Publication Guide
The Microbiology Society is the definitive UK learned society for microbiology and one of the most respected society publishers in the life sciences. Founded on 16 February 1945 as the Society for General Microbiology (SGM) - with Alexander Fleming among its early presidents - it adopted its current name in 2015. It has published journals since 1947 and today supports thousands of members worldwide as a membership charity: every pound of publishing surplus is reinvested in grants, conferences, and professional development for microbiologists.
Unlike the large commercial houses, the Society publishes a deliberately compact portfolio of seven titles hosted on microbiologyresearch.org. If your paper is in microbiology, virology, medical microbiology, prokaryotic systematics, or microbial genomics, one of these journals is likely on your shortlist. This guide covers how to choose among them, what each publishes, open-access routes and APCs, peer review, and how to submit.
Which Microbiology Society journal fits your paper?
| You're most likely to... | Choose this journal |
|---|---|
| Have a broad-scope study in bacterial or fungal physiology, genetics, or ecology | Microbiology - the Society's flagship since 1947 (as Journal of General Microbiology until 1994); now a fully open-access journal listed in DOAJ. |
| Work on viruses of animals, plants, fungi, or bacteria | Journal of General Virology (JGV) - long-standing virology venue; hybrid OA. |
| Have clinically oriented work on pathogens, diagnostics, or antimicrobial resistance | Journal of Medical Microbiology (JMM) - hybrid OA, clinical and translational scope. |
| Be describing or reclassifying a prokaryotic taxon | International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology (IJSEM) - the official journal of record for naming new prokaryotic species under the ICNP; hybrid OA. |
| Have large-scale genomic, metagenomic, or bioinformatic work on microbes | Microbial Genomics (MGen) - fully open access (Gold), CC BY. |
| Want a sound-science venue for replication studies, case reports, negative results, or early work | Access Microbiology - fully open access with an open-research, transparent peer-review model and the portfolio's lowest APC. |
| Want to publish an invited-style review or perspective | Microbiology Outlooks - the Society's newest reviews-focused title; check its scope page before submitting. |
What the Microbiology Society publishes
Seven peer-reviewed titles, all society-owned:
- Microbiology - the flagship, covering all aspects of microbial life; published since 1947.
- Journal of General Virology - fundamental and applied virology.
- Journal of Medical Microbiology - medical, dental, and veterinary microbiology.
- IJSEM - systematic and evolutionary microbiology; the naming authority for prokaryotes.
- Microbial Genomics - fully OA genomics and data-driven microbiology.
- Access Microbiology - fully OA open-research platform for sound science across the discipline.
- Microbiology Outlooks - reviews and perspectives, the newest addition to the portfolio.
Open access and APCs
The Society offers Gold, hybrid, and Green routes, plus fee-free publishing through Publish and Read deals - a consortium model the Society helped pioneer among society publishers.
| Route | What it covers | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|
| Gold OA (fully-OA titles) | Microbiology, Microbial Genomics, Access Microbiology - CC BY default | ~£2,200 (Microbiology, MGen); from ~£997 (Access Microbiology) |
| Hybrid OA | JGV, JMM, IJSEM - per-article OA option | Typically ~£2,000 - £2,500; see the journal's price page |
| Publish and Read | Institutional deals covering both reading and OA publishing fees | £0 to the author if your institution participates |
| Green (self-archiving) | Accepted-manuscript deposit per journal policy | Free |
APCs are set in GBP and revised periodically - always confirm on the journal's current price list before submitting. Corresponding authors at hundreds of Publish and Read institutions pay no APC at all; check the Society's participating-institutions list or ask your librarian. Waiver and discount requests from authors in low- and middle-income countries are considered case by case.
Peer review
- Default model: single-anonymized peer review, run by active-researcher editorial boards.
- Access Microbiology operates an open-research model with transparent review, publishing reviewer reports alongside articles.
- IJSEM applies additional nomenclature checks, since valid publication of prokaryotic names under the ICNP happens through the journal.
- Turnaround: as a small society publisher, times vary by title and season - typically several weeks to a few months to first decision.
How to submit
- Pick the journal using the decision table above and read its scope statement on microbiologyresearch.org.
- Follow the author guidelines - each title has its own preparation and data-availability requirements; the Society uses its own numbered citation style.
- Format your manuscript with the journal's template on SciSpace to match the guidelines.
- Submit via the journal's online submission system (ScholarOne for most titles - confirm on the journal's submit page, as platforms have been migrating across the industry).
- Check Publish and Read eligibility before paying any APC - if your institution has a deal, OA publication is free to you.
Ethics and integrity
The Society is a member of COPE and follows its guidelines on misconduct, corrections, and retractions, and is a signatory of DORA-aligned responsible-assessment practice. IJSEM's role as the journal of record for prokaryotic nomenclature adds a formal validation layer unique in publishing. As a charity, the Society is transparent that publishing revenue funds its community programmes rather than shareholder returns.
