The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is the definitive US professional society for infectious-disease physicians, scientists, and public-health practitioners. Founded in 1963 and based in Arlington, Virginia, it represents roughly 13,800 members across the United States and nearly 100 other countries. Unlike large commercial publishers, IDSA runs a small, focused journal program: three peer-reviewed titles, all published in partnership with Oxford University Press (OUP) and co-affiliated with the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA).

If you work in infectious diseases - clinical trials, antimicrobial resistance, HIV medicine, vaccinology, epidemiology, or translational microbiology - these journals are among the most visible venues in the field. This guide covers which IDSA journal fits your paper, the open-access options and charges, the peer-review process, and how to submit.

The three journals divide the field cleanly by study type rather than by subspecialty. Use the table below to pick your route.

3 peer-reviewed journals, all hosted on the Oxford Academic platform:

• Clinical Infectious Diseases (CID) - the flagship. Publishes clinically focused research: randomized trials, observational studies, diagnostics, and the IDSA practice guidelines that shape infectious-disease care worldwide.
• The Journal of Infectious Diseases (JID) - patient- and disease-focused translational research featuring a laboratory component: pathogenesis, immunology, microbiology, and vaccine science. 2025 Journal Impact Factor of 4.1.
• Open Forum Infectious Diseases (OFID) - Gold open access. Reviews methodological soundness rather than perceived novelty, making it a strong home for pragmatic clinical work, real-world evidence, and negative findings.

IDSA also issues clinical practice guidelines (most appear in CID), and its journals are closely tied to IDWeek, the society's annual meeting run with HIVMA, PIDS, and partner organizations.

Three things to know before budgeting:

• Read & Publish agreements. Because the journals are published by OUP, corresponding authors at institutions with an OUP transformative agreement can often publish OA at no direct cost. The qualifying institution must be your primary affiliation - check the ESAC registry or your library.
• No fee for the subscription route. CID and JID charge nothing to publish via the standard non-OA route.
• Waivers. APC waivers and discounts for authors in low- and middle-income countries follow OUP's developing-countries policy; confirm eligibility on the journal's site before submission.

All three journals use single-anonymized peer review: reviewers know the authors' identities, but reviewers remain anonymous. Original research and reviews typically receive at least two independent reviewers, with statistical review added where needed. Editorials and correspondence may be handled by editor-only review. OFID offers a FIDSA fast track - submissions from Fellows of IDSA receive expedited editorial decisions.

1. Pick the journal. Match your study type to CID (clinical), JID (translational/laboratory), or OFID (open access, soundness-based).
2. Read the instructions for authors. Each journal has its own guide on the Oxford Academic site.
3. Format your manuscript. IDSA journals use AMA-style numbered citations; templates for each journal are available on SciSpace.
4. Submit via Editorial Manager. All three journals use Editorial Manager (editorialmanager.com/cid, /jid, and /ofid).
5. Declare funding and conflicts. ICMJE-style disclosure forms are required from all authors.

IDSA's journals operate under Oxford University Press's publication-ethics framework, and OUP is a member of COPE and OASPA. The journals follow ICMJE recommendations, require trial registration for clinical trials, and handle corrections and retractions per COPE guidance. As the publisher of the field's leading practice guidelines, CID applies rigorous conflict-of-interest disclosure standards.