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Topics Covered

The Journal of Clinical Microbiology (JCM) is devoted to the dissemination of new knowledge concerning the microbiological aspects of human and animal infections and infestations, particularly their etiological agents, diagnosis, and epidemiology. Case Reports will be considered if they are novel, add to existing knowledge, and are oriented toward microbiology. (See "Case Reports" below for a description of the two different types of Case Reports published.) Manuscripts describing members of the "normal" human microbiota that become involved in disease production or complication and manuscripts dealing with the interactions of hospitalized patients and the microbial environment of the hospital may also be submitted for consideration.

ASM publishes a number of different journals covering various aspects of the field of microbiology. Each journal has a prescribed scope which must be considered in determining the most appropriate journal for each manuscript. The following guidelines may be of assistance.

(i) JCM will consider clinically relevant manuscripts (a) that describe the use of antimicrobial, antiparasitic, or anticancer agents as tools in the isolation, identification, or epidemiology of microorganisms associated with disease; (b) that are concerned with quality control procedures for diffusion, elution, or dilution tests for determining susceptibilities to antimicrobial agents in clinical laboratories; and (c) that deal with applications of commercially prepared tests or kits to assays performed in clinical laboratories to measure the activities of established antimicrobial agents or their concentrations in body fluids. Manuscripts on all other aspects of antimicrobial or antiparasitic agents, including reports concerned with development or modification of assay methods and validation of their sensitivity and specificity, will be considered for publication in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

(ii) JCM will consider manuscripts dealing with the isolation or identification of viral agents from humans and animals, with viral pathogenesis and immunity, and with the etiology and diagnosis of viral diseases. In addition, epidemiological studies of viral diseases or those involving the use of bacteriophages as a typing system or to identify bacteria will be considered. However, papers on the biology of phages and other viruses are more appropriate for the Journal of Virology or the Journal of Bacteriology.

(iii) Reports of clinical microbiology investigations or studies of the hospital population and the environment as they relate to nosocomial infections should be submitted to JCM. Manuscripts dealing with ecology or environmental studies or with the application of microorganisms to agricultural or industrial processes are more appropriate for Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

(iv) Papers involving clinical immunology, vaccines, or assessment and laboratory diagnostic aspects of immunologic diseases (e.g., autoimmune diseases and primary immunodeficiencies) are more appropriate for Clinical and Vaccine Immunology (formerly Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology). Manuscripts dealing with mechanisms of pathogenicity are appropriate for Infection and Immunity.

(v) Manuscripts that describe detection of infectious agents by using already well described techniques (e.g., RT-PCR, RAPD, PFGE, and real-time PCR, etc.) will not be considered for publication unless application of the technique substantially improves the diagnostic process. It is expected that such manuscripts will compare sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy data with data obtained from more-conventional methods using clinical specimens.

(vi) JCM will consider manuscripts that describe diagnostic microbiology assays and those that compare assay performances. To improve the accuracy and ensure the completeness of their studies, authors should refer to the Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD) for guidance. The entire set of guidelines, including checklists, may be found at http://www.consort-statement.org/stardstatement.htm.

Questions about these guidelines may be directed to the editor in chief of the journal being considered.

If transfer to another ASM journal is recommended by an editor, the corresponding author will be contacted.

Note that a manuscript rejected by one ASM journal on scientific grounds or on the basis of its general suitability for publication is considered rejected by all other ASM journals.

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