Instructions for Authors
Background and Scope of the Journal
Background
The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy was founded in 1975 by the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC) as part of its mission to facilitate the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in the field of antimicrobial chemotherapy. Proceeds from the Journal are used by the BSAC to further these objectives. Articles are published continuously online in JAC Advance Access and assembled into monthly printed and online issues. The Journal has an Impact Factor of 5.071 (2016).
Aims
The Journal publishes articles that further knowledge and advance the science and application of antimicrobial chemotherapy with antibiotics and antifungal, antiviral and antiprotozoal agents. The Journal publishes primarily in human medicine, and articles in veterinary medicine likely to have an impact on global health.
Scope
The Journal particularly welcomes manuscripts on:
•the practice of evidence-based medicine relating to antimicrobials (clinical trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses)
•antimicrobial treatment (pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and prescribing practices)
•the action of antimicrobial agents and the mechanisms, genetics and epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance
•antimicrobial stewardship
•the genetic basis of antimicrobial resistance
In addition, the Journal is very keen to publish articles that:
•offer evidence-based synthesis of knowledge and data useful for clinical practice
•analyse, reflect and comment on the current state of the art and practice
•consolidate our knowledge of antimicrobial agents and their use
•consider the future of antimicrobial chemotherapy
The Journal will consider publishing articles on:
•new approaches to improving antimicrobial chemotherapy
•new compounds provided evidence is offered of selective antimicrobial activity and comparative cytotoxicity data
•previously unreported antimicrobial activity relating to a marketed drug product but such studies must take into account the exposure to the drug that can be safely achieved with clinically acceptable doses
•articles reporting the activity of bacteriophages
The Journal will not usually consider publishing material on:
•the chemical synthesis or characterization of compounds. These are better suited to chemistry journals.
•the use and activity of biocides or disinfectants. These require specialist methodology and are generally better suited to more specialist journals.
•the process of turning antimicrobials into a medication i.e. pharmaceutics. These are better suited to a pharmacy journal
•drug stability studies
•naturally occurring substances or extracts that exhibit antimicrobial activity but for which no specific active ingredient has been chemically defined
Authors who are unsure about whether their intended submission meets the aims and scope of the Journal are welcome to contact directly the Editor-in-Chief ( jac@bsac.org.uk).
Open Access
Authors can choose open access publication, otherwise journal articles are typically available only to subscribers for 12 months from the month of publication in print and online. Thereafter, all articles are freely available online. This balances the desire for broad access to research with the need to retain revenue for the Journal. JAC is compliant with the NIH funding mandate.
Acceptance rate and processing times
There are almost four times the number of submissions to the Journal than it can accommodate. Hence the rejection rate is high and is likely to remain so. Articles that are not judged to meet the aims and scope of the Journal, or which are judged from the beginning to be unlikely to achieve high enough priority for publication, will be returned to the authors without external peer review. All remaining submissions will be subjected to peer review as rapidly as possible. Our aim is to keep the time from submission to first decision within 4–6 weeks. Once accepted, the time from acceptance to publication online ahead of print is also around 4-5 weeks.
Appeals
Authors wishing to lodge an appeal against a decision can do so by contacting the Senior Editor responsible for the decision directly and by copying in the Editorial Office.
Editorial Office Contact Information
The contact details for the JAC Editorial Office are as follows:
Griffin House
53 Regent Place
Birmingham
B1 3NJ
UK
Tel: +44 121 262 1830
E-mail: jac@bsac.org.uk
Processing of Papers
Where to submit
All material to be considered for publication should be submitted in electronic form via the Journal's online submission system.
Given that you can produce a file of your paper through a word processing package of some description, you only need the three following items to access and use the system: access to the website via a web browser, Adobe Acrobat Reader (which can be downloaded free of charge from Adobe) and an e-mail account. For more guidance see the section Online Submission Details.
Authors must comply with the stipulations in the Instructions to Authors. Signed submission forms will only be requested once an article has received a revision decision. The Editorial Office will supply an article-specific template to the Corresponding author shortly after the revision decision has been made. Please note that should any authors be removed between versions of an article, we will require evidence that these authors have agreed to the removal of their names.
Article types and format
All documents should be double spaced, and the margins should not be excessively wide. A clear, legible single font (which is readily available internationally) and point size should be employed throughout. For symbols, please use the 'insert symbol' function and ONLY select characters from the 'normal text' subset. All submitted articles should be line numbered (using continuous line numbers). To do this in Word, use File, Page Setup, Layout, Line Numbers and select continuous line numbering. Please DO NOT insert page numbers (as the pdf proof created by the online submission system will automatically be page numbered).
All articles should include a title page comprising: article title; author names and their affiliations (each affiliation address must be given separately and in full); telephone, fax and e-mail contact details for the corresponding author; and a short running title. In addition, all articles must include a Funding section (if reporting original research) and a Transparency declarations section.
Article titles. All articles reporting the results of original research must have a descriptive title. For example ‘Effect of streptomycin in tuberculosis’ is acceptable; ‘Streptomycin cures tuberculosis’ is not acceptable. Viewpoints, which are expressions of opinion, are permitted to have declarative titles. Please note that claims of priority are not permitted in article titles as such claims are impossible to verify; only history will reveal the first example. For instance ‘First NDM-1 Escherichia coli isolated in Andorra’ would not be permitted. Authors are permitted to indicate in the article that, to the best of their knowledge, a finding is the first of its kind.
Original articles and Brief reports must have a structured synopsis. The headings for the structured synopsis are as follows: Background (optional), Objectives, Patients and methods (or Methods), Results, and Conclusions.
Original articles . There is a limit of 3500 words in the main text of the article (everything from the Introduction to the end of the Discussion). Papers must be written as concisely as possible. Original articles are divided into the following sections: Synopsis (250 words maximum), Introduction, Materials (or Patients) and methods, Results, Discussion, Acknowledgements, Funding, Transparency declarations and References. Repetition of content between sections must be avoided. A combined Results and Discussion section is acceptable.
Brief reports . These should have the same format as Original articles, but should have no more than two figures/tables, should have a maximum of 20 references and should not exceed 1500 words of main text.
Correspondence . Letters on topics of concern or interest in the field of antimicrobial chemotherapy, particularly arising from papers or letters already published in the Journal. These should be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief and must not exceed 800 words, one figure or table and 10 references.
Case reports. JAC will publish Case reports that are of sufficient calibre and potential importance, and they should be submitted in the form of Correspondence (see above). Please note that patient anonymity MUST be preserved in Case reports (see the later section on Ethics approval and patient consent/privacy).
Systematic review articles. There is no length limit for this format. A systematic review, as defined by the Cochrane Handbook, is ‘A review of a clearly formulated question that uses systematic and explicit methods to identify, select, and critically appraise relevant research, and to collect and analyse data from the studies that are included in the review. Statistical methods (meta-analysis) may or may not be used to analyse and summarize the results of the included studies.’ They should include a structured synopsis (with appropriate headings; these may differ from the headings used for Original articles etc.).
Review articles . There is no length limit for this format. These generally aim to give an overview of a field suitable for a wide audience, and they should include a synopsis (250 words maximum). Most reviews are invited. We are pleased to consider unsolicited reviews, but authors are encouraged to consult the Editor-in-Chief in advance of writing to avoid duplicating commissioned material.
Viewpoint. These articles are usually in the region of 800-1000 words and may contain the expression of opinion as well as fact. They should address a topical subject, perhaps taking a particular viewpoint and throwing new light on a current debate. A Viewpoint should include a short synopsis (150 words maximum) that should convey the topics and ideas the article covers. Those wishing to contribute a Viewpoint are encouraged to contact the Editor-in-Chief to discuss their ideas before writing to prevent clashes with any articles already in the pipeline.
For debate. These articles should air contentious issues or discuss controversies so as to stimulate discussion in the Journal on any given topic on antimicrobial chemotherapy. Articles should be as clear and concise as possible, consist of 800-2500 words and must be accompanied by an unstructured synopsis of up to 150 words.
The Editor-in-Chief particularly welcomes pairs of For debate articles offering two opposing viewpoints that aim to persuade readers of their cases. The two resultant articles will be published side by side in the same issue.
Those wishing to contribute a For debate article should first contact the Editor-in-Chief to discuss their ideas and secure a clear agreement before submission. Unsolicited For debate articles will not be considered.
Please note that on publication all Original articles and Brief reports, as well as Antimicrobial practice papers, will be published under the heading of Original research so that articles on similar topics can be grouped together when assigned to an issue. In addition each piece of Correspondence will be published as either a Research letter or a Letter to the Editor.
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