ORGANIZATION AND FORMAT

Manuscript Preparation

The length of the text of a research article is limited to 40,000 characters (excluding spaces) for the abstract, introduction, Results, Discussion, and figure legends. The abstract is also limited to 200 words or less. Authors should note in the cover letter to the editor that the length of these text elements conforms to these limitations. There is no limit on the Materials and Methods section, the References section, or the number of figures if these are directly relevant to the study described.

On receipt at ASM, an accepted manuscript undergoes an automated preediting, cleanup, and tagging process specific to the particular article type. To optimize this process, manuscripts must be supplied in the correct format and with the appropriate sections and headings.

Type every portion of the manuscript double-spaced (a minimum of 6 mm between lines), including figure legends, table footnotes, and References, and number all pages in sequence, including the abstract, figure legends, and tables. Place the last two items after the References section. Manuscript pages should have line numbers; manuscripts without line numbers may be editorially rejected by the editor, with a suggestion of resubmission after line numbers are added. The font size should be no smaller than 12 points. It is recommended that the following sets of characters be easily distinguishable in the manuscript: the numeral zero (0) and the letter "oh" (O); the numeral one (1), the letter "el" (l), and the letter "eye" (I); and a multiplication sign and the letter "ex." Do not create symbols as graphics or use special fonts that are external to your word processing program; use the "insert symbol" function. Set the page size to 8 by 11 inches (ca. 21.6 by 28 cm). Italicize or underline any words that should appear in italics, and indicate paragraph lead-ins in boldface type.

Authors who are unsure of proper English usage should have their manuscripts checked by someone proficient in the English language.

Manuscripts may be editorially rejected, without review, on the basis of poor English or lack of conformity to the standards set forth in these Instructions.

Articles

Title, running title, and byline. Each manuscript should present the results of an independent, cohesive study; thus, numbered series titles are not allowed. Avoid the main title/subtitle arrangement, complete sentences, and unnecessary articles. On the title page, include the title, running title (not to exceed 54 characters and spaces), name of each author, address(es) of the institution(s) at which the work was performed, each author's affiliation, and a footnote indicating the present address of any author no longer at the institution where the work was performed. Place an asterisk after the name of the author to whom inquiries regarding the paper should be directed (see "Correspondent footnote" below).

Also include on the title page the word count for the Materials and Methods section and the combined word count for the introduction, Results, and Discussion sections.

Study group in byline. A study group, surveillance team, working group, consortium, or the like (e.g., the Active Bacterial Core Surveillance Team) may be listed as a coauthor in the byline if its contributing members satisfy the requirements for authorship and accountability as described in these Instructions. The names (and institutional affiliations if desired) of the contributing members may be given in a footnote keyed to the study group name in the byline or as a separate paragraph in Acknowledgments.

If the contributing members of the group associated with the work do not fulfill the criteria of substantial contribution to and responsibility for the paper, the group may not be listed in the author byline. Instead, it and the names of its contributing members may be listed in the Acknowledgments section.

Correspondent footnote. The complete mailing address, a single telephone number, a single fax number, and a single e-mail address for the corresponding author should be included on the title page of the manuscript. This information will be published in the article as a footnote to facilitate communication, and the e-mail address will be used to notify the corresponding author of the availability of proofs and, later, of the PDF file of the published article.

Abstract. Limit the abstract to 200 words or fewer and concisely summarize the basic content of the paper without presenting extensive experimental details. Avoid abbreviations and references, and do not include diagrams. When it is essential to include a reference, use the same format as shown for the References section but omit the article title. Because the abstract will be published separately by abstracting services, it must be complete and understandable without reference to the text.

Introduction. The introduction should supply sufficient background information to allow the reader to understand and evaluate the results of the present study without referring to previous publications on the topic. The introduction should also provide the hypothesis that was addressed and the rationale for the present study. Use only those references required to provide the most salient background rather than an exhaustive review of the topic.

