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Taylor & Francis

Prepare your manuscript for Health Systems & Reform.

Review the checklist, choose your article type, and turn your draft into a cleaner submission package.

Checked 2026-08-01
Check readiness freePrepare this manuscript

Article types

Review
Editorial
Research Article
Commentary
Clinical Trial
Letter
Protocol
Systematic Review
Lectio
Letter to the Editor
Original Article

Readiness requirements

Review the key details below, or download the complete checklist with every stored source-backed requirement.

Abstract length

  • Letter: Do not simply insert your abstract into your cover letter!

Keywords

  • Include or confirm the keywords required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Reference style

  • Articlo formats your supplied references to the journal's stored style and checks that citations match the reference list; source validity is not verified.
  • A declaration must be included within the submission stating: Confirmation the authors take full responsibility for the integrity of the whole content, including accuracy of references.

Figure and table rules

  • Keep every figure and table numbered, captioned, and cited in the manuscript.
  • Captions must include copyright holder details and state that permission to reproduce has been obtained.
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  • Tables must be editable.

Funding statement

  • Review: Add or confirm the author-written Funding statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • You should declare only the acquired funds and grants that are directly relevant to the work reported in your article; for example, This work was supported by the [Funding Agency #1] under Grant [number xxxx]; [Funding Agency #2] under Grant [number xxxx]; and [Funding Agency #3] under Grant [number xxxx].

Competing interests

  • Include or confirm the competing interests required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Data availability statement

  • Include or confirm the data availability statement required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Ethics statement

  • Include or confirm the ethics statement required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Cover letter

  • Letter: Provide the claims and editor-specific context for the cover letter; Articlo creates an editable companion without inventing content.
  • Letter: When you submit your article to a journal, you often need to include a cover letter.
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  • Letter: The cover letter should explain why your work is perfect for their journal and why it will be of interest to the journal’s readers.
  • Letter: You will receive cover letter instructions of what you should include and what you shouldn’t, and a word template cover letter.
  • Letter: Things to avoid: Avoid too much detail – keep your cover letter to a maximum of one page, as an introduction and brief overview.
  • Letter: Cover letter required.
  • Manuscript submission process including which online submission system you need to use.
  • Read our guidance on when you’ll need to seek written permission for third-party material.
  • Letter: You might find that the submission system for your chosen journal requires your cover letter to be submitted into a text box rather than as a separate document, but it is still a good idea to write a draft first to make sure you have included everything.

Title page and author information

  • Include or confirm the title page and author information required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Article structure and word limits

  • Numbers 1–10 should be written out.
  • Review: These instructions will ensure we have everything required so your paper can move through peer review, production and publication smoothly.
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  • Please provide all the required information to ensure your paper is not delayed while we request the missing information.
  • Please note that discounts must be applied at the Charges stage of the submission process when the APC quote is confirmed and may not be considered after submission.
  • All papers should offer policy-relevant lessons.
  • US money should be formatted with USD following the amount, as in “100 USD”.
  • Use en-dashes in page ranges and terms such as post–World War II.
  • An em-dash should not have space on either side.
  • If submitting a LaTeX file you will also need to provide a PDF version.
  • Review: Submit Please note that by submitting your paper you are agreeing to originality checks during the peer-review and production processes.
  • A declaration must be included within the submission stating: Originality and accuracy of content has been confirmed by the authors.
  • Authors must provide full methodological details and adhere to relevant reporting guidelines where applicable.
  • Authors must retain the original and revised versions which must be shared upon request.
  • The PLSP guidelines for authors must be followed at all times.
  • Before you start to write, please check the instructions for authors (IFAs) of your chosen journal, as not all journals will require one.
  • You should also check the IFAs for any journal specific information on what to include.
  • Submission ready Use our submission checklist to make sure you’ve included everything you need to.
  • It also includes details of specific processes to follow to make sure there are no problems during production, should your article be accepted.
  • The IFAs include all the essential information you’ll need to know before you submit your article.
  • Use this checklist to find out Skip to main content.
  • Use this article submission checklist to find out.
  • By the time you’re ready to submit your paper to a journal, there are a lot of things you’ll need to have checked, understood, and incorporated into your article.
  • You should also check whether your research funder’s policy requires you to make your work open access.
  • Your article should be a good fit and format for the target journal’s style guide.
  • Your study design, research argument strength and positioning should be structured and articulated properly.
  • Make sure your article is revised appropriately to address possible issues before you submit.
  • Include your manuscript's title and the name of the journal.
  • Remember: Check the specific requirements of your chosen journal to make sure you include everything you need to.
  • Check before you submit.
  • Check before you submit Your paper.
  • Margins: At least 2.5cm (1 inch).
  • Do not abbreviate year, day, minute, or second.
  • You also need to: Label the file as ‘Without author details’.
  • You also need to: If you are depositing data in a repository, make sure that it preserves anonymity.
  • For example, the journal may not accept editorials, or clinical studies.
  • Your manuscript needs to be a good fit, but the journal may not accept your article if there are too many similarities with existing articles.
  • Image descriptions are typically used by systems such as pronouncing screen readers to make images accessible to people that cannot read or see the object due to a visual disability.

