Journal of Immunology and Clinical Microbiology

• Journal of Immunology and Clinical Microbiology (JICM) is a peer reviewed international journal that publishes original reports and analyses in both written and visual forms.  
  
• JICM is aimed to serve as scientific journal related to in all areas of immunology, microbiology, rheumatology and; pathogenesis, diagnosis, cure of infectious diseases and general medicine.

• The JICM is publishing refereed, original papers in a broad range and, it is planned to be particularly valuable for researchers in immunology, medical microbiology and general medicine.
• The Journal of Immunology and Clinical Microbiology covers**:
  

GUIDE FOR AUTHORS to download as pdf file click here

• Thank you for considering the "Journal of Immunology and Clinical Microbiology" (JICM) as the right place for your work.
• Please ensure that you have prepared your manuscript in line with the JICM's general requirements for articles and our specific advice on the different article types below.
• Please strictly follow these guidelines. Failure to follow these guidelines will delay the editorial and peer-review process and extend your publication turnaround time. Please note that our journal, does NOT charge publication/processing fees from the Author(s).
• This is an absolutely free journal for both authors and readers.

Headlines in this guide:

    I. Ready to use Article Files/Templates

    II. Article types

           1. Cover Letter

           2. Title Page

         3. Manuscript - Abstract - Keywords - Introduction - Materials and Methods - Results - Discussion - Conclusion - Acknowledgments - References - Tables and Figures - Units of measurement - Abbreviations and symbols - Language and style

            4. Author statement form and Conflict of interest disclosure form

            5. Figures

            6. Video Article/Video Files

    III. Specifications of article types - Original Article (Research Article) - Review-Short review - Case Series - Technical Note - Letter to editor / Short communication - Editorial - Hypothesis (Commentary) - Highlights and Focus (Five things to know about) - Field Report/National and International Reports - Video articles

I. READY TO USE ARTICLE FILES/TEMPLATES

Before sending an article, we strongly advise to use our "Ready to use Article Files/Temlates": You can DOWNLOAD here. This template serves as a guide with the correct format and content to write a manuscript for submission to the Journal. You may begin writing directly in this document. It contains these template files:

    1 JICM-Cover.doc

    2 JICM-Title page.doc

    3 JICM-Main Manuscript Template.doc

    4 JICM-AUTHOR STATEMENT and CONFLICT of INTEREST form.pdf

    5 Sample Figure (optional).tif

Instructions to authors comply with the "Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication" (www.ICMJE.org, updated in April 2010). Please note, editors hold the right to make all the necessary changes to the language and style of the original manuscript in order to adhere to the uniform standards of the Journal.

II. ARTICLE TYPES

Manuscripts are classified in to ten groups based on the criteria noted below. The chosen classification will appear in the printed manuscript above the manuscript title. Editor retain the right to classify the manuscript as they see fit.

            Article Category                           Maximum word count*/ Maximum number of references

• Original Article (Research Article)                         6000/ 50
• Review                                                                     10000/ 100
• Short/Mini review                                                    4000/ 50
• Case Series                                                             3500 40
• Technical Note                                                         3500/ 40
• Letter to editor / Short communication                  2500/ 15
• Editorial                                                                    2000 /10
• Hypothesis                                                               5000/ 40
• Highlights & Focus (Five things to know about)   1000/ 5
• Field Report/National and International Reports  8000/ 50

*The maximum word count does NOT include the title, authors and affiliations, abstract, keywords, subheadings, table and figure legends, and references. However, it does include the text in the tables, if any.

III. SPECIFICATIONS OF ARTICLE TYPES

    Original Article (Research Article)

        - You can find detailed information at "Manuscrit section", below - Original research articles present a medical or scientific advance.

        - Follows the outline of Introduction, Materials/Methods, Results, Discussion/Conclusions, and References

        - Supported by significant and relevant amount of data - Data should have been developed by the author(s)

        - Conclusions are based primarily on the data presented and compared to the published literature.