Materials and Methods. The Materials and Methods section should include sufficient technical information to allow the experiments to be repeated. When centrifugation conditions are critical, give enough information to enable another investigator to repeat the procedure: make of centrifuge, model of rotor, temperature, time at maximum speed, and centrifugal force (x g rather than revolutions per minute). For commonly used materials and methods (e.g., media and protein concentration determinations), a simple reference is sufficient. If several alternative methods are commonly used, it is helpful to identify the method briefly as well as to cite the reference. For example, it is preferable to state "cells were broken by ultrasonic treatment as previously described (9)" rather than to state "cells were broken as previously described (9)." This allows the reader to assess the method without constant reference to previous publications. Describe new methods completely and give sources of unusual chemicals, equipment, or microbial strains. When large numbers of microbial strains or mutants are used in a study, include tables identifying the immediate sources (i.e., sources from whom the strains were obtained) and properties of the strains, mutants, bacteriophages, and plasmids, etc.

A method or strain, etc., used in only one of several experiments reported in the paper may be described in the Results section or very briefly (one or two sentences) in a table footnote or figure legend. It is expected that the sources from whom the strains were obtained will be identified.

Results. The Results section should include the results of the experiments. Reserve extensive interpretation of the results for the Discussion section. Present the results as concisely as possible in one of the following: text, table(s), or figure(s). Avoid extensive use of graphs to present data that might be more concisely presented in the text or tables. For example, except in unusual cases, double-reciprocal plots used to determine apparent Km values should not be presented as graphs; instead, the values should be stated in the text. Similarly, graphs illustrating other methods commonly used to derive kinetic or physical constants (e.g., reduced-viscosity plots and plots used to determine sedimentation velocity) need not be shown except in unusual circumstances. Limit photographs (particularly photomicrographs and electron micrographs) to those that are absolutely necessary to show the experimental findings. Number figures and tables in the order in which they are cited in the text, and be sure to cite all figures and tables.

Discussion. The Discussion should provide an interpretation of the results in relation to previously published work and to the experimental system at hand and should not contain extensive repetition of the Results section or reiteration of the introduction. In short papers, the Results and Discussion sections may be combined.

Acknowledgments. The source of any financial support received for the work being published must be indicated in the Acknowledgments section. (It will be assumed that the absence of such an acknowledgment is a statement by the authors that no support was received.) The usual format is as follows: "This work was supported by Public Health Service grant CA-01234 from the National Cancer Institute."

Recognition of personal assistance should be given as a separate paragraph, as should any statements disclaiming endorsement or approval of the views reflected in the paper or of a product mentioned therein.

Appendixes. Appendixes, which contain additional material to aid the reader, are permitted. Titles, authors, and References sections that are distinct from those of the primary article are not allowed. If it is not feasible to list the author(s) of the appendix in the byline or the Acknowledgments section of the primary article, rewrite the appendix so that it can be considered for publication as an independent article. Equations, tables, and figures should be labeled with the letter "A" preceding the numeral to distinguish them from those cited in the main body of the text.

References

(i) References listed in the References section. The References section must include all journal articles (both print and online), books and book chapters (both print and online), patents, theses and dissertations, published conference proceedings, meeting abstracts from published abstract books or journal supplements, letters (to the editor), and company publications, as well as in-press journal articles, book chapters, and books (publication title must be given). Arrange the citations in alphabetical order (letter by letter, ignoring spaces and punctuation) by first-author surname and number consecutively. Provide the names of all the authors for each reference. All listed references must be cited parenthetically by number in the text. Since title and byline information that is downloaded from PubMed does not always show accents, italics, or special characters, authors should refer to the PDF files or hard-copy versions of the articles and incorporate the necessary corrections in the submitted manuscript. Abbreviate journal names according to the List of Journals Indexed for Medline (National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 2009; available at ftp://nlmpubs.nlm.nih.gov/online/journals/ljiweb.pdf), the primary source for ASM style.

