Call for Materials
Deadlines
Review Criteria
Editorial Policy and Copyright
Submission Instructions
Formatting Requirements

I. Call for Materials

The ASM seeks scholarly articles that explore various aspects of microbiology or biology teaching and learning.  The Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education publishes manuscripts of hypothesis-driven research in the area of student learning and other facets of microbiology or biology education including, but not limited to:

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

II. Deadlines

III. Review Criteria

Each manuscript is reviewed based upon the following criteria.*

• Worthwhileness. The relevance of a hypothesis-driven research study in micro/biology 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 micro/biology 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. 
  
• Coherence. Thoughtful researchers first give serious attention to identifying interesting and worthwhile research questions and then to selecting the research methods and techniques that best fit the nature of those questions. A potential problem of manuscripts is the mismatch between the research question and the research methods and analysis techniques employed to answer the question.
• Competence. It is not enough that a research study involves 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 micro/biology 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.

IV. Editorial Policy and Copyright

By submitting 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.  All authors must have agreed that the corresponding author has the authority to act on their behalf on all matters pertaining to publication of the manuscript.

It is expected that the authors will provide written assurance that permission to cite unpublished data or personal communications has been granted.

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. All authors must 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.