Reporting guidelines

  • Include or confirm the reporting guidelines required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Preprints and prior publication

  • Include or confirm the preprints and prior publication required by the journal. Articlo checks this item and flags anything that still needs author input.

Artificial intelligence disclosure

  • Add or confirm the author-written Artificial intelligence statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • Please include a statement disclosing whether and how generative AI has been used in the research and manuscript preparation process.
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  • Use of AI tools as part of ethical research studies is permitted.
  • A declaration must be included within the submission stating: The name and version number of the AI tool used.
  • Systematic Review: Use of AI tools as part of ethically conducted literature reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analysis and bibliometrics studies is permitted.
  • Use of AI tool assisted plain language summaries (PLS) of authors own work is permitted.
  • Please read our guidance on using AI tools in your research and manuscript preparation to understand scenarios where their use may be permissible, and the required information that must be disclosed.
  • A declaration must be included within the submission stating: Confirmation the authors have checked terms of use for the specific AI tool used, and therefore confirm suitability for publication.

Language and text style

  • The language should be clearly written English with a well-organized structure.
  • Letter: Second-level headings should be in bold italics, with an initial capital letter for any proper nouns.
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  • Letter: Third-level headings should be in italics, with an initial capital letter for any proper nouns.
  • Fourth-level headings should be in bold italics, at the beginning of a paragraph.
  • Fifth-level headings should be in italics, at the beginning of a paragraph.

Blinded manuscript

  • An anonymous version of your paper is not required when submitting.

Article type and manuscript length

  • Main text should be structured as follows: introduction; materials and methods; results; discussion; conclusions.
  • Must be cited in the main text and in chronological order.
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  • Captions must include the matching number from the main text citation.
  • Review: Anonymisation Check the requirements for your article type above and if an anonymous version is required to protect your identity during peer review, create a copy of your main file and then remove the following information: All author names.
  • Review: Anonymisation Check the requirements for your article type above and if an anonymous version is required to protect your identity during peer review, create a copy of your main file and then remove the following information: All author affiliations.
  • Review: Anonymisation Check the requirements for your article type above and if an anonymous version is required to protect your identity during peer review, create a copy of your main file and then remove the following information: All author email addresses.
  • Review: Anonymisation Check the requirements for your article type above and if an anonymous version is required to protect your identity during peer review, create a copy of your main file and then remove the following information: All author ORCIDs and social media handles.
  • Review: Anonymisation Check the requirements for your article type above and if an anonymous version is required to protect your identity during peer review, create a copy of your main file and then remove the following information: All author biographical notes.
  • Review: Anonymisation Check the requirements for your article type above and if an anonymous version is required to protect your identity during peer review, create a copy of your main file and then remove the following information: Headers and footers that would reveal author identities.
  • Review: Anonymisation Check the requirements for your article type above and if an anonymous version is required to protect your identity during peer review, create a copy of your main file and then remove the following information: Self-citation in the main text and references.
  • Review: Anonymisation Check the requirements for your article type above and if an anonymous version is required to protect your identity during peer review, create a copy of your main file and then remove the following information: Acknowledgements.
  • Review: Anonymisation Check the requirements for your article type above and if an anonymous version is required to protect your identity during peer review, create a copy of your main file and then remove the following information: Funding statement.
  • Review: Anonymisation Check the requirements for your article type above and if an anonymous version is required to protect your identity during peer review, create a copy of your main file and then remove the following information: References to authors in figure and tables captions.
  • Review / Clinical Trial: Anonymisation Check the requirements for your article type above and if an anonymous version is required to protect your identity during peer review, create a copy of your main file and then remove the following information: Clinical trial numbers and registration dates.
  • Review: Anonymisation Check the requirements for your article type above and if an anonymous version is required to protect your identity during peer review, create a copy of your main file and then remove the following information: File identifiers that would reveal author identities.

Manuscript structure

  • Letter: First-level headings (e.g. Introduction, Conclusion) should be in bold, with an initial capital letter for any proper nouns.
  • Authors must retain full records of the methods undertaken, including full descriptions and records of the prompts used, which must be shared with the journal upon request.

Author contributions

  • You may be required to provide CRediT roles (contributor details) for yourself and your co-authors.

Study reporting guidelines

  • Authors must provide full methodological details and adhere to relevant reporting guidelines where applicable (e.g. CONSORT-AI, STARD-AI, GAMER, TRIPOD-AI, etc).

Authorship and originality

  • Editorial: The Editorial Policies apply to all Taylor & Francis journals, and all authors should read them before submitting.
  • Include contact information for yourself and any co-authors.
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What your package checks

Declarations: Artificial intelligence
Format: 1" margins

Source transparency

This preparation guide uses published journal-specific author requirements. Journal instructions can change, so authors should complete a final review before submission.

Open official guideline source