Author Guidelines

Instructions to Authors

International Journal of Bacteriophage Research is a peer reviewed journal, with world renowned scientists on the advisory board. Journal is published annually in the month of January. The types of article accepted include original articles, review articles, Brief articles, case reports, and letters to the editor regarding the research on biology of bacteriophage, kinetics study, in-vitro and in-vivo experiments, molecular and immunological studies on bacteriophages, genetic engineering of phages, mathematic modelling of bacteriophage research, policies and regulatory issues in bacteriophage reserch in the field of medicine, veterinary applications, agriculture, aquaculture, animal production, food safety, and food production.

Manuscripts must be prepared in accordance with "Uniform requirements for Manuscripts submitted to Biomedical Journals" as per guidelines by the International Committee of Medical Journals Editors (Updated December 2019). The uniform requirements and specific requirements of IJBR are mentioned below;

1. Layout of Manuscript for Original Article

Manuscript should be typewritten in 12 font size, double-spaced, with margins of at least 3 cm on all sides. Pages should be numbered consecutively, starting with the title page and the manuscript arranged in the following order.:

  • 1.1 Title page
  • 1.2 Abstract
  • 1.3 Introduction
  • 1.4 Materials and Methods
  • 1.5 Results
  • 1.6 Discussion
  • 1.7 Conclusion
  • 1.8 Acknowledgement
  • 1.9 References
  • 1.11 Tables and Figures along with caption and legends

Research articles should have more than 15 pages and Review articles in the range of 15-30 pages, inclusive of illustrations.

1.1 Title Page

Title page contains title of the manuscript in bold face, title case (font size 14), names of the authors in normal face, title case (font size 12) followed by the address of authors in normal face, title case (font size 12). Names of the authors should appear as initials followed by surnames. Full names may be given in some instances to avoid confusion. Followed by the author names, please provide the complete postal address or addresses with pin code number of the place(s), where the research work has been carried out. If the publication originates from several institutes, the affiliation of each author should be clearly stated by using superscript Arabic numbers after the name and before the institute. The author to whom correspondence should be directed must be indicated with an asterisk. At the bottom left corner of this page, please mention “*Corresponding Author” and provide telephone number and fax number of the research institution/college and functional Email address of the corresponding author to whom all correspondence (including galley proofs) is to be sent.

1.2 Sections

Abstract: An abstract not exceeding 250 words (for Short Communications between 60 and 80 words) should be provided typed on a separate sheet. Abstract should be structured one include aims, methods, results and conclusion.

Keywords: Up to 4-6 keywords must be provided in alphabetical order. These keywords should be typed at the end of the abstract.

1.3 Introduction

It should be a concise statement of the background to the work presented, including relevant earlier work, suitably referenced. It should be started in a separate page after keywords.

1.4 Materials and Methods

It shall be started as a continuation to introduction on the same page. All important materials and equipments, the manufacturer’s name and, if possible, the location should be provided. The main methods used shall be briefly described, citing references. New methods or substantially modified methods may be described in sufficient detail. The statistical method and the level of significance chosen shall be clearly stated.

1.5 Results

The important results of the work should be clearly stated and illustrated where necessary by tables and figures. The statistical treatment of data and significance level of the factors should be stated wherever necessary.

1.6 Discussion

The discussion should deals with the interpretation of results, making the readers to understanding of the problem taken and should be logical. The scope of the results, which need to be further explored, could also be dealt.

1.7 Conclusions

Concisely summarizes the principal conclusions of the work and highlights the wider implications. This section should not merely duplicate the abstract.

1.8 Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements as well as information regarding funding sources may be provided.

1.9 References

Citations of literature within the text must be presented in numerical order and should be set in superscript. The cited literature are also collected in numerical order at the end of the manuscript under the heading “References”. Titles of journals should be abbreviated according to Vancouver style’. Only the papers and books that have been published or in press may be cited. Please give the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) if the paper is not yet in print. Please note that website addresses must not be included as a reference, but should be inserted in the text directly after the information to which they refer. Please note the following examples.

Journals:

Billa N, Yuen KH, Peh KK. Drug Dev Ind Pharm 1998;24:45-50.

