Publication policy

Publications of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) currently include Clinical Microbiology and Infection (CMI), Supplements to CMI, ESCMID News and the ESCMID website (www.escmid.org). This range of publications may be expanded in the future.

ESCMID pursues its mission to advance diagnosis, treatment and prevention in the fields of clinical microbiology and infectious diseases via publications concerning basic and applied research, and a website that makes available information from its annual congress, periodic conferences, educational and scientific workshops, study groups and summer school.

Clinical Microbiology and Infection
CMI is the official publication, in English, of ESCMID and publishes original research and material of an educational nature for the benefit of its readership. The Journal publishes peer-reviewed papers that present basic and applied research in the fields of clinical microbiology and infection (bacteriology, virology, mycology, parasitology, epidemiology and infection control, antimicrobial agents and therapeutics, immunology and vaccinology, and related subjects). Monthly issues maintain a balance between representation of the fields of clinical microbiology and infection. Beyond original research articles, the Journal also publishes CME articles as well as guidelines, position papers and editorials.

ESCMID News
ESCMID News communicates directly with the Society’s membership and other readers to inform them of the Society’s activities and to provide information of scientific and professional interest.

ESCMID Website (www.escmid.org)
The ESCMID website provides access to complete information about the Society’s activities. These include: Administration and Membership support; Scientific and Educational activities; Publications, Position Papers and other outputs.

The Society appoints a Publications Committee (PUC), chaired by a member of the Executive Committee (EC) to advise the Society on all matters relevant to the publication of CMI, ESCMID News and other material that the Society deems appropriate. Membership of the PUC includes the Chairperson, CMI Managing Editor, CMI Editor-in-Chief, CMI Supplements Editor (if appointed), ESCMID President, ESCMID President-elect, ESCMID Treasurer, ESCMID Managing Director and representative(s) of the Publisher. Any additional persons will be invited to PUC meetings ad hoc by the PUC Chair. The PUC reports directly to the EC via the Chair.

CMI is owned by the Society (ESCMID) and published for the benefit of its membership, other subscribers and the scientific and medical community at large.

Editor-in-Chief
The Society appoints an Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of CMI for a term of up to five years which will exclude the ingoing transition period of up to 9 months between successive EICs. The EIC is to lead the editorial development of the Journal, manage the team of Editors, chair their meetings, maintain editorial policy, and serve as the “figurehead” for the Journal. The EIC is accountable to the Society via the PUC and EC.

Role of the EIC

• To execute editorial policy in agreement with ESCMID and the Publisher
• To select papers for publication (based on assessment by reviewers and sound professional judgement) with the assistance of a team of Editors
• To publish Society documents, reports and policy statements in accordance with agreed policy
• To ensure quality of editorial content and compliance of Authors and Editors with ESCMID publication ethics, including transparency of funding sources and declaration of potentially competing interests
• To commission leading articles, reviews and papers in specialist fields where appropriate
• To publish material suitable for CME credits To promote the Journal at conferences and by making contact with national and international societies and other relevant organisations
• To assist in optimising the sale of reprints by identifying papers with commercial interest and providing a fast-track reviewing process for commercially sensitive papers, while ensuring the scientific integrity of sponsored papers by peer review and transparency with respect to possible conflicts of interest.

Managing Editor
The Managing Editor, who must be fully competent in English language editing, is to support all parties involved in the editorial process, maintain long-term continuity across terms of editorship, maintain a central Editorial Office, including the Journal archives and databases, and oversee the online editorial system. The Managing Editor is accountable to the Society via the Managing Director and to the EIC and Supplements Editor (if appointed) concerning CMI support as listed below.

Role of the Managing Editor

• To support the EIC in executing editorial policy and in maintaining ethical standards as agreed by ESCMID and the Publisher
• To support the EIC in establishing and maintaining a consistent editorial style and in managing a team of Editors
• To liaise with the Publisher concerning Journal production and promotion
• To support the Supplements Editor (if appointed) and/or the Publisher’s Supplements Division in securing and coordinating the publication of special issues To support the PUC Chair in reporting on Journal operations and in maintaining an Advisory Board
• To support the Editors in their role according to the editorial structure in place To support the incoming EIC and ensure the continuity of Journal operations during periods of transition
• To provide Authors with information and guidance, and respond to grievances concerning the editorial process
• To promote the Journal and represent the Society at international congresses, as deemed appropriate by the Managing Director.

Editors
The Editors are appointed from among the scientific and professional community in order to make an assessment of submitted papers upon receipt of the reviewers’ comments. They should represent as broadly as possible the various fields of research in clinical microbiology and infection. They are proposed by the EIC and approved by the PUC. Their term is for three years with a maximum of two terms. The EIC may appoint Section Editors with specific responsibilities. Editors may be invited to write editorials, or be appointed to solicit specific material, such as reviews, leading articles, CME articles, etc.