     Review-Short review

        - Topic is relatively broad in scope

        - Represents an overview of published information and data from many authors and sources

        - Does not contain original data (to any great extent)

      - They should include critical assessment of the works cited, explanations of conflicts in the literature, and analysis of the field. The conclusion must discuss in detail the limitations of current knowledge, future directions to be pursued in research, and the overall importance of the topic in immunology and microbiology. Reviews should contain four sections: Abstract, Introduction, Topics (with headings and subheadings), Conclusions

    Case Series

        - Detailed description with data of the specific implementation of an application or the solution to a given practical problem

        - Case reports describe an unusual disease presentation, a new treatment, an unexpected drug interaction, a new diagnostic method, or a difficult diagnosis. Case reports should include relevant positive and negative findings from history, examination, and investigation and can include clinical photographs. Additionally, the author must make it clear what the case adds to the field of medicine and include an up-to-date review of all previous cases in the field.

    Technical Note

        - Describes a particular technology or application

        - Contains original data generated in the process of developing the technology or in support of the application

        - Supported by a significant amount of data - May follow the outline of Introduction, Materials/Methods, Discussion, Conclusions, and References - impress upon the readers a new process/ or technology.

    Letter to editor / Short communication

        - Submitted by the Reader (or other Article's authors)

        - Supports, refutes, or adds relevant information related to a previously published article

        - Authors correcting their own work or responding to a critique of their article by a reader(s)

    Editorial

    - Written by the JICM Editors, Associate Editors, or Invited Guest Editors on a variety of subjects of interest to the Journal readers

    - Work consisting of a statement of the opinions, beliefs, and policy, usually on current matters of medical or scientific significance to the medical community or society at large.

     Hypothesis (Commentary)

        - Authors suggestion (scope is open to areas beyond science/technology)

        - Reviewers recommendation - Represents the “perspective” or “opinion” or “hypothesis” of the author(s)

        - Amount of original data is minimal, but corroborative literature data encouraged

        - Format: Does not follow the outline of Introduction, Materials/Methods, Discussion/Conclusions, and References

    Highlights and Focus (Five things to know about)

        - Summarizes a popular subject with limited references.

    Field Report/National and International Reports - Detailed reports for a particular subject

    Video articles

        -Article video is a new type of publishing method of scientific papers which are 10-20 minute short videos about specific topics using content from articles and other text sources.

        - JICM publishes peer-reviewed scientific video articles to help learning new skills related fields with immunology and clinical microbiology. For more detail click here and read below.

    IV. MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

Please do not send articles by post. All submissions should be upload via online submission system. If problem occurs in this stage, you can send the required files by e-mail (Mail to: editorial@jiacm.com). Editorial office will add the files to submission system. In this case the corresponding author have to indicate the uncompleted submission by the e-mail (e.g.: We were unable to upload the following files to the submission system. Is it possible to complete our submission?) For large files more than 8 MB and videos, please use this option.

Required files; The following files should be submitted: (click for template files)

        1. Cover letter

        2. Title page

        3. Manuscript (without authors and affiliations)

        4. Author statement form and Conflict of interest disclosure form

        5. Table

        6. Figure (optional)

        7. Video files (for video articles and education materials)

Please note that a Manuscript file should not contain any information on the authors and their affiliation. Also, the Manuscript file name should not contain any reference to the author's name. This is important because all manuscripts are sent for blind peer review. Each corresponding author is required to suggest 3 potential reviewers for the manuscript.

Please note that the Editorial board members should not be suggested as reviewers. The author may also suggest opposing reviewers (optional).

1. Cover Letter The cover letter should contain following: - corresponding authors' name - short description of the research study (2-3 sentences) and any other information regarding the manuscript that the Editors may find useful; - body text word count and number of figures, tables, and graphs in the manuscript; - suggested category for the manuscript (e.g., original article, short communication or other); - statement on all submissions and previous reports that might be regarded as redundant publications (for example: studies based on the same sample, publications of the same biomarker, etc.); - reasons why authors presume their work may be of interest to the Journal's readership.

2. Title Page The title page should be a separate page. The title page should include: - full title of the manuscript; - short title (up to 50 characters); - authors full names, affiliations (institution, department, city, country) and e-mail addresses for further correspondence; - corresponding author's e-mail address and full mailing address (institution, department, street, street number, zip code, city, country). Please note that the e-mail address of corresponding author will be published in the final version of the article if a manuscript is accepted. The corresponding author should be marked with an asterisk (*). The affiliations should be noted with a superscript number. For example: Name Surname 1*, Name Surname 2 1 Institute of Clinical Chemistry, Department of Morphological and Biomedical Science, University of XXX, XXX, Turkey 2 Department of Hematology, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research (ICPMR), Westmead Hospital, Westmead, Australia *Corresponding author: example@mail.com