Wild S, Roj G, Green A, Sicree R, King H. Global prevalence of diabetes, estimates for the year 2000 and projections for 2030. Diabetes Care 2004; 27: 1047–1053.

Books:

Morgan, E., Chemometrics-Experimental Design, Wiley, Chichester 1991.

Myers, R.H., Montgomery, D., Response Surface Methodology, Wiley, New York 1995.

Chapter in a book:

Brown, M.B., Traynor, M.J., Martin, G.P., Akomeah, F.K., in: Jain, K.K., Walker, J.M. (Eds.), Drug Delivery Systems, Humana Press, USA 2008, pp. 119-140.

Crowther, J.B., in: Ahuja, S., Scypinski, S. (Eds.), Handbook of Modern Pharmaceutical Analysis, Academic Press, New York 2001, pp. 415-443.

1.10 Tables

Should each be typed on a separate page, numbered in sequence with the body of the text. Tables should be headed with a short, descriptive caption. They should be formatted with horizontal lines only: vertical ruled lines are not required. Footnotes to tables should be indicated with a), b), c) etc. and typed on the same page as the table.

1.11 Figures

Should be on separate pages but not inserted within the text. All figures must be referred to in the text and numbered with Arabic numerals in the sequence in which they are cited. Each figure must be accompanied by a legend explaining in detail the contents of the figure and are to be typed under the figures. Graphs and bar graphs should preferably be prepared using Microsoft Excel and submitted as Excel graph pasted in Word. Figures should be in JPEG or GIF format not exceeding 4MB size. Authors should review the images of such files on a computer screen before submitting them to be sure they meet their own quality standards. For x-ray films, scans, and other diagnostic images, as well as pictures of pathology specimens or photomicrographs, send sharp, glossy, black-and-white or color photographic prints, usually 127 x 173 mm (5 x 7 inches). Letters, numbers, and symbols on figures should therefore be clear and consistent throughout, and large enough to remain legible when the figure is reduced for publication. Photomicrographs should have internal scale markers. Symbols, arrows, or letters used in photomicrographs should contrast with the background. Photographs of potentially identifiable people must be accompanied by written permission to use the photograph. Figures should be numbered consecutively according to the order in which they have been cited in the text. If a figure has been published previously, acknowledge the original source and submit written permission from the copyright holder to reproduce the figure.

2. Review Articles

The prescribed word count is up to 4000 words excluding tables, references and abstract. The manuscript may have about 50 to 60 references. The manuscript should have an abstract (250 words) representing an accurate summary of the article. The section titles would depend upon the topic reviewed. Authors submitting review manuscripts should include a section describing the methods used for locating, selecting, extracting, and synthesizing data. These methods should also be summarized in the abstract.

3. Case Reports

New, interesting and rare cases can be reported. They should be unique in providing a learning opportunity for the readers. Cases with clinical implications will be given priority. These communications could be of up to 1500 words (excluding Abstract and references) and should have the following headings: Abstract, Key-words, Introduction, Case report, Discussion, Reference, Tables and figures. This could be supported with up 6-8 references. Case Reports could be authored by up to four authors.

4. Letters to the Editor

These should be short and decisive observations. They should preferably be related to articles previously published in the Journal or views expressed in the journal. The letter could have up to 750 words and 4-6 references. It could be generally authored by not more than four authors.

5. Short Communications

The manuscript could be of up to 1000 words (excluding references and abstract) and could be supported with up 6 to 8 references.

6. Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest exists if authors or their institutions have financial or personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence (bias) their actions. A conflict can be actual or potential, and full disclosure to the Editor is absolute requirement. All submissions must include disclosure of all relationships that could be viewed as presenting a potential conflict of interest. All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence (bias) their work. If there are no conflicts of interest, authors should state so.

7. Article Proofs

Galley proofs will be sent (e-mail attachment) to the corresponding author as a PDF file. Galley proofs are considered to be the final version of the manuscript. They must be carefully checked and returned the revised manuscript within 2 days of the receipt. With the exception of typographical or minor clerical errors, no changes will be made in the manuscript at the proof stage. Because IJBR will be published freely online to attract a wide audience, authors will have free electronic access to the full text of the article. Authors can freely download the PDF file from which they can print unlimited copies of their articles.

