Methods of Quantifying Animal Interactions and Behaviour Sequences
A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 9447
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The study of animal behaviour comes with significant challenges. This is most pronounced when animals are interacting with conspecifics or animals of another species, including humans. The better we understand the behaviour of the animals in our environment, the more we realise that behaviour is influenced by the behaviour of others, and not necessarily in a simple, linear fashion. Likewise, behaviours may be influenced to varying degrees by the behaviours an animal has recently expressed, not just external stimuli. Multiple behaviours may serve the same functions, and individual behaviours may serve multiple functions. How can we identify those functions for accurate categorisations of suites of behaviours, or differentiate between when a discrete behaviour serves one function or another? This can be especially challenging when the consequences of behaviours vary or are unclear, such as in the case of displacement behaviours or stereotypies.
The purpose of this special issue is to provide an opportunity for researchers to share methods of quantifying these complex behavioural interactions and sequences in animals. This includes methods of statistical analysis, methods of data collection, descriptive statistics, what data should be collected, and considerations for moving this field forwards. It is also an opportunity to share preliminary work, pilot studies, or small datasets for illustrative purposes, or reviews.
Dr. Melissa Starling
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- animal behaviour
- applied animal behaviour
- behavioural sequences
- behaviour suites
- transition behaviours
- computational biology
- bayesian models
- behavioural analysis
- behavioural syndromes
- probabilistic models
- Markov chain analysis
- stereotypies
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
