Guidelines to Authors

The Indian Journal of Applied Microbiology (IJAM) [ISSN 2249-8400] welcomes the manuscripts of review articles/ original research papers/ short communications from the Research scholars, Academicians, industrialists in the area of Microbiology and Biotechnology.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring the originality of the paper. The co-authors would also be responsible for any liability pertaining to the paper, in case of any deviations from the regulations. The authors who wish to submit the papers are advised to obtain proper approval from the institution or industry to which they are attached.

• A manuscript should be written in a clear and concise manner.
• Each manuscript should be accompanied by a covering letter giving details of the Corresponding Author’s name, mailing address with correct pincode, phone and fax number(s) (if any), cellular phone number(s) and e-mail address.
• The manuscript text should be typed in Times New Roman (size 12) font using double-space between lines with 2cm margin on all sides (Top, Bottom, Left and Right side) of the page.
• Use British format of the English language.
• Gene symbols (lexA), scientific names of organisms of all taxonomic ranks (Parasitella parasitic a, Mucorales, Zygomycota) as well as non-English words (in situ, in vitro, sensustricto) should be given in italics.
• Abbreviations should be used only if they help to improve clarity of the text. Extensive use of abbreviations is discouraged.
• The manuscript submitted for publication in IJAM should not have been submitted elsewhere simultaneously and should not have been reported earlier either partly or totally.
• In general, the length of full research papers should not exceed twelve (12) printed pages of the journal with each page containing approximately 450-500 words.
• The format of each research paper should be as follows:
  • (i) Title Page
  • (ii) Introduction
  • (iii) Materials and Methods
  • (iv) Results
  • (v) Discussion
  • (vi) Conclusion
  • (vii) Acknowledgement (if any)
  • (viii) Conflict of interest (Mandatory)
  • (ix) References

It should contain, in the following order, the complete ‘Title’ with sub-title, if any, of the research work, followed by a short title for use in folio line; complete name(s) of the author(s); respective affiliation(s) of the author(s); An asterisk (*) must be placed after the corresponding authors name as superscript whose email id, fax, telephone number can be given at the bottom after the keywords. Corresponding author has the responsibility to ensure that all co authors are aware and approve the contents of the submitted manuscript. An ‘abstract’ should contain the purpose, methods, results and conclusion(s) of the paper); 3-5 ‘keywords’. Avoid abbreviation, diagram and references in the abstract. It should be single – spaced and should not exceed 200 words for full papers.

It should provide sufficient information on the topic of research to help the reader(s) understand and evaluate the presented study. Previous work should be cited correctly while avoiding a lengthy review on the topic. It should clearly outline the scientific hypothesis that was analysed and the rationale for the study and the experiments undertaken.

This section must be detailed enough to allow reproduction of the experiments described. Novel methods and relevant modifications, as well as genuine technical innovations, have to be described completely, but there is no need for repeating methods that are published in detail elsewhere.

• Clearly mention the department and institution where the research work was carried out.
• Study group or sampling method should be clearly mentioned. Period(s) when the study was carried out need(s) to be mentioned.
• The method(s) and procedure(s) should be explicitly stated to enable other research workers to reproduce the result(s), if necessary.
• Provide reference(s) and brief description(s) for method(s) that has/have been published but is/are not well known.
• Describe new or substantially modified method(s). Give reasons for using it/them. Indicate its / their limitation(s).
• Established method(s) can be just mentioned with references.
• If the procedure(s) involve(s) an assay, include data on its accuracy, specificity, sensitivity and reproducibility.
• When reporting experiment(s) on human subjects, it should be indicated whether the procedure(s) followed was/were in accordance with the Ethical Standards of Government Authorities (Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) or similar organizations of other countries) on human experimentation. The journal will not be responsible if the above not followed and the editor’s decision would be final if any litigation arises during processing or after publishing.
• The drug(s) and chemical(s) used should be precisely identified including generic name(s), dosage(s) and route(s) of administration.
• Details of statistical method(s) adopted for analysis of data should be described.
• The statistical analysis and significance of the findings when appropriate should be mentioned.

This section should present the data as clearly as possible. Authors are encouraged to describe the rationale for the experimental design, but extensive interpretations must be reserved for the Discussion. Please avoid redundancy in the presentation of data. Results in the form of a figure may not be presented additionally as a table or vice-versa. Only important data should be mentioned. Statistical tests and values must be mentioned in tables. Only important observations need to be emphasized or summarized.

Tables should be used wherever necessary and should have rows and columns to correlate the variables .It should be cell- based type (Microsoft word tables or Excel tables). Do not use tabs or hard returns during preparation of tables. Do not send us tables as graphics. Tables should be as compact as possible. Unnecessary rows and columns can be avoided. The table should be double spaced and separated from the text. The font can be of same size used in the text of the manuscript. Do not divide the table in to sub tables and not to use vertical or horizontal rules/lines. Table should be numbered accordingly in numeric order. The table should be numbered in numeral followed by the title. The title should be one-line title in bold text with font size 12. Abbreviations can be used if needed and abbreviations that are used only in a table should be defined in the footnotes to that table and should be designated with superscript/subscript letters. Avoid “Ditto” marks. The units used should be in SI nomenclature or the nomenclature common to a particular field. Unusual units or abbreviations can be defined in the legend.

