SQ-A-2): using input from autistic adults to inform questionnaire development

Lucy A. Livingston, Susan R. Leekam, Gareth Davies, Punit Shah, Olujolagbe Layinka, Sarah J. Carrington, Catherine R. G. Jones

10.1186/s13229-026-00714-3
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A novel context-discrepancy assessment of impression management facets in autistic and non-autistic adults: an initial validation

Wei Ai, Jennifer Xiaofan Yu, Benjamin Koshy Jacob, Meng-Chuan Lai

10.1186/s13229-026-00715-2
View Publication

ADNP missense variant p.C687R disrupts chromatin regulation and GABAergic differentiation in Helsmoortel–Van der Aa syndrome

Qi Chen, Xixi Liu, Mengnan Wu, Daijing Sun, Xingyu Ding, Mengling Zhou, Wenzhu Peng, Yan Cheng, Biqing Xue, Ning Tang, Gang Xu, Yilin Tai, Qiong Xu, Man Xiong, Yan Jiang

10.1186/s13229-026-00713-4
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Increased c-Fos expression in lateral habenula during social transmission of negative valence in prairie voles

Daniella Gamboa Pabón, Jolee Hatfield-King, Shivangi Patel, Brandon A. Horn, James P. Burkett, Elissar Andari

10.1186/s13229-026-00712-5
View Publication

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to publish?

Submission to first decision (median): 6 days.

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Is a cover letter required?

A cover letter is required. It should explain why the manuscript should be published in Molecular Autism, address any issues relating to journal policies, declare any potential competing interests, confirm that all authors approved the submission, confirm that the content has not been published or submitted elsewhere, and identify the special issue if applicable. Authors may also suggest preferred and non-preferred peer reviewers in the cover letter.

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What are the publication costs?

An article processing charge applies for each accepted article. The current APC is £2690.00 GBP / $3990.00 USD / €3090.00 EUR, plus VAT or local taxes where applicable. Waivers and discounts may be available.

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Research Topics

Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Child Development and Digital Technology Genomic variations and chromosomal abnormalities Congenital heart defects research Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Family and Disability Support Research Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues Functional Brain Connectivity Studies Behavioral and Psychological Studies Virology and Viral Diseases Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior CRISPR and Genetic Engineering Genomics and Rare Diseases Epigenetics and DNA Methylation Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development Pluripotent Stem Cells Research Fetal and Pediatric Neurological Disorders Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms Face Recognition and Perception Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces Language Development and Disorders Neuroscience and Neural Engineering