3. Manuscript A manuscript should be prepared as follows: - the file should be in MS Word format (*.doc format); - the text should be single-spaced throughout including the title page, abstract, body text, references, acknowledgments, individual tables and legends - page format: A4; - font: Times New Roman, 12 pt; - all margins: 2.5 cm (1 inch ); - do NOT use any styles and formatting (no numbering for titles, no bold fonts); - do NOT use Headers or Footers; and - pages should be numbered throughout including the text, tables, references, and figure Please note that the cover letter and title page are not included into the main manuscript file. All pages of the manuscript (except for the cover letter, title page, tables and figures which are attached separately) should be within a single document. Original manuscripts should be structured as follows: Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion,Conclusion, Acknowledgments (optional), References, Tables

Abstract All types of manuscripts should contain an abstract (150 words minimum). An abstract of 250 words maximum should be provided on a separate page (abstract only, without authors and affiliation).

The abstract of an original article should be structured into four headings: Backround, Materials and Methods, Results, and Conclusions. For other article types, abstracts do not have to be structured.

Keywords Please provide 3-5 keywords from MeSH database, when possible, available at: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/MBrowser.html Please use a comma between the words. For example: Keyword 1, keyword 2, keyword 3, etc.

Introduction (150 words minimum, 1000 words maximum) In the Introduction section, the authors should highlight new information in the manuscript, the hypothesis, and the aim of their work. The Introduction section should not contain results and conclusions. The Introduction section should not contain results and conclusions. The aim of the study should be mentioned in the last sentence.

Materials and Methods The Materials and Methods section should only include information that was available at the time the study was planned. All information obtained during the study should be provided in the Results section. This section should be structured as follows:

- Subjects (if research includes human subjects),

- Materials (otherwise); - Methods - Statistical analysis In the Subjects/Materials section it is recommended to include the following: - time and place of the study (the dates og the beginning and the end of the study); - study design (case-control, cohort, diagnostic accuracy etc.);

- inclusion and exclusion criteria; - relevant demographic and history details (age, gender, diagnostic criteria etc.); When reporting trials on human subjects, authors should indicate whether the procedures were in accordance with the ethical standards set by the responsible human experimentation committee (institutional and national) and 1975 Helsinki Declaration (as revised in 2008). All subjects should sign an informed consent form and this information should be expressed in the manuscript. Signed informed consent forms should be archived by the authors. The authors have to provide a written statement that they have received and archived all patient informed consent forms, as required in the Author statement form. In the Methods section, methods, instruments (give the manufacturer's name and country in parentheses), and procedures should be described in sufficient detail to allow other researchers to reproduce the results. For well-established methods, only references should be provided. In the Statistical analysis section, authors should list all statistical methods used in the study and preselected level of significance (p). If possible, findings should be quantified and presented using appropriate indicators of measurement error or uncertainty (e.g., confidence intervals). At the end of this section, authors may specify the statistical software used.

Results State the main or most important finding first. The data presented in the tables or figures should not be repeated in the text. Graphs should be used as an alternative to tables with many entries; do not present the same data in duplicate (e.g., in both graphs and tables). Exact P-values should be provided for all tested differences (e.g., write p=0.048 instead of p<0.05) rounded to three decimal places.

Discussion Emphasize the new and important conclusion based on the study results in the context of the best available evidence. Do not repeat the data presented in the Introduction or Results section. Clearly state the limitations of the study.

Conclusion This section is a short conclusion that summarizes your key finding and message. This shouldn't be too long or repetitive. It is important not to start any new thoughts in your conclusion.

Acknowledgments All contributors who do not meet the authorship criteria should be listed in the Acknowledgments section. These persons must give verbal permission to be acknowledged. Authors should provide that statement in Author statement form. Financial and material support should also be acknowledged.

References

- The Journal of immunology and clinical microbiology applies Pubmed referencing style (EndNote Style). In addition, literature citation should conform to the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) available at www.ICMJE.org. - References should be numbered consecutively, using Arabic numerals in parentheses, in the order of appearance in the text.

For example: H. pylori is a gram-negative spiral organism that is capable of colonizing the gastric mucosa and form the main cause of chronic active gastritis (2, 4). - References cited only in tables or figures should be numbered in accordance with the sequence established by the first appearance in the text of the table or figure. - References should be verified using either an electronic bibliographic source, such as PubMed, or print copies from original sources.

