Author Policies

  1. Manuscript Preparation
  2. Rights and Grants to the Author
  3. Submission of Manuscript
  4. Human and Animal Rights Policy
  5. Errata, Retractions, and Corrigenda Policy
  6. Article Processing Charge
  7. Digital Preservation
  8. Withdrawal Policy
  9. APC Waiver Policy
  10. Sample Paper
  11. Check List
  12. Author’s Agreement Form
  13. Licensing Policy
  14. Plagiarism Policy
  15. Complaints Policy
  16. English Language Editing
  17. Participant/Patient Privacy and Informed Consent
  18. Copyright Policy
  19. Data Sharing Policy
  20. Open Access Policy

1. Manuscript Preparation

The International Journal of Bacteriology and Mycology requires authors to follow specific guidelines when preparing their manuscripts for submission to ensure uniformity, clarity, and readability across the journal. The manuscript must be formatted according to the journal’s template, which is available on the journal's website. This includes guidelines on font type, size, margins, headings, and citation style.

The manuscript should include the following sections:

  • Title: A clear and concise title reflecting the scope and focus of the research.
  • Abstract: A brief summary (200-250 words) of the research, objectives, methods, results, and conclusions.
  • Keywords: 4-6 relevant keywords to aid in indexing and searching.
  • Introduction: A brief overview of the background, objectives, and significance of the research.
  • Materials and Methods: Detailed description of experimental techniques, materials, and procedures.
  • Results: Clear presentation of findings, often supplemented with tables, figures, and statistical analyses.
  • Discussion: Interpretation of results in the context of existing literature, highlighting the implications of the research.
  • Conclusion: Summary of key findings, their implications, and potential future research directions.
  • References: All sources cited in the text must be listed in the required citation style.

Figures, tables, and supplementary material must be clearly labeled, and ethical considerations (such as approval for human or animal studies) must be explicitly stated.

2. Rights and Grants to the Author

The International Journal of Bacteriology and Mycology ensures that authors retain full intellectual property rights to their work, while the journal holds the license to distribute the content. Upon acceptance of a manuscript, authors are required to assign a license to the journal for the distribution of their work under a Creative Commons (CC) license, typically a CC BY license, allowing others to share, use, and adapt the work with appropriate attribution.

Regarding grants: Authors are encouraged to disclose any funding or grants received for the research, as this is vital for transparency. The funding agencies' role should be acknowledged in the manuscript's Acknowledgements section. The journal has a policy of encouraging authors to ensure transparency about their research's financial backing to avoid any conflicts of interest.

3. Submission of Manuscript

The International Journal of Bacteriology and Mycology accepts manuscript submissions through its online submission system. Authors must create an account to upload their manuscript files, along with necessary supporting documents such as conflict-of-interest disclosures, ethical approval statements, and funding acknowledgements. The submission process requires authors to confirm that the manuscript is not under consideration by any other journal and has not been previously published elsewhere.

Authors must ensure that their submission complies with the journal's manuscript preparation guidelines and ethical standards. Once submitted, the manuscript undergoes an initial screening by the editorial team for completeness, and, if appropriate, it is sent for peer review.

4. Human and Animal Rights Policy

The International Journal of Bacteriology and Mycology adheres strictly to ethical guidelines regarding research involving humans and animals. Research involving human subjects must comply with ethical standards, and authors must indicate that informed consent was obtained from participants. For studies involving animals, authors must confirm that the research was conducted in accordance with internationally recognized ethical standards for animal care and use, such as the Declaration of Helsinki or the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.

All studies involving human or animal subjects must be approved by an appropriate ethics committee, and this approval must be documented in the manuscript. Ethical approval numbers and institutions should be disclosed in the manuscript’s Methods section.

5. Errata, Retractions, and Corrigenda Policy

The International Journal of Bacteriology and Mycology follows ethical guidelines concerning errata, retractions, and corrigenda. If errors are found in a published article that do not affect the integrity of the data, a corrigendum will be published. A retraction will be issued if an article has been published in error, if there are issues with the data integrity (e.g., fabrication or falsification), or if a serious ethical violation is discovered.

Errata will be published for minor errors, such as typographical mistakes, that do not affect the study’s conclusions. All corrections, retractions, and errata will be clearly indicated in the article, with updated versions available on the journal's website.

