Journal profile · Biochemical Research Methods
Journal of Microbiological Methods
ISSN 0167-7012 · eISSN 1872-8359 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Monthly · Founded 1983
Journal of Microbiological Methods: CAS Zone 4 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.51; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,120; median 102 days to acceptance (118 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 62.5%; 234 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Microbiological Methods is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 4 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology, Bacteriophages and microbial interactions and Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing, together about 22.1% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Microbiological Methods publishes Research, Review and Short Communication articles on novel, state-of-the-art, and significantly improved methodologies in microbiology. Innovative, validated applications of existing methods that advance the field are also welcome. JMM considers research on all types of microorganisms including protozoa, fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Data must clearly support method interpretation and utility.The scope includes, but is not limited to:
· Environmental, Agricultural & Ecological Microbiology: Applied and environmental microbiology, microbial ecology and diversity, soil/sediment/geomicrobiology, microbiomes, rumen microbiology, and methods for extreme environments including space missions.
· Genetics, Molecular & Cellular Microbiology: Microbial genetics, genomics, molecular microbiology, physiology, ultrastructure, imaging, high-throughput sequencing, omics technologies (metabolomics, metagenomics, proteomics, transcriptomics), bioinformatics, and mathematical modeling.
· Clinical, Medical, Veterinary & Public Health Microbiology: Diagnostics, clinical and veterinary microbiology, public health, vaccine development, sero-diagnostics, immunology, typing, and microbial identification.
· Microbial Interactions & Pathogenesis: Host-pathogen interactions, microbiome interactions, plant-microbe relationships, parasitology, and mycology.
· Virology: Innovative approaches for virus detection, isolation, quantification, and characterization, including molecular techniques, cell culture assays, viral genomics, imaging technologies, and high-throughput screening methods.
· Technological Advances & Method Development: Bioassays, biosensors biochemical methods, sampling techniques, robotics, and radioisotope applications in microbiology.
· Food Microbiology: Studies on the role of microorganisms in food production, preservation, spoilage, and foodborne illnesses.
· Industrial Microbiology: Explores the industrial applications of microorganisms, such as in the production of pharmaceuticals, enzymes, and biofuels.
· Mathematical modelling, computer science, and artificial intelligence techniques.We invite proposals for review articles and special issues on emerging microbiological methods driving scientific progress.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biochemical Research Methods
Editor-in-chief Volker GurtlerPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United States 22, Canada 8, India 6, Japan 4, Australia 3 (53 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Microbial Community Ecology and PhysiologyEnvironmental Science7.6%
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactionsEnvironmental Science7.4%
- Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility TestingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.1%
- Genomics and Phylogenetic StudiesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology6.2%
- Salmonella and Campylobacter epidemiologyAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.1%
- Biosensors and Analytical DetectionEngineering4.8%
- Mycobacterium research and diagnosisMedicine4.5%
- Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biochemical Research Methods | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biochemical Research Methods | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Biochemical Research Methods | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 2.51LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.52LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.69LetPub ·
- h-index
- 120LetPub ·
- h-index
- 183OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 4,452OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.85OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 24.35%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 214LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 7,631 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 283 | 77 | 95 |
| 2025 | 234 | 74 | 403 |
| 2024 | 133 | 56 | 702 |
| 2023 | 145 | 54 | 948 |
| 2022 | 177 | 68 | 1,553 |
| 2021 | 197 | 67 | 2,317 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
102 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 69 days – 165 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (118 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 108 days
- Sample
- 118 articles with submission and acceptance dates (537 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 62.5%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 1 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 39 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 86 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,120 / EUR 2,920 / GBP 2,500 / JPY 386,970 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,230 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 1,000 words
- Reference style
- Vancouver
Article types accepted7
- research articleResearch Articles: Full-length Research Articles are complete reports of original, scientifically sound research. They must contribute new knowledge and be orga…Length not stated
- research articlesResearch Articles: Full-length Research Articles are complete reports of original, scientifically sound research. They must contribute new knowledge and be orga…Length not stated
- reviewResearch Articles: Full-length Research Articles are complete reports of original, scientifically sound research. They must contribute new knowledge and be orga…Length not stated
- review articleResearch Articles: Full-length Research Articles are complete reports of original, scientifically sound research. They must contribute new knowledge and be orga…Length not stated
- review articlesReview Articles: Review articles provide a critical analysis of existing research on a specific topic or methodology of high interest. Reviews must include all …Length not stated
- short communicationResearch Articles: Full-length Research Articles are complete reports of original, scientifically sound research. They must contribute new knowledge and be orga…Length not stated
- short communicationsShort Communications: A presentation of brief observations that do not warrant full-length papers, e.g. brief descriptions of novel apparatus or techniques.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
single anonymized review Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
preprint sharing allowed Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1983
- ISSN
- 0167-7012
- Electronic ISSN
- 1872-8359
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Microbiological Methods
What CAS zone is Journal of Microbiological Methods in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Microbiological Methods is in Zone 4 of Biology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Biochemical Research Methods / Microbiology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Microbiological Methods?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.51; CiteScore 3.8, h-index 183.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Microbiological Methods?
Based on the dates recorded on 118 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 102 days (interquartile range 69–165 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 62.5%”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Journal of Microbiological Methods?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 1,000 words; Reference style: Vancouver. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Journal of Microbiological Methods based?
Of the 53 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (22), Canada (8) and India (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Microbiological Methods?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Microbiological Methods is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Journal of Microbiological Methods open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Microbiological Methods is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,120.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-24). Last updated: .