Authors are responsible for checking that none of the references refer to retracted articles except in the context of referring to the retraction. Also, the authors should not include DOI numbers at the end of cited reference.

- Journal titles should be abbreviated according to the style used in the list of Journals Indexed for MEDLINE, posted by the NLM available at:http://www.nlm.nih.gov/tsd/serials/lji.html. Examples of various reference formats are available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/uniform_requirements.html The most common examples are as follows: Journals: Name all authors unless there are more than seven, in which case list the first six plus et al.

For example:

    1. Petekkaya S, Ayaz N, Dogan M, Oruc M, Oner BS, Gokturk C, et al. Suicidal Death from Pseudoephedrine Sulfate Overdose: A Case Report. Ulutas Med J. 2015; 1(4): 119-121.

    2. Nagiyev T, Yula E, Abayli B, Koksal F. Prevalence and genotypes of Helicobacter pylori in gastric biopsy specimens from patients with gastroduodenal pathologies in the Cukurova Region of Turkey. J Clin Microbiol. 2009; 47(12): 4150-4153.

Book or handbook: In English: Burtis CA, Ashwood ER, Burns DE, eds. Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics. 4th ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders, 2006. Book chapter: In English: Meltzer PS, Kallioniemi A, Trent JM. Chromosome alterations in human solid tumors. In: Vogelstein B, Kinzler KW, eds. The genetic basis of human cancer. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002. p. 93-113.

Internet source: Cahill, J., Barkham, M., Hardy, G., Rees, A., Shapiro, D.A., Stiles, W.B. & Macaskill, N. Outcomes of patients completing and not completing cognitive therapy for depression [Electronic version]. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2003:42;133-43. Accessed July 19, 2003, from http://www.bps.org.uk/publications/jCP_1.cfm.

Tables Tables with brief captions should be located at the end of the main word file. (.doc/.docx file). Use only horizontal lines of a table grid. Tables should be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals. Ensure that each table is cited in the text. Each column should have a short heading title and detailed explanation provided in a footnote. All non-standard abbreviations should be explained in table footnotes using the symbols in the following order: *, †, ‡, §, ?, , **, ††, ‡‡, §§, ??, etc.

Units of measurement Units of measurement should be reported according to the Journal style. The Journal of Immunology and clinical microbiology accepts the International System of Units (SI). Abbreviations and symbols Use only standard abbreviations. Avoid abbreviations in the title of the manuscript. Always spell out abbreviations on first mention and include the abbreviation in parenthesis unless the abbreviation is a standard unit of measurement.

Language and style Manuscript should be written in English in understandable style and checked for correct spelling and use of grammar. The Journal does not provide language editing service. Authors whose first language is not English are strongly advised to have their manuscript edited by a language professional or fluent English speaker before submission. Please note that this does not guarantee the acceptance of the article for publication. The JICM does not have any preferences for the use of any particular "language editing" service provider.

4. Author statement form and Conflict of interest disclosure form You can DOWNLOAD here. Please scan (or get photo, with high resolution) the completed and signed form and then submit it as an electronic file (.pdf format) along with your manuscript. In the case of a work made for hire, the employer(s) must also sign.

5. Figures Each figure and its brief caption should be provided on a separate file. Figures should be numbered consecutively according to the order of appearance in the text. Our technical editors will redesign or recreate all graphical elements (pictures, schematic presentations etc.) of the manuscript if they do not conform to the uniform style of the Journal. If, for some reason, figures cannot be inserted into the manuscript file, they can be uploaded as separate electronic files.

Acceptable image file formats for print publication are: *.jpg, *.bmp or *.tiff; the desired resolution is 150 dpi. We strongly offer you to use *.tiff format. We offer you to use IrfanView software (free) and its' plugins to change format of your figures.

6. Video Article/Video Files (Optional)

We also accept scientific video articles related fields with JICM. Video Article is a new type of publishing method of scientific papers which are 10-20 minute short videos about specific topics using content from articles and other text sources.

Three way of creating video articles to publish it in the JICM.

