SCOPE

Microbiology Education publishes manuscripts of hypothesis-driven research in the area of student learning and other facets of microbiology education including, but not limited to:

• outcome-based learning activities and courses that convey important concepts about the microbial world, microbial processes, or techniques used to study microorganisms;
• outcome-based learning activities, courses, and programs in the microbiological sciences that are driven by societal issues;
• outcome-based learning activities, courses, and programs organized according to the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) recommended core curriculum for introductory microbiology;
• assessment of student learning in the microbiological sciences; and
• assessment of teaching techniques and/or program effectiveness in the microbiological sciences.

Papers presenting information on courses, curricula, or learning activities must include an evaluation of the technique or activity. Evaluation of a particular course, technique, or activity can manifest itself in different ways depending on the activity, the instructor, and the number and type of students. A central goal of this publication is to increase the recognition of scholarly efforts in microbiology education.

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Worthwhileness. The relevance of a hypothesis-driven research study in microbiology education is of paramount importance in any attempt to judge its quality.  The hypothesis, which clearly states the problem investigated through the research, should be framed by the potential of the study for adding to and deepening our understanding of issues associated with microbiology teaching and learning.  In general, research that leads the field in new directions is often more worthwhile than replications of existing research studies.  This is most effectively communicated when accompanied by assessment of the learning outcomes, teaching effectiveness, etc.

We recognize that evaluations of worthwhileness can be quite difficult to do and are subject to extreme bias on the part of the evaluator. Nevertheless, rather than allowing tacit judgments of worthwhileness to establish directions for microbiology education research, it is preferable to make judgments of worthwhileness open to public scrutiny.

Competence. It is not enough that a research study involve relevant, interesting questions and be carefully conceptualized, designed, and reported. The conduct of the study itself must include the effective application of appropriate data collection, analysis, and interpretation techniques. Principles (some tacit, others explicit) for conducting interviews, designing instruments, reducing data, selecting samples, etc. have been developed within various disciplines to guide researchers in carrying out their studies. Although these principles should not be followed slavishly, competent researchers always consider them in order to ensure that every aspect of their studies is appropriately and carefully carried out.

Openness. Openness involves two qualities. First, in planning and conducting their investigations, good researchers are cognizant of the personal biases and assumptions that underlie their inquiry and, to the extent that it is possible to do so, they make these biases and assumptions public.  Second, the conceptual/theoretical bases for a study and the research methods and techniques used should be described in sufficient detail to allow the research community to scrutinize them thoroughly. In reporting research results, the researcher should provide the reader with a clear sense of how the data were collected, what data were used to make interpretations, and how the data were analyzed.

Ethics. Considerations of ethics cannot be ignored in establishing criteria for judging research in microbiology education. These considerations have to do with two concerns: 1) the manner in which the research has been conducted in relation to the research subjects (often students or teachers), and 2) acknowledgment of the contributions of others. The first concern involves matters such as informed consent, confidentiality, and accurate portrayal of situations and persons involved in the research. The second concern includes acknowledgment of the contributions of all persons who contributed to the research project, as well as open recognition of individuals whose research has influenced the present research.

Credibility. This criterion has to do with the extent to which sensible, thoughtful, and open-minded readers find the claims and conclusions made in a research report believable. That is, the claims made and conclusions drawn should be justified in some acceptable way. Moreover, the arguments and interpretations provided in a research report should be presented in a manner that makes it possible to verify or refute the conclusions drawn.  Here the openness and credibility criteria intersect and support each other.  In addition, it must be clearly stated that the tested hypothesis is substantiated by previous relevant credible research and referenced as such in the report.

Other Qualities of Good Research Reports. A research report that is lucid, clear, and well organized is likely to be more valuable and useful than one that does not possess one or more of these qualities. Similarly, the research community usually values conciseness over verbosity and directness over obscurity.

Originality is another example of a quality that sets good research apart from other types. An original study is not necessarily one that has never been done before. Rather, originality can also result from looking at an old question in a novel manner: using a new technique of analysis, synthesizing evidence in a different way, or providing a new interpretation for old data.

*(Excerpted and adapted from "Criteria to Evaluate Research", Frank K. Lester, Jr., Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, Volume 27, Number 2, 130-132. March 1996. http://www.nctm.org/jrme/info/criteria.to.evaluate.html)

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Submit manuscripts and corresponding files via e-mail to MicrobeLibrary@asmusa.org.   The subject line of the message should be Microbiology Education. 

Since all submissions must be processed through this office, alternate routings, such as to the editor, will delay initiation of the review process.

Manuscripts should be 1,500 to 4,000 words in length.  Every portion of the manuscript is to be double spaced, including figure legends, table footnotes, and References.   Number all pages and lines of the document in sequence, including the abstract.  Do not number figure legends and tables. 

