ESSD submission files: PDF, data DOI, short summary, and supplements

An Earth System Science Data (ESSD) submission is more than a manuscript file. Before the portal opens, authors may need a review-ready PDF, a short summary for the upload form, repository records for data and code, and a supplement that is clearly separated from material that belongs in the manuscript or a repository.

This guide answers one narrow question: what should an ESSD author assemble for the review-file upload? The requirements below come from the current Copernicus Publications manuscript-preparation instructions stored with Articlo's ESSD journal profile. The folder and naming suggestions are conservative preparation steps, not additional journal rules.

Start with the review version, not the production package

Copernicus separates files used for peer review and preprint posting from the editable files requested after final acceptance. For review, the central item is a complete manuscript PDF. The later production package may include the Word or LaTeX source plus separate figure files, but those are not the same upload stage.

Freeze the version that the authors intend to submit for review before creating exports. A practical working folder can contain only that version and the supporting assets intended for the portal. Move old drafts, abandoned figures, and previous exports somewhere else so they cannot be uploaded accidentally.

This version freeze does not transfer responsibility for the paper. Authors still decide the research content, author list, disclosures, repository choices, and submission timing.

Build one complete manuscript PDF for review

The publisher asks for a complete PDF containing the title, authors, affiliations, abstract, main text, tables, and figures. Fonts should be embedded, the document should use portrait orientation and the one-column format configured by the publisher's Word or LaTeX template, and pages should be numbered consecutively with line numbers included.

Figures, tables, and their captions belong near the first mention in the review PDF rather than collected at the end. If a full-page figure or table is used, it still needs to fit the page dimensions and portrait format of the manuscript. The review PDF has a 50 MB file-size limit.

Before upload, check the PDF itself rather than assuming the editable source exported correctly:

• Confirm that every page is present and opens without a font warning.
• Scan the page and line numbers from beginning to end.
• Check that each table and figure appears near its intended first citation.
• Verify that multi-panel figures are complete and that captions match the visible panels.
• Spell out URLs where the publisher requires visible URLs rather than link text.
• Confirm that the final file remains within the stated size limit.

These checks protect the handoff between the author-approved source and the version reviewers will actually see.

Prepare the abstract and short summary as separate paste-ready text

The portal asks authors to paste the abstract into the upload form. Copernicus also requests a short summary of no more than 500 characters, including spaces. The summary should be a single English paragraph without a list, written for a broader audience, and should avoid unexplained abbreviations.

Keep these two text fields in a plain, paste-ready note beside the upload package. Do not treat the short summary as a second abstract. The publisher describes it as a non-technical explanation of the main conclusions, implications, and—where useful—why and how the research was done.

A simple quality check is to count characters, then read the summary without the title or manuscript beside it. If a specialist abbreviation is essential, spell it out. Authors remain responsible for the scientific meaning and any claims in both fields.

Give data and code stable repository records

Copernicus asks authors to place research data needed to validate the findings in reliable FAIR-aligned repositories that assign persistent identifiers, preferably digital object identifiers (DOIs). Data sets should be cited in the manuscript text and reference list, including the persistent identifier.

Software, algorithms, and model code are also encouraged in FAIR-aligned repositories or archives. When code is deposited, the manuscript should include a section titled Code availability or, when both apply, Code and data availability. For underlying data, the manuscript should include a Data availability section before the acknowledgements explaining how the data can be accessed. If the data cannot be public, the instructions call for a detailed reason.

Before submitting, reconcile three representations of every research asset:

1. The repository landing page and persistent identifier.
2. The in-text citation and reference-list entry.
3. The relevant availability statement in the manuscript.

The identifier, version, creators, title, and repository should describe the same asset across all three places. Articlo can help surface structural or formatting gaps, but authors must choose the repository, approve the access conditions, and verify the citation information.

Separate repository assets from true supplementary material

Copernicus reserves supplementary material for items that cannot reasonably sit in the main text or appendices. Data sets, movies, animations, and program code that can live in a suitable FAIR-aligned repository should generally go there with a persistent identifier cited from the manuscript.

When a supplement is justified, it may be submitted as one ZIP archive or one PDF and is limited to 50 MB. The publisher adds a title page during production, so authors are asked not to repeat the manuscript title, author names, or correspondence email on the supplement's own first page. Supplement sections and items use an S-based sequence, such as Section S3, Fig. S5, or Table S6.

Review the supplement as its own publication asset. Confirm that every item is cited consistently, remove hidden drafts or comments, and make sure the archive contains only intended files. If the material is too large or better suited to a repository, move it to the repository path and cite the resulting persistent identifier instead of forcing it into the supplement.

Keep figures and tables accessible and traceable

The publisher asks authors to use colour schemes that readers with colour-vision deficiencies can interpret. Figure files should be labelled with Arabic numerals, and multi-panel content should be collected into one figure file. Authors are also responsible for securing any necessary reproduction rights and including required credits for maps, aerials, or previously published material.

For the review PDF, compare every figure and table with its first citation and caption. Check the numbering sequence, panel labels, legends, units, abbreviations, and source credits. Tables should remain real editable tables in the manuscript source rather than screenshots, even though reviewers receive the combined PDF.

This is a consistency pass, not a scientific review. Do not change values, labels, or interpretations merely to make the layout look cleaner without author confirmation.

Include the remaining registration details

Before manuscript registration, Copernicus asks authors to identify funding sources, review the applicable journal terms and charges, and comply with the publisher's licence, copyright, and author-obligation requirements. Registration also captures subject areas and index terms used for editor assignment.

Keep these decisions outside the manuscript file inventory unless the journal instructions place them in the paper. A short submission note can list the corresponding author, intended subject areas, funding information, and any portal fields that need author approval. Avoid storing credentials, private links, or sensitive manuscript content in that note.

Reconcile the final review upload folder

Before opening the portal, check the folder against a compact inventory:

• One complete, author-approved manuscript PDF with embedded fonts, page numbers, line numbers, tables, figures, and captions.
• One paste-ready abstract.
• One paste-ready short summary within 500 characters.
• Repository links and persistent identifiers for data, code, or other research assets, reconciled with the manuscript citations.
• One supplement as a ZIP or PDF only when the material genuinely belongs there and remains within the size limit.
• Funding and registration details approved by the responsible author.

If the submission is a revision, Copernicus also describes a separate author-response PDF organized around referee comments, author responses, and manuscript changes, plus a separate marked-up manuscript PDF showing the changes. Do not merge those revision files into the clean review manuscript.

Prepare the package without rewriting the research

Articlo formats author-provided manuscripts and checks them against stored journal requirements. It does not write research, verify references, decide whether data may be shared, secure permissions, or guarantee acceptance. Authors remain responsible for the manuscript, repository records, disclosures, supplementary content, and submission decisions.

Review the Earth System Science Data preparation path or run a free readiness check to identify structural and formatting gaps before upload.