Get your Journal of Clinical Microbiology paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
4.2
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 17 August, 2026
Submitting to Journal of Clinical Microbiology goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Journal of Clinical Microbiology 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 Clinical Microbiology. 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 Clinical Microbiology 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 Clinical Microbiology 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 Clinical Microbiology 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 Clin Microbiol requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured abstract with word limits by article type: - Research Articles: maximum 250 words - Minireviews: maximum 250 words - Commentaries: maximum 250 words - Point-Counterpoint: editor's introduction limited to 200 words; no abstract for expert commentaries - Brief Case, Photo Quiz, Letters to the Editor: no abstract required Abstracts should summarize content without extensive details, be able to stand alone, and avoid abbreviations, references, and diagrams unless essential |
| Main text | Main text word limits by article type (manuscripts will not be rejected based solely on word count): - Research Articles: 3,000 words, exclusive of the abstract, Materials and Methods, references, tables, and figure legends - Minireviews: 6,000 words, exclusive of tables, figures, photographs, and references - Commentaries: 6,000 words, exclusive of tables, figures, photographs, and references - Brief Case: 500 words for case presentation summary, followed by 800-1,100 words discussion - Photo Quiz: 300 words for presentation, 300 words for answer - Letters to the Editor: 500 words, exclusive of references - Point-Counterpoint: editor's introduction limited to 200 words; commentary from each expert limited to 1,000 words - 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 | Keywords are included in Research Articles but the official author guidelines do not specify an exact count requirement. Published research articles typically contain 3-4 keywords. Commentaries and some other article types do not include keywords |
| References | ASM style: numbered in sequential order (citation-sequence reference system). References are cited parenthetically by number in the text. Use abbreviated form of citation, omitting the article title. Example format: Author(s). Year. Journal title Volume:pages. DOI preferred for online articles |
| Peer review | Single-anonymized (also known as single-blind). Reviewers know the author's identity, but authors do not know the reviewer's identity. Reviewer and author identities are visible to the decision-making editor |
| Submission | asm.chronoshub.io/app/submission?journal=jcm |
Read the Journal of Clinical Microbiology 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 Clinical Microbiology in under a page.
Skim two or three recent J Clin Microbiol 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 Clinical Microbiology journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Journal of Clinical Microbiology guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.