Zoologica Scripta publishes papers in animal systematics and phylogeny, i.e. studies of evolutionary relationships among taxa, and the origin and evolution of biological diversity. Papers can also deal with ecological interactions and geographic distributions (phylogeography) if the results are placed in a wider phylogenetic/systematic/evolutionary context. Zoologica Scripta encourages papers on the development of methods for all aspects of phylogenetic inference and biological nomenclature/classification.Articles published in Zoologica Scripta must be original and present either theoretical or empirical studies of interest to a broad audience in systematics and phylogeny. Purely taxonomic papers, like species descriptions without being placed in a wider systematic/phylogenetic context, will not be considered. Letters to the editor can address controversial topics, or suggestions, of interest to systematists and evolutionary biologists in general. Letters may be presented either individually or as point/counterpoint discussions between authors with opposing views.Manuscripts may be returned upfront by the editors without review if considered to lack sufficient focus on the scope and publication profile as defined above, or being viewed as of limited interest to a broad audience in systematics and phylogeny. Acceptance of papers for publication depends on merit as judged on the basis of peer reviews.

Zoologica Scripta發表動物系統學和系統發育方面的論文，即研究類群之間的進化關系，以及生物多樣性的起源和進化。如果將研究結果置于更廣泛的系統發育/系統/進化背景中，論文還可以處理生態相互作用和地理分布(系統地理學)。Zoologica Scripta鼓勵開發用于系統發育推斷和生物命名/分類所有方面的方法的論文。發表在《動物學手稿》上的文章必須是原創的，并且必須是對系統學和系統學有廣泛興趣的理論或實證研究。純粹的分類學論文，如物種描述沒有放在更廣泛的系統/系統發生的背景下，將不予考慮。給編輯的信可以處理有爭議的話題，或建議，系統學家和進化生物學家感興趣的一般。信函可以單獨呈現，也可以作為持相反意見的作者之間的觀點/對位討論。如果被認為對上述定義的范圍和出版概況缺乏足夠的關注，或者被認為對系統學和系統學的廣大讀者興趣有限，編輯可能不經審查就提前歸還稿件。接受發表的論文取決于論文的優劣，這是基于同行評審的結果。