Follow the styles shown in the examples below for print references.

1. Arendsen, A. F., M. Q. Solimar, and S. W. Ragsdale. 1999. Nitrate-dependent regulation of acetate biosynthesis and nitrate respiration by Clostridium thermoaceticum. J. Bacteriol. 181:1489-1495.
   
2. Cox, C. S., B. R. Brown, and J. C. Smith. J. Gen. Genet., in press.* {Article title is optional; journal title is mandatory.}
   
3. da Costa, M. S., M. F. Nobre, and F. A. Rainey. 2001. Genus I. Thermus Brock and Freeze 1969, 295,AL emend. Nobre, Trüper and da Costa 1996b, 605, p. 404-414. In D. R. Boone, R. W. Castenholz, and G. M. Garrity (ed.), Bergey's manual of systematic bacteriology, 2nd ed., vol. 1. Springer, New York, NY.
   
4. Elder, B. L., and S. E. Sharp. 2003. Cumitech 39, Competency assessment in the clinical laboratory. Coordinating ed., S. E. Sharp. ASM Press, Washington, DC.
   
5. Falagas, M. E., and S. K. Kasiakou. 2006. Use of international units when dosing colistin will help decrease confusion related to various formulations of the drug around the world. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 50:2274-2275. (Letter.) {"Letter" or "Letter to the editor" is allowed but not required at the end of such an entry.}
   
6. Fitzgerald, G., and D. Shaw. In A. E. Waters (ed.), Clinical microbiology, in press. EFH Publishing Co., Boston, MA.* {Chapter title is optional.}
   
7. Forman, M. S., and A. Valsamakis. 2003. Specimen collection, transport, and processing: virology, p. 1227-1241. In P. R. Murray, E. J. Baron, M. A. Pfaller, J. H. Jorgensen, and R. H. Yolken (ed.), Manual of clinical microbiology, 8th ed. ASM Press, Washington, DC.
   
8. Garcia, C. O., S. Paira, R. Burgos, J. Molina, J. F. Molina, and C. Calvo. 1996. Detection of salmonella DNA in synovial membrane and synovial fluid from Latin American patients. Arthritis Rheum. 39(Suppl.):S185. {Meeting abstract published in journal supplement.}
   
9. Green, P. N., D. Hood, and C. S. Dow. 1984. Taxonomic status of some methylotrophic bacteria, p. 251-254. In R. L. Crawford and R. S. Hanson (ed.), Microbial growth on C1 compounds. Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC.
   
10. Odell, J. C. April 1970. Process for batch culturing. U.S. patent 484,363,770. {Include the name of the patented item/process if possible; the patent number is mandatory.}
    
11. O'Malley, D. R. 1998. Ph.D. thesis. University of California, Los Angeles. {Title is optional.}
    
12. Rotimi, V. O., N. O. Salako, E. M. Mohaddas, and L. P. Philip. 2005. Abstr. 45th Intersci. Conf. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., abstr. D-1658. {Abstract title is optional.}
    
13. Smith, D., C. Johnson, M. Maier, and J. J. Maurer. 2005. Distribution of fimbrial, phage and plasmid associated virulence genes among poultry Salmonella enterica serovars, abstr. P-038, p. 445. Abstr. 105th Gen. Meet. Am. Soc. Microbiol. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC. {Abstract title is optional.}
    
14. Stratagene. 2006. Yeast DNA isolation system: instruction manual. Stratagene, La Jolla, CA. {Use the company name as the author if none is provided for a company publication.}
    

*A reference to an in-press ASM publication should state the control number (e.g., MCB00577-09) if it is a journal article or the name of the publication if it is a book.

Online references must provide the same information that print references do, but some variation is allowed. For online journal articles, posting or revision dates may replace the year of publication, and a DOI or URL may be provided in addition to or in lieu of volume and page numbers. Some examples follow.