Manuscript Categories (Monthly issues)

• Editorial
• Review - Original Article
• Research Note
• Clinical Correspondence
• Letters to the Editor
• CME Articles
• ESCMID publications

1. Original research articles (on behalf of a Study Group), written in accordance with the Guidelines for Authors, are submitted online (via Manuscript Central) and peer reviewed accordingly, and will be published within the page budget for monthly issues. A fast-track procedure may be considered.
2. All documents relating to ESCMID Study Groups and Conferences, other than original research articles, are submitted directly to the Managing Editor who arranges for review/approval by the Scientific Affairs Officer (SAO). The SAO may seek external peer review. Documents in excess of 8000-9000 words may require supplemental funding; the SAO will decide when funding is called for and will recommend the source of funding (ESCMID budget or Study Group budget).
3. Alternatively, documents relating to ESCMID Study Groups and Conferences, other than original research articles, may be published in summary (3 - 5 pages) in the printed monthly issue, without funding, with full text publication on-line.

Supplements

• Medical Practice Guidelines
• Symposium and Conference proceedings
• State-of-the-art papers
• Other

Supplements to CMI
As are monthly issues of the Journal, Supplements to CMI are published for the benefit of subscribers and the scientific community; however, they are expected also to be a source of income for the Society. Supplements are not included within the annual page budget as agreed with the Publisher and thus require outside funding. The organisers and financial sponsors of Supplements are diverse, and the subjects and formats of individual Supplements vary widely.

In order to ensure consistent quality and credibility, the EIC and the Supplements Editor (if appointed) provide joint pre-approval of proposed supplements, based on review of the abstracts. In the case of a difference of opinion, the final decision will be made by an external peer reviewer appointed by the EC. Following initial approval, a Guest Editor may be appointed jointly by the EIC and Supplements Editor for final review of the submitted manuscripts.

The title page of CMI Supplements will include the Journal’s ESCMID affiliation and Editorial Board members, the title of the Supplement, the names of the organisation(s) sponsoring the publication and the Guest Editor(s)’ declaration concerning conflict of interest.

Supplements Editor
An enthusiastic opinion leader, with appropriate knowledge and skills, may be appointed to actively seek out Supplements, secure a source of funding and take responsibility for their timely publication.

Responsibilities

• The Managing Editor assures that the basic Journal style is maintained in all cases.
• The Executive Committee determines the editorial policy of CMI and all other publications.
• The EIC is responsible for acceptance or rejection of manuscripts submitted, and is responsible for the final text of articles published in monthly issues of CMI.
• The EIC, in conjunction with the Managing Editor, determines the style and format of CMI.
• The Supplements Editor (if appointed) is responsible for the final acceptance of manuscripts published in Supplements.
• The Scientific Affairs Officer determines the acceptability of individual papers or Supplements concerning ESCMID Study Group Guidelines or Position papers and ESCMID Conference proceedings.

Ethical Considerations
To ensure transparency, authors publishing in CMI are required to sign a Conflict of Interest Declaration, in which all funding/compensation, as well as any degree of commercial or potentially competing interests related to the paper submitted, are delineated. Alternatively, authors are required to declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Disclosure of conflict of interest refers to sources of funding/compensation received during the last three years for lecturing, research, advisory board membership, employment or consultation, or income from stock options/shares which may be related to the research or activities related to the submitted manuscript, including original research papers, reviews and editorials. This declaration is printed in the Acknowledgements/Disclosure section of articles in monthly issues and on the first page of articles in Supplements. No Editor, including the EIC, may be involved in editorial decisions regarding articles which he/she co-authored.

Proposed procedure for submissions on which the EIC is a co-author:

• Submission via Manuscript Central (as usual)
• Managing Editor notifies PUC Chair and provides list of Associate Editor
• PUC Chair assigns Associate Editor - Associate Editor selects Reviewers (who remain anonymous to EIC)
• Reviewers invited outside Manuscript Central - Reviewers submit reports outside Manuscript Central
• Associate Editor submits decision to PUC Chair
• Final decision made (or ratified) by PUC Chair
• Decision communicated to EIC by PUC Chair

PUC Meeting
The PUC meets at least twice annually, usually in conjunction with a scheduled EC meeting.

EPAB Meeting
The EIC, the Managing Editor, the Supplements Editor (if appointed) and the Publisher meet with the EPAB at least annually, most appropriately during ECCMID. This meeting is chaired by the PUC Chair.

Editors Meeting
The Editors meet at least once annually at a meeting chaired by the EIC and attended by the PUC Chair.

EIC/Managing Editor Communication
Ongoing communication is expected to be electronic or via teleconference with occasional meetings as necessary.