6. Article Processing Charge (APC)

To support the journal’s open-access model, the International Journal of Bacteriology and Mycology requires authors to pay an Article Processing Charge (APC) upon acceptance of their manuscript. The APC covers the costs of the editorial process, peer review, typesetting, and publication. The APC is typically a flat fee, and authors are notified of the exact amount when submitting their manuscript.

Authors from low-income countries may qualify for discounted APC rates or waivers, depending on their location and financial circumstances.

7. Digital Preservation

The International Journal of Bacteriology and Mycology is committed to ensuring the long-term preservation and accessibility of published articles. The journal participates in digital preservation initiatives such as the LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) program, which helps to ensure that articles remain accessible even if the original platform experiences technical difficulties or changes.

All published articles are archived and made available in perpetuity, ensuring that research can be referenced by future generations.

8. Withdrawal Policy

Once a manuscript is submitted, it may not be withdrawn without appropriate justification. Authors wishing to withdraw a manuscript must submit a formal request to the editorial team, explaining the reasons for the withdrawal. If the manuscript is under review, the editor will consider the request and communicate the decision. Manuscripts that have already been accepted or published cannot be withdrawn unless there is a significant ethical violation or error.

9. APC Waiver Policy

In cases where authors cannot afford the Article Processing Charge (APC), the International Journal of Bacteriology and Mycology offers an APC waiver policy. This policy applies to authors from low-income countries or researchers who can demonstrate financial hardship. Waiver requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and authors must submit a request to the editorial office at the time of submission.

10. Sample Paper

To assist authors with formatting and manuscript preparation, the International Journal of Bacteriology and Mycology provides a sample paper template. This template offers a standard structure that authors can follow, ensuring consistency in layout, headings, citation style, and referencing.

11. Check List

A submission checklist is provided to authors to ensure that all necessary steps are completed before submitting their manuscript. The checklist includes reminders about manuscript formatting, ethical disclosures, conflict-of-interest statements, and required documents (e.g., ethical approval, data availability).

12. Author’s Agreement Form

The Author’s Agreement Form is a document that authors must complete upon manuscript submission. It includes statements that confirm the manuscript is original, not under consideration elsewhere, and that all authors have approved the manuscript for submission. This form also confirms that the authors agree to the journal’s publication ethics, licensing policies, and copyright arrangements.

13. Licensing Policy

The International Journal of Bacteriology and Mycology publishes articles under a Creative Commons (CC) license, allowing open access to the research. The most common license used is CC BY, which allows others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the work, even commercially, provided they credit the original authors. This supports wide dissemination and accessibility of scientific knowledge.

14. Plagiarism Policy

The International Journal of Bacteriology and Mycology has a strict plagiarism policy to maintain academic integrity. Manuscripts are screened for plagiarism using software such as iThenticate. Any instances of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, will result in the manuscript being rejected or retracted. Authors must ensure proper citations and quotations when using others' work.

15. Complaints Policy

The complaints policy provides authors, reviewers, and readers with a clear process for addressing grievances or concerns about the journal’s processes or published content. Complaints are handled with the utmost seriousness, and an investigation is conducted according to the journal's ethical guidelines.

16. English Language Editing

Authors whose first language is not English are encouraged to use professional English language editing services to ensure that their manuscript is clear, coherent, and free from linguistic errors. The journal may also offer language editing services for a fee.

17. Participant/Patient Privacy and Informed Consent

For research involving human participants, authors must ensure that informed consent has been obtained and that participants' privacy is protected in accordance with ethical guidelines. This includes obtaining consent for publication of identifiable data and protecting participant confidentiality.

18. Copyright Policy

The International Journal of Bacteriology and Mycology requires authors to transfer copyright to the journal upon publication. This allows the journal to disseminate the work freely and ensures compliance with licensing terms, including open-access publication.

19. Data Sharing Policy

The journal promotes data sharing to enhance the transparency and reproducibility of scientific research. Authors are encouraged to share their data, methodologies, and protocols in a public repository when possible. This enhances the impact and reliability of published work.

20. Open Access Policy

The International Journal of Bacteriology and Mycology adopts a comprehensive Open Access (OA) policy that aligns with the principles of making scientific research freely accessible to all readers globally. This policy is part of the journal’s commitment to enhancing the visibility and impact of research in the fields of bacteriology, mycology, and related disciplines. The OA model ensures that all published articles are freely available online, without subscription or paywall barriers, enabling widespread dissemination and accelerating scientific progress.