1. Charlier, D., and N. Glansdorff. September 2004, posting date. Chapter 3.6.1.10, Biosynthesis of arginine and polyamines. In R. Curtiss III et al. (ed.), EcoSal—Escherichia coli and Salmonella: cellular and molecular biology. ASM Press, Washington, DC. http://www.ecosal.org/ecosal/index.jsp. {Note that each chapter has its own posting date.}
   
2. Dionne, M. S., and D. S. Schneider. 2002. Screening the fruitfly immune system. Genome Biol. 3:REVIEWS1010. http://genomebiology.com/2002/3/4/reviews/1010.
   
3. Smith, F. X., H. J. Merianos, A. T. Brunger, and D. M. Engelman. 2001. Polar residues drive association of polyleucine transmembrane helices. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98:2250-2255. doi:10.1073/pnas.041593698.
   
4. Winnick, S., D. O. Lucas, A. L. Hartman, and D. Toll. 2005. How do you improve compliance? Pediatrics 115:e718-e724.
   

Note: a posting or accession date is required for any online reference that is periodically updated or changed.

(ii) References cited in the text. References to unpublished data, manuscripts submitted for publication, unpublished conference presentations (e.g., a report or poster that has not appeared in published conference proceedings), personal communications, patent applications and patents pending, computer software, databases, and websites (home pages) should be made parenthetically in the text as follows.

... similar results (R. B. Layton and C. C. Weathers, unpublished data).

... system was used (J. L. McInerney, A. F. Holden, and P. N. Brighton, submitted for publication).

... as described previously (M. G. Gordon and F. L. Rattner, presented at the Fourth Symposium on Food Microbiology, Overton, IL, 13 to 15 June 1989). {For nonpublished abstracts and posters, etc.}

... this new process (V. R. Smoll, 20 June 1999, Australian Patent Office). {For non-U.S. patent applications, give the date of publication of the application.}

... available in the GenBank database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Genbank/index.html).

... using ABC software (version 2.2; Department of Microbiology, State University [http://www.stu.micro]).

URLs for companies that produce any of the products mentioned in your study or for products being sold may not be included in the article. However, company URLs that permit access to scientific data related to the study or to shareware used in the study are permitted.

(iii) References related to supplemental material. References that are related only to supplemental material hosted by ASM or posted on a personal/institutional website should not be listed in the References section of an article; include them with the supplemental material itself.

(iv) Referencing publish-ahead-of-print manuscripts. Citations of ASM Accepts manuscripts should look like the following example.

Wang, G. G., M. P. Pasillas, and M. P. Kamps. 15 May 2006. Persistent transactivation by Meis1 replaces Hox function in myeloid leukemogenesis models: evidence for co-occupancy of Meis1-Pbx and Hox-Pbx complexes on promoters of leukemia-associated genes. Mol. Cell. Biol. doi:10.1128/MCB.00586-06.

Other journals may use different styles for their publish-ahead-of-print manuscripts, but citation entries must include the following information: author name(s), posting date, title, journal title, and volume and page numbers and/or DOI. The following is an example:

Zhou, F. X., H. J. Merianos, A. T. Brunger, and D. M. Engelman. 13 February 2001, posting date. Polar residues drive association of polyleucine transmembrane helices. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA doi:10.1073/pnas.041593698.

Minireviews, Guest Commentaries

Minireviews

Minireviews are brief (limit of six printed pages exclusive of references) biographical profiles, historical perspectives, or summaries of developments in fast-moving areas. They must be based on published articles; they may address any subject within the scope of MCB.

Minireviews may be either solicited or proffered by authors responding to a recognized need. Irrespective of origin, Minireviews are subject to review and should be submitted via Rapid Review. The cover letter should state whether the article was solicited and by whom.

Minireviews do not have abstracts. In the Abstract section of the submission form, put "Not Applicable." The body of the Minireview may have section headings and/or paragraph lead-ins.

