Guide for authors

To ensure a smooth and efficient publication process, please review the following guidelines before submitting your manuscript.

1. Manuscript Types

Applied Biofilm Science accepts the following types of articles:

• Original Research: Full-length reports of novel, fully realized research (Max: 6,000 words, excluding references).

• Review Articles: Comprehensive, authoritative, and critical reviews of specific topics within the journal's scope (Max: 8,000 words).

• Short Communications: Brief reports of significant, time-sensitive findings (Max: 2,500 words, up to 3 figures/tables).

• Methodology Papers: Detailed descriptions of new or significantly improved techniques for studying biofilms (Max: 4,000 words).

2. General Formatting Rules

All submissions must be prepared in English and submitted as a single editable document (Microsoft Word .docx or LaTeX).

• Document Setup: Use a standard 12-point font (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial), double-spacing throughout, and standard 1-inch (2.5 cm) margins.

• Line and Page Numbers: Include continuous line numbering and page numbers to facilitate the peer-review process.

• Nomenclature: Use standard binomial nomenclature for microorganisms. Genus and species names must be italicized (e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The genus name should be spelled out on the first use and abbreviated thereafter (e.g., P. aeruginosa).

3. Manuscript Structure

Original Research articles should strictly follow the IMRAD structure:

• Title Page: Must include a concise, informative title, the full names of all authors, their institutional affiliations, and contact information for the corresponding author.

• Abstract: A structured summary (maximum 250 words) broken into: Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.

• Keywords: Provide 5 to 7 keywords to assist with search engine optimization and indexing.

• Introduction: Clearly state the background, the scientific problem, and the specific objectives of the study.

• Materials and Methods: Provide sufficient technical detail to allow the work to be reproduced. For studies involving food or clinical samples, explicitly detail the origin and handling protocols.

• Results: Present your findings clearly and concisely. Do not duplicate data in the text that is already presented in tables or figures.

• Discussion: Interpret the results, place them in the context of existing literature, and explicitly address how these findings apply to the continuum between environmental/food environments and human health.

• Conclusion: A brief summary of the main findings and their broader implications.

• Data Availability Statement: A short statement detailing where the underlying data for the research can be accessed.

• References: Use the Numbered (Vancouver) style. References should be numbered consecutively in the order they appear in the text using bracketed numbers (e.g., [1, 2]).

4. Figures and Tables

• Placement: Figures and tables can be embedded in the manuscript text near their first mention, or placed at the end of the document.

• Resolution: High-resolution image files (minimum 300 dpi for photos, 600 dpi for line art) in TIFF, EPS, or high-quality JPEG formats will be required upon acceptance.

• Captions: Every figure and table must have a standalone, descriptive caption. The reader should be able to understand the visual without referring back to the main text.

5. Ethics and Authorship

• Authorship: All listed authors must have made a significant scientific contribution to the research, drafted or revised the manuscript, and approved the final version.

• Conflicts of Interest: Authors must declare any financial or non-financial conflicts of interest that could be perceived to influence the research.

• Originality: Manuscripts are submitted with the understanding that they have not been published elsewhere and are not under consideration by another journal. All submissions undergo automated plagiarism screening.

The Peer-Review Process

Applied Biofilm Science employs a rigorous single-anonymized (single-blind) peer-review process, meaning the reviewers know the identities of the authors, but the authors do not know the identities of the reviewers.

Our goal is to provide a first decision within 30 days of submission.

1. Editorial Triage: Upon submission, the Editor-in-Chief evaluates the manuscript for scope, novelty, and formatting. Manuscripts that fall outside the journal's scope or lack scientific rigor may be rejected at this stage without peer review (desk rejection).

2. Reviewer Assignment: Manuscripts passing triage are assigned to an Associate Editor, who invites at least two independent, external experts in the specific domain of biofilm research to evaluate the work.

3. Review Criteria: Reviewers evaluate the manuscript based on:

   • Originality and significance of the findings.

   • Methodological rigor and reproducibility.

   • Clarity of presentation.

   • Relevance to the journal's applied, cross-disciplinary focus.

4. Editorial Decision: Based on the reviewers' reports, the handling editor will make one of the following decisions:

   • Acceptance: The manuscript is accepted as is.

   • Minor Revisions: The authors are asked to make small corrections or clarifications.

   • Major Revisions: The authors must perform significant rework, potentially including new experiments, before the paper can be reconsidered.

   • Rejection: The manuscript does not meet the journal's standards for publication.

Once accepted, manuscripts move into our rapid production track and are published online ahead of inclusion in a formal issue.