The present report describes a model system for the fabrication of crystalline magnetic garnet nanofibers, and provides a universal routine to the fabrication of other ternary inorganic oxide nanofibers. Crystalline bismuth-substituted yttrium iron garnet nanofibers of several micrometers in length and of 100-200 nm diameter are prepared by sol-gel and calcination-assisted electrospinning, using a viscous sol-gel precursor solution composed of PVP/(Fe(C11H19O2)(3)+Y(OOC10H19)(3)+Bi(TMHD)(3)). A 15 kV DC voltage is applied to the needle, with a 0.5 ml/h feeding rate of the precursor solution, during the electrospinning process. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microcopy, X-ray diffraction and magnetization process measurements were performed on the fibers. The composition of the sol-gel precursor solution and the role of the surrounding humidity, which gave optimal results. when maintained below 50%, were found to be critical factors during the electrospinning processes. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.