Guest Commentaries

Guest Commentaries are communications written in response to invitations issued by the editors and concern topics of interest to the broad readership of MCB that are not necessarily covered by Minireviews. They should raise issues of interest to the scholarly community, initiate or focus discussion, or propose position or consensus statements for leadership groups in research and education. Reviews of the literature, methods and other how-to papers, and responses targeted at a specific published paper are not appropriate. Guest Commentaries are subject to review.

The length may not exceed four printed pages, and the format is like that of a Minireview (see above). Commentaries should be submitted via Rapid Review.

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor are intended only for comments on final, typeset articles published in the journal (not on publish-ahead-of-print manuscripts) and must cite published references to support the writer's argument.

Letters may be no more than 500 words long and must be typed double-spaced. Refer to a recently published Letter for correct formatting. Note that authors and affiliations are listed at the foot of the Letter. Provide only the primary affiliation for each author.

All Letters to the Editor must be submitted electronically, and the manuscript type (Comment Letter) must be selected from the drop-down list in the submission form. The cover letter should state the volume and issue in which the article was published, the title of the article, and the last name of the first author. In the Abstract section of the submission form, put "Not Applicable." Letters to the Editor do not have abstracts. The Letter must have a title, which must appear on the manuscript and on the submission form. Figures and tables should be kept to a minimum.

The Letter will be sent to the editor who handled the article in question. If the editor believes that publication is warranted, he/she will solicit a reply from the corresponding author of the article and make a recommendation to the editor in chief. Final approval for publication rests with the editor in chief.

Please note that some indexing/abstracting services do not include Letters to the Editor in their databases.

Errata, Authors' Corrections, Retractions

Errata

The Erratum section provides a means of correcting errors that occurred during the writing, typing, editing, or printing (e.g., a misspelling, a dropped word or line, or mislabeling in a figure) of a published article. Submit Errata via Rapid Review (see "How To Submit Manuscripts"). In the Abstract section of the submission form (a required field), put "Not Applicable." Upload the text of your Erratum as an MS Word file. Please see a recent issue for correct formatting.

Authors’ Corrections

The Author's Correction section provides a means of correcting errors of omission (e.g., author names or citations) and errors of a scientific nature that do not alter the overall basic results or conclusions of a published article (e.g., an incorrect unit of measurement or order of magnitude used throughout, contamination of one of numerous cultures, or misidentification of a mutant strain, causing erroneous data for only a portion [noncritical] of the study). Note that the addition of new data is not permitted.

For corrections of a scientific nature or issues involving authorship, including contributions and use or ownership of data and/or materials, all disputing parties must agree, in writing, to publication of the Correction. For omission of an author's name, letters must be signed by the authors of the article and the author whose name was omitted. The editor who handled the article will be consulted if necessary.

Submit an Author's Correction via Rapid Review (see "How To Submit Manuscripts"). In the submission form, select Erratum as the manuscript type; there is no separate selection in Rapid Review for an Author's Correction, but your Correction will be published as such if appropriate. In the Abstract section of the submission form (a required field), put "Not Applicable." Upload the text of your Author's Correction as an MS Word file. Please see a recent issue for correct formatting. Signed letters of agreement must be supplied as supplemental material (scanned PDF files).

Retractions

Retractions are reserved for major errors or breaches of ethics that, for example, may call into question the source of the data or the validity of the results and conclusions of an article. Submit Retractions via Rapid Review (see "How To Submit Manuscripts"). In the Abstract section of the submission form (a required field), put "Not Applicable." Upload the text of your Retraction as an MS Word file. Letters of agreement signed by all of the authors must be supplied as supplemental material (scanned PDF files). The Retraction will be assigned to the editor in chief of the journal, and the editor who handled the paper and the chairman of the ASM Publications Board will be consulted. If all parties agree to the publication and content of the Retraction, it will be sent to the Journals Department for publication.

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