Formatting a Manuscript for Submission

Why Format Matters

Good formatting will not rescue a weak paper, but poor formatting holds up a strong one. Manuscripts submitted without page numbers, with figures too small to read, or with a reference list mixing three styles are regularly sent back before review. Opening the file on a different device before submitting helps you spot layout problems early.

A house style exists for consistency: it lets reviewers move through any manuscript in the same way and lets production staff typeset it without guesswork. Use the template of the journal you are targeting instead of reformatting a paper that was prepared for another venue.

Page and Text Setup

• Use the journal's template when one is supplied; it already contains the margins, fonts and spacing
• Number every page, and the lines too if the template allows it — reviewers refer to line numbers
• Choose one readable body font for the whole text, and avoid decorative fonts altogether
• Put a single space after full stops and avoid manual line breaks within paragraphs
• Do not position text with tabs or repeated spaces; rely on the template's styles

Write in English and keep your terminology uniform: a concept called a "treatment group" in the methods should not turn into a "test cohort" in the results.

Headings and Numbering

Give sections and subsections numbers so that reviewers and co-authors can point to them exactly. Two levels normally suffice, and three is the practical limit. Headings should describe what a section contains rather than name its genre — "Sampling and recruitment" helps more than "Details".

Use the template's heading styles instead of bolding text manually. Genuine heading styles give a navigable document and carry over when the file is converted to the published format, whereas hand-bolded paragraphs do not. Opening the navigation pane in your word processor shows quickly whether the outline looks right.

Figures

• Number figures in the order they are first mentioned, and cite each one in the text
• Write captions that make sense without the surrounding text
• Label axes with quantities and units, and make sure text inside figures is legible at the published size
• Provide images at print resolution — a chart screenshot taken from a slide deck usually falls short
• Acknowledge the source in the caption of reproduced material, and make sure you have permission

Tables

Create tables with the table tool of your word processor, never with tabs or spaces. Give each column a header that includes units, and line numbers up on the decimal point so that magnitudes can be compared at a glance.

Do not repeat one data set as both a table and a figure. Choose whichever form answers the reader's question: tables suit exact values, while figures suit patterns and comparisons. If unsure, imagine what a reader would want to look up versus what they would want to grasp at once.

Equations and Units

• Give displayed equations numbers so the text can refer to them
• Create equations with the equation editor rather than as images, so symbols survive conversion
• Define each symbol where it first appears
• Use SI units and give units for every reported quantity
• Keep decimal and thousands separators consistent

File conversion most often damages special characters and equations. Examine them closely on the proof.

Reference Formatting

Select the style the journal requires and use it for every entry alike. Mixed styles inside one list are the plainest sign that references were collected from several sources without being checked. Reference managers can enforce a style automatically, but still scan the output by eye.

Each in-text citation must be in the list, and each list entry must be cited. Add the DOI where there is one; see DOI explained for the reason it matters.

File Preparation

1. Delete tracked changes and reviewer comments before you upload
2. If the journal uses blind review, strip any identifying metadata from the file properties
3. Make sure the file opens properly on a different machine
4. Give files clear names: manuscript, figures, supplementary material
5. Verify that supplementary files open and that the text refers to them

Pre-Submission Checklist

• Template used; pages numbered
• Abstract and keywords inside the stated limits
• Every figure and table numbered, captioned and cited in the text
• All symbols defined; SI units used throughout
• Reference list complete, uniform and verified against the sources
• Declarations filled in: funding, competing interests, ethics, consent, data availability, AI use
• Tracked changes deleted and the final file checked

You will find the journal's full requirements on the publication guidelines page.

At-a-Glance Checklist

1. Apply the templateSupplied margins, fonts and headings
2. Add numbers throughoutEquations, tables, figures, sections, pages
3. Self-explanatory captionsClear without the body text
4. Single citation styleUniform from start to end
5. Tidy fileFree of tracked changes and comments

Questions Researchers Often Ask

More Researcher Resources

The JMVRA Researcher Resources series includes this guide, whose pointers are practical, open to checking and free of sales claims.

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Related Reading

Further reading on the same theme from the JMVRA blog.