About Molecular Cytogenetics

What is Molecular Cytogenetics?

Molecular Cytogenetics is an open access, peer-reviewed online journal that encompasses all aspects of chromosome biology and the application of molecular cytogenetic techniques in all areas of biomedicine.

Molecular cytogenetics primarily defines a large set of the techniques that operate either with the entire genome or with specific targeted DNA sequences.

Topical areas include, but are not limited to:

• Structural and functional organization of chromosome and nucleus
• Genome variation, expression and evolution
• Chromosome abnormalities and genomic variations in clinical genetics
• Applications in preimplantation, pre- and post-natal diagnosis
• Applications in the central nervous system, cancer and haematology research
• Previously unreported applications of molecular cytogenetic techniques
• Development of new techniques or significant enhancements to established techniques

This journal is a source for numerous scientists all over the world, who wish to improve or introduce molecular cytogenetic techniques into their practice.

Content overview

Reviews: comprehensive, authoritative, descriptions of any subject within the journal's scope. Reviews can cover any topical themes such as basic science and clinical reviews, ethics, pro/con debates, equipment reviews and thematic series to highlight specific topics in the field.
Research: reports of data from original research.
Short reports: brief reports of data from original research, usually about 1500 words.
Methodology articles: short articles presenting an untested original hypothesis backed solely by previously published results rather than any new evidence. They should outline significant progress in thinking that would also be testable, and be about 1500 words.
Case reports: reports of clinical cases that can be educational, describe a diagnostic or therapeutic dilemma, suggest an association, or present an important adverse reaction.
Letters to the Editor: they can take three forms: a substantial re-analysis of a previously published article, or a substantial response to such a re-analysis from the authors of the original publication, or an article that may not cover 'standard research' but that may be relevant to readers.
Hypotheses: short articles presenting an untested original hypothesis backed solely by previously published results rather than any new evidence. They should outline significant progress in thinking that would also be testable, and be about 1500 words.
Commentaries: short, focused and opinionated articles on any subject within the journal's scope. These articles are usually related to a contemporary issue, such as recent research findings, and are often written by opinion leaders invited by the Editorial Board. They focus on specific issues and are about 800 words.

Peer review policies

Molecular Cytogenetics has a ‘closed’ peer review policy. All submitted manuscripts will be screened by the Editors-in-Chief or specialists from the Editorial board, and appropriate manuscripts will be sent for peer review. Decisions on acceptance or rejection will be based on the reports of two reviewers; a further reviewer will be invited in cases where initial reviewers disagree. Final decisions, however, rest with the Editors-in-Chief, who aim to provide an initial decision within six weeks.

Edited by Thomas Liehr, Lisa Shaffer and Yuri Yurov, Molecular Cytogenetics is supported by an expert Editorial Board.

Publishing in Molecular Cytogenetics

All articles will be listed in PubMed immediately upon acceptance (after peer review), and will be covered by PubMed Central, CAS and Scopus.

Articles in Molecular Cytogenetics should be cited in the same way as articles in a traditional journal. However, because articles in this journal are not printed, they do not have page numbers. Instead, they have a unique article number.

The following citation:

Mol Cytogenet 2004, 2:1

refers to article 1 from volume 2 of the journal.

As an online journal, Molecular Cytogenetics does not have issue numbers. Each volume corresponds to a calendar year.

To keep up to date with the latest articles from Molecular Cytogenetics, why not register to receive alerts? Registration also enables you to customise your subject areas of interest, store your searches, and submit your manuscripts.

Submission of manuscripts

Manuscripts should be submitted electronically to Molecular Cytogenetics using the online submission system. Full details of how to submit a manuscript are given in the instructions for authors.

General journal policies

Molecular Cytogenetics is published  by BioMed Central, an independent publisher committed to ensuring peer-reviewed biomedical research is Open Access. That means it is freely and universally accessible online, it is archived in at least one internationally recognised free access repository, and its authors retain copyright, allowing anyone to reproduce or disseminate articles, according to the BioMed Central copyright and licence agreement. Molecular Cytogenetics however, has taken this further by making all its content Open Access.

Molecular Cytogenetics's articles are archived in PubMed Central, the US National Library of Medicine's full-text repository of life science literature, and also at INIST in France and in e-Depot, the National Library of the Netherlands' digital archive of all electronic publications. The journal is also participating in the British Library's e-journals pilot project, and plans to deposit copies of all articles with the British Library.

BioMed Central is working closely with the Thomson Reuters (ISI) to ensure that citation analysis of articles published in Molecular Cytogenetics will be available.

Molecular Cytogenetics is able to deliver summaries of frequently updated content via Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds. These are accessible via the orange "XML" button at the top of the list of recent articles or the list of most accessed articles. For more information about RSS feeds see our publisher's website.

For further information about general policies please see the instructions for authors.