Place figure legends and tables after the References section. Manuscript pages must have margins of at least one inch on all four sides. We recommend up to four relevant illustrations, photos, tables, graphs, and other visuals may be submitted with the manuscript.

• Cover letter
• Original manuscript in Microsoft Word
• Separate files of all figures and tables
• Double space all text, including references and figure legends
• Number all pages
• Number all lines (not including figure legends and tables)
• Format references in ASM style (see below for details)

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EDITORIAL POLICY

By submission of a manuscript to this publication, the authors guarantee that the manuscript, or one with substantially the same content, was not published previously and is not being considered for publication elsewhere.

All authors of a manuscript must have agreed to its submission and are responsible for its content, including appropriate citations and acknowledgments, and must also have agreed that the corresponding author has the authority to act on their behalf on all matters pertaining to publication of the manuscript.

Authorship. An author is one who made a substantial contribution to the manuscript; therefore, ASM considers all authors responsible for the entire paper. Individuals who provided assistance (e.g., critiqued the paper) need not be listed as authors but should be recognized in the Acknowledgments section.

All authors must agree to the order in which their names are listed in the byline. Footnotes regarding attribution of work (e.g., X. Jones and Y. Smith contributed equally to…) are not permitted. If necessary, such statements may be included in the Acknowledgments section.

A change in authorship (order of listing or addition or deletion of a name) after submission of the manuscript will be implemented only after receipt of signed statements of agreement from all parties involved. Disputes about authorship may delay review and/or publication of the manuscript.

Copyright. ASM requires all authors sign a copyright transfer agreement. This exclusive agreement is sent to the corresponding author when the manuscript is accepted and scheduled for publication. Unless this agreement is executed (without changes and/or addenda), ASM will not publish the manuscript.

In the copyright transfer agreement signed by an author, ASM grants to that author (and coauthors) the right to republish discrete portions of his (their) article in any other publication (print, CD-ROM, and other electronic forms) of which he is (they are) the author(s) or editor(s), on the condition that appropriate credit is given to the original ASM publication. This republication right also extends to posting on a host computer to which there is access via the Internet. Significant portions or the entire article may not be reprinted/posted without ASM’s prior written permission.

Permissions. For previously published material (figures, tables, or text), it is the author's responsibility to obtain permission from both the author and the publisher (i.e., the copyright owners) to reproduce that material. Submit copies of permissions with the manuscript. Direct any questions concerning copyright and permissions to the Education Department at ASM Headquarters [tel., (202) 942-9282; e-mail, MicrobeLibrary@asmusa.org]..

Conflict of Interest. All authors are expected to disclose, in the manuscript submittal letter, any commercial affiliations as well as consultancies, stock or equity interests, and patent-licensing arrangements that could be considered to pose a conflict of interest regarding the submitted article. Specifics of the disclosure will remain confidential. If appropriate, however, the editor may recommend that a general statement regarding the disclosure be included in the Acknowledgments section. All funding sources, institutional and corporate, should be credited in the Acknowledgments section, as described below.

Review Process. All manuscripts are considered to be confidential and are reviewed by the editors, members of the editorial board, or qualified ad hoc reviewers. When a manuscript is submitted, it is given a number and sent to the editor. Corresponding authors are notified of this number.  Always refer to this number in communications with the editor and the Education Department. It is the responsibility of the corresponding author to inform the coauthors of the manuscript’s status throughout the review and publication processes. 

Notification of Acceptance. When the editor has decided that the manuscript is acceptable for publication, it is sent to the ASM Education Department, where it is checked by the production editor. If the manuscript is completely acceptable according to the criteria set forth in these instructions, it is scheduled for publication and an acceptance letter is mailed to the corresponding author.

Page Proofs. Page proofs will be sent to the corresponding author. As soon as the page proofs are corrected (within 48 hours), they should be mailed, faxed, or sent electronically to: Microbiology Education, Education Department, ASM, 1752 N Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036-2904, via fax 202-942-9329, or via e-mail: MicrobeLibrary@asmusa.org.

The proof stage is not the time to make extensive corrections, additions, or deletions. Limit changes to correction of spelling errors, incorrect data, grammatical errors, and updated information for references to articles that have been submitted or are in press. If URLs have been provided in the article, recheck the sites to ensure that the addresses are still accurate and the material that you expect the reader to find is indeed there.

Warranties and Exclusions. Articles in this publication represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of ASM. ASM does not warrant the fitness or suitability, for any purpose, of any methodology, kit, product, or device described or identified in an article. The use of trade names is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by ASM.

Compliance. Failure to comply with the policies described above may result in a letter of reprimand, a suspension of publishing privileges in Microbiology Education, and/or notification of the authors’ institutions.

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EDITORIAL STYLE

The editorial style follows the guidelines used by the ASM Journals Department in preparing ASM journals. The editor reserves the privilege of editing manuscripts to conform with the stylistic conventions set forth in the aforesaid guidelines.

