Scope

ExRNA is a peer-reviewed, open access journal that provides a platform for innovative research in the field of extracellular RNA. The journal covers a wide variety of RNAs in the extracellular environment, including miRNAs, siRNAs, piRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs.
This journal aims to investigate the biological functions of extracellular RNAs, discover the fundamental principles about the mechanisms of extracellular RNA generation, uptake and transport and explore the potential for using extracellular RNAs in the clinic as therapeutic molecules or disease biomarkers.
ExRNA encompasses all topics related to the biology of extracellular RNAs, including, but not limited to:

• Functional analysis of the biodistribution, structure and biological activity of extracellular RNAs
• Mechanistic studies on the production, transport, uptake, processing, modulation and modification of extracellular RNAs
• Translational studies to identify biomarkers and develop new tools, therapies and technologies to measure extracellular RNAs.

ExRNA was published by BMC from 1st February 2019 to 31st December 2020 and by AME Publishing Company from 1st January 2021 to 30th September 2023. Starting from 1st October 2023, it was published by ELSP.

Indexing

ExRNA is indexed and covered by

• Scopus
• Google Scholar

ExRNA is Affiliated with

• Nanjing University
• Nanjing University Institute of Artificial Intelligence Biomedicine

Publication Frequency

The journal publishes irregularly and continuously. Articles are published online immediately upon acceptance.

Peer Review Policy

All the papers published in ExRNA are rigorously peer reviewed with at least two review reports received.

Peer Review Model

ExRNA uses the single-blind review process, which means the reviewer's identity is hidden from the author, but the reviewer knows the author's identity.

The Editorial Procedure

The manuscript is subject to stringent evaluation first by the journal editorial office. The manuscript is assessed to ensure it falls within the scope of the journal. Then, it would be assigned to the handling editor, who would check whether it meets the publication standards. After that, the handling editor would collect at least two review reports and make a recommendation. Normally, at most two rounds would be allowed.

Decision after Review and Revision

Generally, the decisions after review and revision would include the following:

• Acceptance
• Minor revision
• Moderate revision
• Major revision
• Reject but encourage resubmission
• Reject but resubmission is not encouraged

Adjudication

In case the reviewer receives reports with opposing views, an editorial board member with relevant expertise would adjudicate. The board member would make a recommendation after considering the reviewers’ comments, and then would make an editorial decision.

Appeal a Rejection

The author has the right to appeal the rejection within one month. The author should provide a detailed rebuttal to address the reviewer’s criticism.

Article Processing Charges

The APC (Article Processing Charges) is 500 USD per paper and is fully covered by Nanjing University, Nanjing University Institute of Artificial Intelligence Biomedicine and ELSP. The APC is fully waived for authors whose work is accepted for publication in ExRNA.

Publication Ethics

ExRNA maintains the highest standard of publication and research ethics. Authors are expected to comply with Committee of Publication Ethics (COPE) and (ICMJE) Publication Standard.

Duplicate submission/publication

Duplicate submission or publication refers to the act of submitting or publishing the same work in more than one place. This practice is generally considered unethical in academic and professional settings. Please note that translated works without permission or notification is also considered duplication. Duplicate submission/publication is not allowed.

Redundant publication

Redundant publication includes “Salami Slicing” and “Self-Plagiarism”. “Salami Slicing” typically refers to dividing a single study into multiple smaller parts and submitting each part as a separate publication. While each part may be valid on its own, the practice is considered ethically questionable when the parts are published separately without a clear scientific rationale. “Self-Plagiarism” that is reusing substantial portions of one's own previously published work without proper citation or acknowledgment is also considered a form of redundant publication. Authors should always disclose if they are building upon or reusing their own prior work.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism detection is performed at ELSP using theiThenticate- Crossref Similarity Checking tool. This web-based tool is employed in the editorial process to identify potential text plagiarism. It's important to note that while iThenticate can identify matching text, it cannot independently determine whether plagiarism has occurred. Manual examination of the matching text is still necessary, and judgment must be exercised to ascertain the presence or absence of plagiarism. The similarity report might be sent to the author for revision whenever needed.

Data fabrication including image manipulation

Data fabrication refers to the act of inventing, altering, or falsifying data or results in research, experiments, or any form of data-driven work including manipulating images like micrographs, gels, radiological images. This unethical practice undermines the integrity of scientific, academic, and professional endeavors, as it misrepresents the truth and can lead to inaccurate conclusions or interpretations. Authors are expected to adhere to strict ethical standards when collecting, analyzing, and presenting data. Fabricating data can have severe consequences, including damage to one's reputation, loss of credibility, and potential legal or professional consequences. ELSP would follow the guideline of COPE in handling suspected data fabrication cases in published papers and submitted papers.

Authorship problems

The Authorship problems usually would be detected following the COPE guidelines:
How to spot authorship problems, How to recognise potential authorship problems
Usually, authorship problems involves guest, ghost, gift, authors, author changes during manuscript processing period or after the paper published. ELSP follow COPE guidelines in handling these cases.
Corresponding author requests addition of extra author before publication
Corresponding author requests removal of author before publication 
Request for addition of extra author after publication
Request for removal of author after publication
Suspected guest, ghost or gift authorship

Correction

When errors or inaccuracies are discovered post-publication, such as mistakes in data, misinterpretation of findings, errors in authorship, or editorial oversights. These corrections, made at the discretion of the Editor(s), aim to rectify issues that impact the interpretation and conclusions of the article without fully invalidating it. Corrections are promptly published with an explanation of the error, the corrected information, and a directionally linked note indexed to the original article.

Retraction

Editors should consider retracting a publication under several circumstances, including when there is clear evidence of unreliable findings due to major errors, fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, unauthorized use of material or data, copyright infringement, serious legal issues (e.g., libel, privacy), unethical research, compromised peer review, or failure to disclose significant conflicts of interest. Notices of retraction should be linked to the retracted article, clearly identify it, and be distinct from other corrections or comments. They should be published promptly, freely accessible, and include information about who is retracting the article, the reasons for retraction, and should be objective and factual, avoiding inflammatory language to minimize harmful effects. ELSP follow the COPE Retraction guideline in handling retraction.

Proper citation

It is the authors' responsibility to fully disclose all sources, including obtaining permissions from original authors and publishers for reproducing figures or significant extracts. References should be relevant, recent, and easily accessible, contributing to the article's advancement for the reader's benefit. Authors must responsibly acknowledge all work, whether published or unpublished, that has influenced their research.

Citation manipulation

Inappropriate citation practices, such as excessive self-citation or coordinated efforts to collectively self-cite, gratuitous citation of articles from the submitting journal, and other forms of citation manipulation, are unacceptable. Such manipulation will lead to article rejection and may be reported to authors' institutions. Authors should report any attempts by peer reviewers or editors to encourage such practices to the publisher.

Copyright

Papers are published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY-4.0) license, which means the authors retain the copyright. This license allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator.