Submissions

Author Guidelines

Submission of Manuscripts – IJMBS

All manuscripts intended for publication in the (IJMBS) must be submitted electronically through the journal’s official website. Authors are required to create a personal user account prior to submission. Registration is free of charge and enables authors to securely track the progress of their manuscripts throughout the editorial and peer-review process. No fees are required for manuscript submission to IJMBS. Any applicable publication charges will be requested only after the manuscript has been formally accepted for publication. Manuscripts that do not comply with the journal’s Instructions for Authors will be returned to the corresponding author for technical revision before undergoing editorial screening or peer review. For technical assistance or inquiries related to the submission process, authors may contact the IJMBS editorial office through the official journal email. As a general requirement, authors should submit their manuscripts as separate files in accordance with the journal’s submission guidelines.

Submission Files

Authors submitting manuscripts to the  (IJMBS) are required to upload the following files separately. All files must be submitted in the specified formats and should not be compressed.

 

1. Title Page File

This file should include all author-identifying information, including:

• Manuscript type, full title, and short running title.
• Full names of all authors, academic degrees, designations, and institutional affiliations.
• ORCID ID for each author
• Statements on patient consent (where applicable), funding sources, acknowledgments, conflicts of interest, and prior or related submissions.
• Clinical trial registration details, if applicable.
• Full contact details of the corresponding author.

Accepted formats: DOC, DOCX, RTF
Compressed files are not permitted.

Authors are strongly encouraged to prepare their Title page file using the official IJMBS templates available in the Templates section of the journal website.

 

2. Blinded Article File

This file must not contain any information that identifies the authors or their institutions.

• Pages must be numbered consecutively.
• Author names, affiliations, and acknowledgments must be removed.

Accepted format: Microsoft Word

Compressed files are not permitted.

Authors are strongly encouraged to prepare their manuscript files using the official IJMBS templates available in the Templates section of the journal website.

 

3. Cover Letter File

A signed cover letter confirming authors’ approval, authorship eligibility, and the originality of the work must be uploaded as a PDF file.

Authors are strongly encouraged to prepare their covering Letter file using the official IJMBS templates available in the Templates section of the journal website.

Prepare Your Manuscript

The submission file must be in Microsoft Word format, double-spaced, using a Times New Roman 12-point font. Use italics rather than underlining.

1. Manuscript Components

Title

The manuscript title should be concise, clear, and informative. It must be written in bold, centered, using Times New Roman (14 pt). Capitalize the first letter of major words, avoid unnecessary abbreviations, and do not end the title with punctuation.

Authors

Author names should be provided only in the Title Page File. List authors using their first name (full or initial), optional middle initial, and full family name. Academic titles and degrees should not be included. Author names must be centered, and written in 12 pt Times New Roman.

Affiliations

Author affiliations should be listed only in the Title Page File and must include the Department, College/Faculty, Institution, City, and Country. An ORCID ID is mandatory for all authors.

Corresponding Author

The full name and official email address of the corresponding author should be provided in the Title Page File only. The corresponding author is responsible for all communication during the submission and peer-review process

Note: Following acceptance, author names and affiliations provided in the Title Page File will be incorporated into the final published version of the article.

Abstract and Keywords

Abstract

The abstract should be less than 250 words, and clearly summarize the study using a structured format that includes: background, objective, methodology, results, and conclusions. Abbreviations should be avoided unless essential.

Keywords

Include 5 - 7 relevant keywords or short phrases that reflect the core content of the manuscript.

 

Main Text

Introduction

The Introduction should clearly present the background and scientific context of the study, providing sufficient information to understand the research problem without extensive review of the literature. It should briefly outline the general background of the topic, summarize the current state of knowledge with reference to key and recent studies, and clearly identify any existing research gaps or unresolved issues. The rationale and significance of the study should be explicitly stated, and the section should conclude with a clear statement of the study objectives or hypothesis. The Introduction should not include detailed methodological descriptions, results, or conclusions, nor should it be written as a comprehensive literature review. This section is typically concise, comprising approximately 10–15% of the total manuscript and usually presented in 3–5 well-structured paragraphs, written in clear scientific English with appropriate and up-to-date references, while avoiding excessive citation of well-established facts.

Materials and Methods

The Materials and Methods section should describe the study design and experimental procedures in sufficient detail to allow reproducibility. It must include sample sources, experimental conditions, reagents, and instruments (with manufacturer details), controls, and statistical analysis. Previously published methods should be cited, and any modifications clearly stated. The section should be written in a clear, logical order and must not include results or data interpretation.

Results

• The Results section should present your findings clearly and concisely. Data must be reported in a logical order, supported by tables and figures included within the same manuscript file. All tables and figures should be numbered and referred to as )Table 1, Table 2, Figure 1, Figure 2, etc(. No deductions, interpretations, or discussion of the data should be included in this section. Include relevant statistical analyses and ensure all results directly relate to the study objectives.

 

• Tables must include descriptive titles above them
• Figures must include captions below them
• Only the first word of table and figure titles should be capitalized

Discussion

The discussion should interpret findings in relation to previous studies, highlight their scientific contribution, address limitations, and explain their relevance to the field.

Conclusion

The conclusion should briefly summarize the main findings, confirm achievement of the study objectives, and emphasize the contribution to scientific knowledge. Recommendations for future research and acknowledgment of limitations should also be included.

 

Acknowledgments

This section may include appreciation for technical assistance, institutional support, or individuals who contributed to the work but do not qualify for authorship.

Supplementary Material

Supplementary files may include extended datasets, detailed methods, additional figures, software codes, multimedia files, or expanded statistical analyses that support the main manuscript.

