Why Publish with The ISME Journal?
The ISME Journal is a fully open access, high-impact journal published by Oxford University Press in partnership with the International Society for Microbial Ecology. The journal provides a home for cutting-edge research covering diverse and integrated areas of microbial ecology.
Learn more about the benefits of publishing your article with The ISME Journal below.
Range of Content
The ISME Journal is broad scope and encompasses the full breadth of microbial ecology research, exploring topics that include (but are not limited to):
- Climate change microbiology
- Microbial contributions to biogeochemical cycles
- Community assembly
- Engineered and synthetic microbial communities
- Host-microbiome interactions
- Microbiomes of engineered environments
- Modelling and ecological theory
- Novel microorganisms and metabolic functions
- Spatial and temporal dynamics
The ISME Journal publishes a range of article types so you can choose the format most appropriate for communicating your findings. Choose from original research, reviews, brief communications, perspectives, and comment articles of high significance to the microbial ecology research community.
Open Access Journal
In January 2024, The ISME Journal moved to a fully open access (OA) publishing model. Find out more about this change.
Being fully OA means your research is free to read and can be accessed globally. An open access license increases the visibility of your research and creates more opportunities for fellow researchers to read, share, cite, and build upon your findings.
Read and Publish
OUP has a growing number of Read and Publish agreements with institutions and consortia which provide funding for open access publishing. This means authors from participating institutions can publish open access, and the institution may pay the charge. Find out if your institution is participating.
A Journal of the International Society for Microbial Ecology
The ISME Journal is an official publication of the non-profit organisation, the International Society for Microbial Ecology. Their goal is to serve microbial ecologists and the wider community by supporting research and education.
The royalties from the journal are invested into the society and the ISME membership to advance the field of microbial ecology by supporting scientists and practitioners to develop their knowledge and skills further. This is achieved by providing funding to individuals and events focused on education, science and research, including:
- Ambassador Fund: providing ISME Ambassadors funds to organise activities that promote ISME and the development of the field of microbial ecology at the national level.
- Scholar Fund: providing MSc and PhD students, as well as Postdoctoral fellows, the opportunity to further develop their academic knowledge and skills at hosting Institutions abroad.
- Regional Meeting Fund: supporting events dedicated to microbial ecology organized by ISME Ambassadors at regional level.
- General Fund: sponsoring events and educational activities dedicated to microbial ecology and related fields of science.
- Symposium travel grants: supporting ISME members to attend the biannual ISME Symposium.
- Awards: acknowledging scientists for their outstanding contribution to the field of microbial ecology and service to the society.
As an ISME member you will be eligible to apply for funding and can also receive a discount on the ISME Symposium registration fee and a 10% discount on the open access fee for The ISME Journal.
Learn more about becoming an ISME member and our funding opportunities.
High Impact
The ISME Journal has an Impact Factor of 11, and a Journal Citation Indicator (JCI) ranking of 2/192 in Ecology and 7/156 in Microbiology (Source: Clarivate, 2023)
Editorial Board
The ISME Journal’s expert editorial team is made up of some of the world's leading voices in the field, providing attractive turnaround times from first decision to publication.
The team ensure that the journal publishes high-quality content, operates ethically, and provides a welcoming publishing outlet for authors from all backgrounds and at all stages of their career.
Peer Review Process
The ISME Journal practices single-anonymised peer review, which provides your research with honest and genuine reviews by anonymous reviewers.
Our editors will guide your manuscript through the peer review process with care and efficiency, helping you get your research published as quickly as possible.
Author Experience
The journal is published by Oxford University Press which has a resource center to answer all of your questions before, during, and after publication—including advice on how best to promote your work once published.
Article Metrics
Article-level metrics, including usage, citations, and Altmetric scores, are available for all articles published in the journal. This allows you to understand the reach of your research, and the attention it is receiving online.
Commitment to Ethical Publishing
We are a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). We follow the highest standards of publication ethics and apply COPE principles as outlined in the Core Practices.
Ready to Submit?
Please refer to our instructions to authors and submissions site for more information.