8. Authorship Criteria

Authorship credit should be based only on substantial contributions to each of the three components mentioned below:

  • Concept and design of study or acquisition of data or analysis and interpretation of data;
  • Drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and
  • Final approval of the version to be published.

9. Peer Review Process

Only manuscripts of high relevance and suitability will enter into the peer review process, which will be conducted by internationally known experts in the field, and will aim to ensure that all published manuscripts provide new scientific knowledge. Authors may suggest that specific individuals be or not be involved as reviewers, but the final decision of acceptance or rejection rests with the editorial board.

On submission, a manuscript is evaluated by the particular Editor. If that Editor is unable to handle the manuscript, it is sent to an author's second or third choice Editor. If a manuscript does not meet the general criteria for publication, it will be returned to the authors without being peer reviewed, typically within one week. Before making such a decision, an Editor might discuss a paper with an editorial colleague to seek a second opinion. Otherwise, manuscripts are sent to two or three reviewers, who are requested to complete their review within two weeks. The Editors reach decisions on papers sent for peer review usually within four weeks of their submission date.

There are several types of decisions possible:

  • Accept in principle
  • Minor revision
  • Major revision
  • Reject

If revisions are needed, we allow 1-3 month for a revised manuscript to be resubmitted (unless an author has specific reasons for requesting an extension). Articles that are resubmitted after this time are considered as new submissions.

10. Copyrights

Authors are asked to sign a warranty and copyright agreement upon acceptance of their manuscript, before the manuscript can be published. The Copyright form can be downloaded from the website. Submission of your paper to this journal implies that the paper is not under submission for publication elsewhere. Material which has been previously copyrighted, published, or accepted for publication will not be considered for publication in this journal. Submission of a manuscript is interpreted as a statement of certification that no part of the manuscript is copyrighted by any other publisher nor is under review by any other formal publication. By submitting your manuscript to us, you agree to IJBR Publications copyright guidelines. It is your responsibility to ensure that your manuscript does not cause any copyright infringements, defamation, and other problems. Submitted papers are assumed to contain no proprietary material unprotected by patent or patent application; responsibility for technical content and for protection of proprietary material rests solely with the author(s) and their organizations and is not the responsibility of the IJBR or its Editorial Staff. The main author is responsible for ensuring that the article has been seen and approved by all the other authors. It is the responsibility of the author to obtain all necessary copyright release permissions for the use of any copyrighted materials in the manuscript prior to the submission.

11. Withdrawal of Submission

Generally, you can withdraw your submission at any time.

1. If you decide to withdraw your submission at review stage without obtaining the comments from reviewers, you can send us an E-mail to request the withdrawal of your manuscript without assigning any reason. After receiving a confirmation E-mail from the journal, you can submit your work elsewhere.

2. If you decide to withdraw your submission at review or editing stage with the comments from reviewers (e.g., in major revision or minor revision stage), you can send us an E-mail to request the withdrawal of your manuscript without assigning any reason. However, we would appreciate it if you would give the reasons for the withdrawal. After receiving a confirmation E-mail from the journal, you can submit your work elsewhere.

12. Journal Ethics

Journal is committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical behavior at all stages of publication. We strictly adhere to the industry associations such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), that set standards and provide guidelines for best practices in order to meet these requirements. Our specific policies regarding duplicate publication, conflict of interest, patient consent, etc., Please visit the editor guidelines

13. Plagiarism

Plagiarism may be on the rise due to increasing access to research articles via the internet, the ease of use of the copy-and-paste function, and mounting pressure to publish frequently and in high-impact journals to achieve tenure and obtain grants. However, the theft of ideas is also being detected more than ever due to heightened awareness in academia. Peer reviewers familiar with the scholarly literature may notice data or wording similar to previously published work and alert the journal. Differences in writing style or fluency within a single manuscript or the inclusion of seemingly irrelevant ideas, which were copied along with more pertinent material, may additionally flag a paper as potentially plagiarized. Moreover, our academic journal have begun using plagiarism detection tools, to compare submissions with large databases of published articles. If Plagiarism is noted, the article will be rejected.

14. Publication Cost

The manuscripts published are available online and as print version. Since the journal is Open access, the publication cost should be covered by the author, author’s institution or research funds.

Now you can download the PDF version of authors guidelines here...