For Fellows

mBio® is published in association with the American Academy of Microbiology. AAM Fellows work with Editor in Chief Arturo Casadevall by serving as editors and reviewers for manuscripts submitted in their areas of expertise. AAM Fellows also are entitled to submit manuscripts via a special, accelerated submission path, with one published manuscript allowed per calendar year. These AAM Contributions are formatted as either Research Articles or Observations.

Submitting via this path does not guarantee acceptance. The editor still has the option of recommending modification or rejection. mBio's high standard of quality science applies to AAM Contributions, and they are expected to represent the top 10% of work in the field. [For more discussion on this, see the following editorials: A. Casadevall and R. J. Collier, Peer Review of Manuscripts Submitted Via the Academy Fellowship Track, mBio 2(3):e00075-11. doi:10.1128/mBio.00075-11 and A. Casadevall and T. Shenk, The Justification for the Academy Track in mBio, mBio 6(4):e01222-15. doi:10.1128/mBio.01222-15.] Papers cannot be "communicated" via the AAM Contribution path; AAM Fellows can only submit papers that they have authored or co-authored. Manuscripts that were previously rejected from the standard peer review path are not eligible for resubmission through the AAM Contribution path.

External reviewer names and institutions will be published with AAM Contributions. This change is intended to (1) increase transparency in the AAM track review process and (2) create a powerful incentive for authors to secure expert reviewers who are recognized in their fields as such and who have no conflict of interest in the review process. For more information about this policy, please see A. Casadevall and T. Shenk, The Justification for the Academy Track in mBio, mBio 6(4):e01222-15. doi:10.1128/mBio.01222-15. Reviewers are asked to acknowledge this policy on the external review form. If a reviewer does not wish to have their name published, the review cannot be considered and the AAM Fellow is advised to secure a different reviewer.

AAM Contribution Submission Steps

AAM Contribution

Step 1. Prepare your manuscript

  • All AAM Contributions must be prepared according to the mBio Instructions to Authors. AAM Contributions should be formatted as either a Research Article or an Observation.

Step 2. Obtain external reviews

  • Prior to submission, Fellows should obtain at least two reviews using the external review form. We recommend using Adobe or Adobe Reader when completing and viewing the form. The form should be completed in its entirety. All reviewers (including external reviewers) are expected to operate under the guidelines set forth in “Reviewer Guidelines”. Close scientific associations within the past three years, such as previous postdocs, graduate students, and recent collaborators, may be perceived as a conflict of interest and are not appropriate as reviewers. If used, the review may not be considered. Reviewers are asked to acknowledge that their names will be disclosed in the published article. If the reviewer does not wish to disclose their name, the review will not be considered.

Step 3. Modify your manuscript

  • Make any necessary modifications in response to the reviewers' comments, and note the point-by-point responses in a separate Response to Reviewer Comments file.

Step 4. Secure final approval from the external reviewers

  • Send the revised manuscript to the external reviewers and ask them to provide final approval (email will suffice).

Step 5. Submit AAM Contribution to mBio

  • Log into the mBio submission page.

  • Click the “Submit AAM Contribution” link.

  • Select one of the AAM Contribution article types.

  • Upload the manuscript files

  • Use the “Upload Files” tab to upload the cover letter, the Response to Reviewer Comments file, the revised manuscript files (source files, not a combined PDF), and any supplemental material files.

  • Indicate the Fellow and upload the external review files

The AAM Fellow must be an author on the manuscript but does not need to act as corresponding author. On the “AAM Fellow” tab, indicate which author is contributing the submission. If the AAM Fellow is not listed, contact mBio staff (mBio@asmusa.org); their account may not have the right permissions. If the AAM Fellow is listed but not clickable, then the Fellow may not be eligible (only one AAM Contribution is allowed per calendar year).

On the “External Reviewers” tab, provide the reviewer information, upload the external review forms, and upload the files showing that the reviewers have approved the final version of the manuscript (PDF copies of their email approval will suffice).

After Submission

After the manuscript is received by the journal, it is assigned to a member of the Board of Editors for disposition. The assigned mBio editor has the prerogative of deciding whether or not the submitted reviews should be considered. Although most manuscripts submitted by Fellows are expected to be approved, editors also have the option of recommending modification or rejection. However, AAM Contributions will not be subject to additional blind review.

Updated: July 2018