1st Option: Authors of the manuscript may prepare and send the video (case presantation, research techniques and methods etc.) with our spesific recommendations. - Editorial review ensures that manuscripts (video article category) are written according to JICM guidelines, the content fits within JICM's scope, and the paper is filmable. After your manuscript (text) is accepted, your video files* can be uploaded the Journal. (please send it via e-mail: editorial@jiacm.com) Video format should be in *.wmv format. Our video editing team will help the authors to create video files. Our video editing service does NOT require money and resources. Steps for this option - Contact editorial team (after submitting the paper to journal) - After your manuscript (text) is reviewed, editorial team will provide spesific recommendations for your paper to create video files - The video file will be prepared using content of your paper, photos etc. by our editors. - It will be published after final revision at jiacm.com.

2nd Option: Authors may create a Microsoft PowerPoint File which summarizes the paper visually and then we convert it video format by adding animations, photos, mp3 and voice records. Our video editing service does NOT require money and resources. Steps for this option - Contact editorial team (after submitting the paper to journal) - After your manuscript (text) is reviewed, editorial team will provide spesific recommendations to prepare Microsoft PowerPoint File. - We will add animations, photos, mp3 and voice records (if appropriate) using content of your paper, photos etc. by our editors. Our video editors will convert PowerPoint File (.ppt, .pptx) to video format. - It will be published after final revision at jiacm.com.

3rd option (Educational videos): You may prepare an educational video without submitting any manuscript (except the text of the video) related fields with immunology and microbiology (diagnostic algorithms, construction of conventional and molecular research methods, especially in practical applications). Our peer-reviewers offer scientific recommendations with spesific topic. Steps for this option - Contact editorial team (for submitting Educational video) - Prepare text that summarizes your video. - Send your video and text to editorial@jiacm.com - After your video reviewed, editorial team will provide spesific recommendations to enhance your video file. Our video editors will add animations, photos, mp3 and voice records. - It will be published after final revision at jiacm.com.

Publication Malpractice Statement
Editorial and Peer Review Processes generally follow these steps:

The publication of an article in a peer reviewed journal is an essential model for our journal "Journal of Immunology and Clinical Microbiology (JICM)".
It is necessary to agree upon standards of expected ethical behavior for all parties involved in the act of publishing: the author, the journal editor, the peer reviewer(s) and the publisher.
Our ethic statements are based on COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors.

Publication decisions
The editor is responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to the JICM should be published.
The editor may be guided by the policies of the journal's editorial board and constrained by such legal requirements as shall then be in force regarding libel, copyright infringement and plagiarism. The editor may confer with other editors or reviewers in making this decision.

Fair play
An editor at any time evaluate manuscripts for their intellectual content without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.

Confidentiality
The editor and any editorial staff must not disclose any information about a submitted manuscript to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, other editorial advisers, and the publisher, as appropriate.

Disclosure and conflicts of interest
Unpublished materials disclosed in a submitted manuscript must not be used in an editor's own research without the express written consent of the author.

Duties of Reviewers :
Contribution to Editorial Decisions
Peer review assists the editor in making editorial decisions and through the editorial communications with the author may also assist the author in improving the paper.

Promptness
Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor and excuse himself from the review process.

Confidentiality
Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor.

Standards of Objectivity
Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.

Acknowledgement of Sources
Reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. A reviewer should also call to the editor's attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.

Disclosure and Conflict of Interest
Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must be kept confidential and not used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.


Duties of Authors :
Reporting standards
Authors of reports of original research should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the paper. A paper should contain sufficient detail and references to permit others to replicate the work. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behavior and are unacceptable.

Data Access and Retention
Authors are asked to provide the raw data in connection with a paper for editorial review, and should be prepared to provide public access to such data (consistent with the ALPSP-STM Statement on Data and Databases), if practicable, and should in any event be prepared to retain such data for a reasonable time after publication.

Originality and Plagiarism
The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or words of others that this has been appropriately cited or quoted.

Multiple, Redundant or Concurrent Publication
An author should not in general publish manuscripts describing essentially the same research in more than one journal or primary publication. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable.

Acknowledgement of Sources
Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have been influential in determining the nature of the reported work.

Authorship of the Paper
Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be acknowledged or listed as contributors.
The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included on the paper, and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.

Hazards and Human or Animal Subjects
If the work involves chemicals, procedures or equipment that have any unusual hazards inherent in their use, the author must clearly identify these in the manuscript.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest
All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their manuscript. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.

Fundamental errors in published works
When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the journal editor or publisher and cooperate with the editor to retract or correct the paper.

Editor of Journal of Immunology and Clinical Microbiology

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