Statements to Declare

The following statements must be included before the References section and after Acknowledgments

 

1. Conflict of Interest:

All authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could influence the work. If there is no conflict, state:

“The authors declare no conflict of interest.”

If a conflict exists, clearly describe it. For example:

“Author X received funding from Company Y, which may be seen as a potential conflict of interest.”

2. Funding Source: Authors must provide the name and number (project no.) of any financial funding source.

If no funding were received

 (The authors declare that no external funding was obtained for this study)

3. 3. Ethical Approval: Required for work involving human or animal trials, from the relevant Institutional Ethical Committee, in addition to patient consents or their legal guardian where applicable.

Example

(Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the [Name of Ethics Committee] (Approval No. [Approval Number])

 

4. 4. Declaration of Generative AI Use

Authors must disclose the use of generative AI tools, specifying the tool, purpose, and confirming full author responsibility for the content. If no AI tools were used, this must be explicitly stated.

5. Author Contributions

Authors must specify their individual contributions using the CRediT taxonomy, such as conceptualization, methodology, data analysis, supervision, and writing. Each author’s name should be followed by their respective roles.

6. Consent for Publication (if applicable)

Required only if identifiable human data, patient images, or case reports are included.

Example: “Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this study

7. 7. Data Availability Statement

Authors must state whether the data supporting the results are publicly available, available on request, or not available. If data are available, provide the repository name, link or DOI, and any access restrictions. If not publicly available, explain why.

Example statements:

Publicly available:

“The data supporting this study are available at [Repository Name], [DOI/link].”

Available on request:

“The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.”

Restricted/unavailable:

“The data are not publicly available due to [ethical/privacy/confidentiality] restrictions.”

1. References and Data Presentation

References (Vancouver Style) – IJMBS

The Iraqi Journal of Microbiology and Biomedical Science (IJMBS) adopts the Vancouver referencing system.

In-text citation

References must be cited in the text using Arabic numerals in square brackets (e.g., [1], [2], [3]) and numbered consecutively in the order of first appearance. When a reference is cited more than once, the same number should be reused. Multiple references may be cited together as [2,5,7] or as a range [3–6].

Reference list

The reference list should appear at the end of the manuscript and be arranged in numerical order corresponding to the in-text citations.

General rules

• References must be complete and accurate.
• Include Year; Volume(Issue): Page range where applicable.
• Prefer recent and relevant sources (recommended: key references from the last 5 years, unless older sources are essential).
• For references with more than five authors, list the first five authors followed by et al.
• Journal titles must be abbreviated according to NLM/Medline standards.
• DOIs should be included when available.

Reference formats

1. A) Books and Book Chapters

Book: Author(s). Title of book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year.

Chapter in an edited book: Chapter author(s). Chapter title. In: Editor(s), editors. Book title. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher; Year. p. page–page.

1. B) Journal Articles

Author(s). Article title. Journal title (abbreviated). Year; Volume(Issue): page–page.

1. C) Electronic and Online Sources

Author(s). Title. Source. Year [cited YYYY Mon DD]. Available from: URL or DOI.

Tables

Tables must be self-explanatory, numbered sequentially (e.g., Table 1), and embedded within the manuscript text (DOCX format). Each table should have a concise title and, where necessary, explanatory footnotes.

Figures

Figures should be numbered consecutively (e.g., Figure 1). All figures must be included within the manuscript file and also submitted separately as high-resolution image files. Figure legends should be clear and informative.

 

Article Types

IJMBS publishes:

. Original Research Articles

Full-length manuscripts reporting novel and unpublished research in microbiology and biomedical sciences.

• Length: approximately 3,500–4,500 words (excluding abstract and references)
• Abstract: structured, up to 250 words
• References: up to 40
• Tables/Figures: up to 8

 

2. Short Communications / Case Reports

Brief reports describing unusual cases, new observations, or preliminary findings of scientific or clinical relevance.

• Length: up to 1,200 words (excluding abstract and references)
• Abstract: Unstructured, up to 200 words
• References: up to 15
• Tables/Figures: up to 3

 

3. Review Articles

Comprehensive and critical overviews of current knowledge, recent advances, and emerging trends.

• Length: approximately 4,000–5,000 words (excluding abstract and references)
• Abstract: Unstructured, up to 200 words
• References: normally up to 50
• Tables/Figures: included where they enhance clarity and synthesis

 

4. Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Evidence-based manuscripts conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, addressing focused research questions.

• Length: up to 5,000 words (excluding abstract and references)
• Abstract: Unstructured, up to 350 words
• References: as required by the scope of the review
• Tables/Figures: limited to essential and non-redundant data

 

5. Mini-Review Articles

Concise reviews focusing on specific or emerging topics, particularly in microbiology, infectious diseases, and public health.

• Length: up to 2,500 words (excluding abstract and references)
• Abstract: Unstructured, up to 150 words
• References: up to 25
• Tables/Figures: used selectively

 

6. Correspondence

Scholarly comments, discussions, or responses related to articles published in IJMBS.

• Length: up to 800 words
• Abstract: not required
• References: up to 8
• Tables/Figures: normally not included (maximum one, if necessary)

 

7. Editorials

Opinion or perspective articles addressing topical issues in microbiology and biomedical sciences.
Published by invitation only.

• Length: up to 1,500 words
• References: up to 15
• Tables/Figures: maximum one

 

8. Letters to the Editor

Brief communications presenting focused scientific opinions or responses to recently published articles.

• Length: up to 600 words
• Abstract: not required
• References: up to 10
• Tables/Figures: maximum one
• No subheadings
• Text should begin with “Dear Editor,”