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Title, running title, and byline. Exercise care in composing a main title.  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, and give that author’s telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address.

Correspondent footnote. The complete mailing address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address (if available) of 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. If these items are not provided on the manuscript title page, the ASM editorial staff will insert the information from the original letter of submission.

Abstract. Limit the abstract to 250 words or less and concisely summarize the basic content of the paper without presenting extensive details. Avoid abbreviations and references and do not include diagrams.  When it is essential to include a reference, use the same format as for the References section but omit the article title. The abstract 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 paper without referring to previous publications on the topic.  It must be clear that references are the reports of credible research and observations upon which the current hypothesis is based.

Body. The body should provide the information to be conveyed to the reader. It is highly recommended that this section includes Materials, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Pedagogical methods, observations, application of techniques, assessment rubrics, and other details should be carefully explained. Any author who believes that any of the above are not necessary in the body will need to provide a persuasive explanation to the Editorial Committee.

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 ABC grant DE-01234 from the WXYZ."  Recognition of personal assistance should be given as a separate paragraph.

Disclaimers. Statements disclaiming governmental or any other type of endorsement or approval will be deleted by the editor.

References. The References section must include all relevant sources and all listed references must be cited in the text. Cite each listed reference by number in the text using numbers in parentheses on line after the matter which they support. Arrange the citations in the References section in alphabetical order, by first author, and number consecutively. Follow the styles shown in the Style Guide for References at the end of the Instructions.  If you have questions regarding style for references, please contact ASM at MicrobeLibrary@asmusa.org.

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ILLUSTRATIONS AND TABLES

Computer-Generated Images. Authors are encouraged to submit digital figures electronically. The use of digital files does not always result in a better final product and the production editor may require hard-copy printouts if there are problems with the transmission of the electronic figures.  

The figure number and authors’ names should be indicated in the e-mail to which the figure is attached.  If submitted hardcopy of figures, number and author names should be on all figures, either in the margin, on the back (marked lightly with a soft pencil) or in the text.  Do not clasp figures to each other or to the manuscript with paper clips. Insert small figures in an envelope. To avoid damage in transit, do not submit illustrations larger than 8 ½ by 11 inches.  Figures in published articles will not be returned to authors.

Photographs. Photos must be of sufficient contrast to withstand the inevitable loss of contrast and detail inherent in the printing process. Submit one photograph for each copy of the manuscript; photocopies are not acceptable. If possible, the figures submitted should be the size they will appear when published so that no reduction is necessary. If they must be reduced, make sure that all elements, including labeling, can withstand reduction and remain legible. If a figure is a composite of a photograph and a drawing or labeling, the original composite (i.e., not a photograph of the composite) must be provided. This original, labeled copy may be sent with the modified manuscript to the production editor. Composites should be mounted on lightweight flexible backing, not on heavy cardboard.

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Style Guide for References

Published Journal Articles:
Lowry, O. H., N. J. Rosebrough, A. L. Farr, and R. J. Randall. 1951. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J. Biol. Chem. 193:265-275.

Works Cited in the Text Only. Certain works that are either unpublished or published without scientific review must be cited in the text, not listed in References. These include unpublished data (including manuscripts in preparation), articles submitted for publication (but see above for in-press articles), meeting abstracts and posters, personal communications, letters, editorials, technical bulletins, company publications, patent applications, GenBank entries, and websites. Citations of this type are parenthetical and should follow any reference number cited with them.

Unpublished data:
…has also been identified (2, 5; our unpublished results).
…gave comparable values (data not shown).

Articles submitted for publication:
…has also been found (R. Preston, H. Keel, and G. MacRae, submitted for publication).
…in the work of B. Yardley (submitted for publication).

Abstracts:
...in mitochondria (S. DeWit, C. Thious, and N. Clumeck, Abstr. 34^th Intersci. Conf. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., abstr. 114, 1994).
…as noted by Barton and colleagues (B. Barton, G. Harding, and A. Zuccarelli, Abstr. 94^th Gen. Meet. Am. Soc. Microbiol. 1994, Abstr. H-249, p. 244, 1994).

Personal communications:
…for other bacteria (A. X. Jones, personal communication).
…is thought to occur (L. M. Enopy [University of Texas, Austin], personal communication).

Websites and data banks:

Website URLs for noncommercial sites may be cited and the URL is incorporated into the text as follows. Note that URLs for companies that produce any of the products mentioned in your study or for products that are being sold may not be included. Company URLs that permit access to scientific data related to the study or to share-ware used in the study are however permitted.

It is important that you recheck the website at the proof stage to ensure that the address is still accurate and the material that you expect the reader to find is indeed there.

…information found at the XYZ website (http://cbx.iou.pgr).
…the ABC program (version 2.2; Department of Microbiology, University of Wherever [http://www.stu.micro]).
…the phd2 sequence (EMBL accession no. X9352).

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