Get your Journal of Bacteriology paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
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Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 17 August, 2026
Submitting to Journal of Bacteriology goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Journal of Bacteriology guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Journal of Bacteriology. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the Journal of Bacteriology journal page before you draft.
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the Journal of Bacteriology guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the Journal of Bacteriology guide for authors before you submit.
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through the journal's submission system.
| Element | J Bacteriology requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Research Articles: Structured two-part abstract with 'Abstract' and 'Importance' headings. Abstract section limited to 250 words (concise summary without extensive experimental details). Importance section limited to 120 words (nontechnical explanation of significance). Minireviews: Unstructured abstract limited to 250 words. Commentaries: Unstructured abstract limited to 75 words. Matters Arising: Includes Abstract and Importance sections, word limits not specified but article should not exceed 1,200 words total |
| Main text | Research Articles: No main text word limit specified (only Abstract limited to 250 words and Importance to 120 words). Minireviews: 6,000 words exclusive of references. Commentaries: 4,000 words exclusive of references. Matters Arising: Should not exceed 1,200 words |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Not requested (keywords are not mentioned in the official author guidelines) |
| References | Numbered citation-sequence reference system (references numbered in order cited, parenthetically by number in text). Journal names abbreviated according to PubMed Journals Database (ASM style). All authors listed (no et al. abbreviation in reference list). EndNote style available at ASM journals site. Format-neutral at initial submission; ASM style required at revision |
| Peer review | Single-anonymized (also known as single-masked or single-blind): reviewer identity is not visible to the author, identity is visible to the reviewer |
| Submission | asm.chronoshub.io/app/submission?journal=jb |
Read the Journal of Bacteriology guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to Journal of Bacteriology in under a page.
Skim two or three recent J Bacteriology papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the Journal of Bacteriology journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Journal of Bacteriology guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.