It was a great experience publishing in Biology Open with The Company of Biologists. The work was based on some interesting observations made by my PhD student, Precious Owumalam.
As a small laboratory, publication costs are always an important consideration, so discovering that our university had a Read & Publish agreement in place allowed us to publish at no cost which made the decision very easy. The submission and review process was fast, competent and fair.
Another reason we were happy to publish in Biology Open is that it is part of a non-profit organisation with a strong ethical approach to supporting science. I also thought The Forest of Biologists initiative — where a tree is planted for every paper published — was a lovely touch.
I would strongly recommend Biology Open to other researchers, especially those valuing ethics in publishing.