Figures should be used wherever necessary. The figures can be of GIF/TIFF/JPEG/PDF. The figures should be comprehensible for the readers and should help them in understanding the paper. Unnecessary figures should be avoided. Avoid unnecessary colouring and excessive details. The title should be one-line title in bold text with font size 12. Abbreviations can be used if needed and abbreviations that are used only in the figures should be defined in the footnotes to that figure. The title should describe the contents so each illustration can be understood on considering apart from the text. All figures should be numbered in numerals and should be cited in the text accordingly. The image/photograph should be cropped to show essential details. Magnification can be indicated by inserting the scale bar. The image/photograph should be clear and of high quality. Poor blurred or out of focus letters/symbols are not acceptable. The units used should be SI nomenclature or the nomenclature common to a particular field. Unusual units or abbreviations can be defined in the legend.

It should give the main conclusion(s) from the experimental data without lengthy repetition (limit of 300), and should interpret the same with respect to relevant literature. The discussion should deal with the interpretation of results and avoid repeating what has already been presented under results. The conclusion(s) can be linked with the goal(s) of the study.

In this section, the author(s) may thank/acknowledge personal, institutional and financial assistance received to undertake research work related to the manuscript.

Manuscript should have the declaration of conflict of interest. Include the following paragraph. Conflict of Interest: Conflict of interest declared none

Citations in the text are given using numerals [1, 2, 3...]. If necessary, use surname(s) to identify publication(s) by single or two authors. Publications by three or more authors are cited by the first author’s surname followed by “et al.” (e.g. Neumann et al.). In taxonomic papers complete species citations including authors and year of description are required. Please list publications in the References section in the same order in which they appear in the text. The authors are advised to adhere to the following examples:The authors are advised to adhere to the following examples:

Should have abstract (not more than 100 words), Key words (3 to 5 key words), Introduction, Case report, Discussion, conclusion, Conflict of interest (To be declared none), References (Not more than 10 -15 references).Total case report should not more than 1500 words. Should insist the following

• Should have all relevant details about the case
• Patients present and past medical history
• Symptoms and signs
• Results of laboratory tests.
• Treatment intervention
• Text, figures and tables can be used to illustrate the case.
• If statistical method is used give their name after the statistical result.

Case report should tell a clinical story of differential diagnosis in a concise manner while respecting the dignity of the patient. Stress on useful learning points. Should present a diagnostic conundrum and explain how you solved it. Should also include about the presentation, history, examination, investigations, management, and outcome. The reader should be able to learn how you approached the case towards treatment. Word limit should be not more than 1200 words and not more than 10-15 references .Picture /photos/graphs may support your approach. Getting consent for publication from the patient is of authors’ responsibility and critical if the patient raises any litigation in future for the publication.

Organization of the review article is at the author’s discretion and must be at a length of not more than 7000 words (15 pages) excluding references and abstract. Abstract and key words are required. Tables, figures, illustrations and references are to be arranged according to research papers.

The manuscript should be typed in Times New Roman (size 12) font using double-space between lines. Only one MS-Word file containing all the components of the paper including the table, chart, figures, etc. should be sent. The number of pages should not exceed more than 10-11 pages (for review paper not more than 13 -15pages). If the prescribed number of pages exceeds, then the author has to pay the extra amount for each page (charges vary if Tables, Pictures and graphs included). "Authors are requested to submit the manuscripts only through IJAM web portal. Manuscripts submitted directly to journal mail ids will not be considered. For all other communications related to manuscripts useonly submission@ijamicro.com. For Journal related enquiries readers and other stakeholders are requested to use only the mail id iaamjournal@yahoo.co.in". The cover letter mail should contain information on the title of the paper, area of research, and contact details of Corresponding author including official address, e-mail ID and telephone / mobile numbers. The mail should be attached with one MS-Word file of manuscript and the Author’s declaration form (see attachment).

Once the paper / article is received an e-mail of acknowledgement will be sent within four to five days of time. Further communications regarding the processing and publication status of the paper will be sent to the Corresponding author.

Electronic proof (soft copy) of the formatted manuscript will be sent to the e-mail of corresponding author as a PDF file. Only typographical or minor clerical errors will be accepted for correction in the manuscript once the proof is made. Subsequently paged proofs will be sent to the corresponding author, which are considered to be the final version of the article.

Because the IJAM is published mainly online, the authors will have free access to the electronic version of full text (in PDF) for download and print of the article. However up on specific request from the corresponding author hard copy of the relevant issue of the journal shall be sent to the Corresponding author.

• The work described has not been published before (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, or thesis) or that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere
• If and when the manuscript is accepted for publication, the authors agree to automatic transfer of the copyright to the publisher.

All correspondence related to paper submission / publication should be addressed only to:
Prof. Dr. Usha Anand Rao
Editor-in-Chief
Indian Journal of Applied Microbiology (IJAM)
2A, Coral Sudha Apartments,
No. 16, Eldams Road, Alwarpet,
Chennai - 600 018, India.
Phone: +91 9952256320 / +91 86082 94867
E-mail: iaamjournal@yahoo.in
(Authors are requested not to send any queries / mail / phone calls to the printer)

Once a submitted manuscript is reviewed and deemed eligible, the corresponding author will be intimated on its acceptance for publication. A nominal charge of Rs. 2000.00 (US $100 for manuscripts received from outside India) per manuscript will then have to be paid by the authors towards meeting publication charges. The charges are subject to change, which may be checked on the website or with the latest issue of the journal.

The relevant payment is to be sent by Demand Draft made in favour of “Dr. Usha Anand Rao, Editor-in-Chief, IJAM” payable at Chennai, India. Alternate mode of payment shall be intimated in the acceptance email.