Articlo
Check my manuscript free

AAAS

Prepare your manuscript for Science.

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

Checked 2026-08-21
Check readiness freePrepare this manuscript

Article types

Review
Letter
Research Article
Editorial

Readiness requirements

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

Abstract length

  • Provide an author-written abstract of no more than 125 words.
  • The abstract should be 125 words or less.
Show 3 more
  • Please do not use paragraph breaks in the title, author list, or abstract.
  • The Abstract is distinct from the main body of the text and thus should not be the only source of background information critical to understanding the manuscript.
  • Please do not include citations or abbreviations in the Abstract.

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.
  • Use single spacing throughout the text, tables, figure captions, and reference list.
Show 24 more
  • All tables, figures, and references should be cited in numerical order.
  • Associated DOIs and repository-specific accession codes should be disclosed in the Acknowledgments.
  • Each reference should have a unique number; do not combine references or embed references in notes.
  • Any references to in-press manuscripts at the time of submission should be given a number in the text and placed, in correct sequence, in the references and notes list.
  • Any dataset that has a DOI must be cited in the reference list.
  • Journal article references should be complete, including the full list of authors, full titles, and inclusive pagination.
  • Acknowledgments should appear after the final numbered reference.
  • Patent applications should be disclosed here as well, specifying inventor(s), institution(s), and reference number(s).
  • Tables should be included after the references and should supplement, not duplicate, the text.
  • They should be called out within the text and numbered in the order of their citation in the text.
  • The title should be applicable to the table as a whole; it should not include citations of references, figures, or other tables.
  • The title should be applicable to the figure as a whole; it should not include citations of individual figure panels, references, tables, or other figures.
  • Figures should be called out within the text and numbered in the order of their citation in the text.
  • Provide a DOI or other persistent identifier (preferably in URL format).
  • Provide a DOI (preferably in URL format) or other persistent identifier.
  • There should be a single reference list that combines references cited in the main paper as well as those cited in the supplementary materials, and each reference should appear only once in the list.
  • If a dataset (with a DOI) is cited in the Acknowledgments, its reference number should be the last one before the supplementary references, unless the dataset has been cited earlier in the paper.
  • Accession numbers to data deposited in a public database can be listed here, though it is preferable for data and code to be archived in a permanent repository that provides a citable DOI, which should then be included in the main reference list (numbered as the last item before the supplementary references) and cited here.
  • It may be cited at relevant points in the text as “see materials and methods” or using a citation number that refers to a note in the reference list that reads “Materials and methods are available as supplementary materials.” Study design should be described in detail and descriptions of reagents and equipment should facilitate replication (for example, source and purity of reagents should be specified, there should be evidence that antibodies have been validated, and cell lines should be authenticated).
  • Reference notes are not required.
  • Preprints For arXiv, embed the URL in arXiv:identifier, but do not include the word “Preprint.” For bioRxiv and others, include “[Preprint]” after the article identifier, and insert the DOI (preferably in URL format) at the end.
  • Place citation numbers within parentheses, italicized: ( 18, 19 ) ( 18 – 20 ) ( 18, 20–22 ).
  • Footnotes should contain information relevant to specific entries or parts of the table, labeled with symbols in the following order: *, †, ‡, §, ¶, #, **, etc. Reference citations in a table should follow Science ’s standard format (italic number in parentheses) and refer to entries in the main reference list; full references should not be embedded in or below the table.
  • We do not allow citation of personal communications, and unpublished or “in press” references are not allowed at the time of publication.

Figure and table rules

  • Keep every figure and table numbered, captioned, and cited in the manuscript.
  • No single caption should be longer than 200 words.
Show 32 more
  • Include the figure’s identifying number (e.g., “Fig. 1”) on the same manuscript page that includes the figure.
  • Size symbols so that they will be distinguishable when the figure is reduced (6 point minimum).
  • In general, the supplementary materials may comprise: Data files: Tabulated data underlying the figures should be uploaded as an additional supplementary data file (called “data S1”) in a standard machine-readable format (e.g., csv, tsv, json, or xml).
  • In general, the supplementary materials may comprise: Multimedia files: Video clips should be saved in MPEG-4 (.mp4) (preferred) or QuickTime (.mov) container format using H.264 video encoding.
  • At both initial submission and the revision stage, authors should submit the supplementary sections, materials and methods, text, tables and figures, as a single docx or PDF file that does not exceed 50 MB.
  • All tables and figures should be cited in numerical order.
  • The first sentence of the table caption should be a brief descriptive title.
  • Figure captions should be single-spaced in numerical order.
  • A short figure title should be included in bold-face type as the first line of the caption.
  • Nomenclature, abbreviations, symbols, and units used in a figure should match those used in the text.
  • Distinct figure panels should be labeled with uppercase letters (A, B, etc.) and should each be described in order within the caption.
  • For initial submission, figures should be embedded directly in the.docx or PDF manuscript file.
  • Supplementary figures should meet the same standards as main-paper figures.
  • Video, audio, or other multimedia files should be submitted with accompanying captions (and credit information when applicable).
  • The figure’s title should be at the beginning of the figure caption, not in the figure itself.
  • In general, explanatory text within the figure should be minimized relative to the text in the caption, because it is easier to fix typos and other errors in the caption.
  • Keys to symbols, if needed, should be as simple as possible and positioned so that they do not needlessly enlarge the figure.
  • Do not use colors that are similar in hue to identify different parts of a figure.
  • The rest of the text in the figure should be plain or bold text.
  • Figures assembled from multiple photographs or images, or non-concurrent portions of the same image, must clearly indicate the separate parts with lines between them.
  • Nonlinear adjustments must be specified in the figure caption.
  • The text and tables should be single spaced, figures should be individually numbered, and each figure caption should be placed immediately beneath the corresponding figure, on the same page if possible.
  • Vector-based files will give us maximum flexibility for sizing your figures properly without losing resolution, as they can be altered in size while maintaining high-quality resolution.
  • Please observe the following guidelines for labels on graphs and figures: Use capital letters for part labels in multipart figures – A, B, C, etc. These should be 10 pt and bold in the final figure.
  • Do not exceed full HD frame size (1920 × 1080), as this makes the files quite large and will cause them to be transcoded/sized to an acceptable resolution.
  • Please observe the following guidelines for labels on graphs and figures: Units should be included in parentheses.
  • Please observe the following guidelines for labels on graphs and figures: In a color figure, type atop a color region should be in bold face.
  • Please observe the following guidelines for labels on graphs and figures: Sequences may be reduced considerably, so the typeface in the original should be clear.
  • Please observe the following guidelines for labels on graphs and figures: Capitalize only the first letter in a label, not every word (however, proper nouns should always be capitalized).
  • Please observe the following guidelines for labels on graphs and figures: When figures are assembled from multiple gels or micrographs, a line or space should indicate the border between two original images.
  • Selective enhancement or alteration of one part of an image is not acceptable.
  • In general, the supplementary materials may comprise: Figures: Supplementary figures are those that cannot be accommodated in the main paper but are integral to the paper’s arguments.

Funding statement

  • Add or confirm the author-written Funding statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • Funding: This section should include complete funding information for all authors.

Competing interests

  • Add or confirm the author-written Competing interests statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • Add or confirm the author-written Conflict of interest statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
Show 2 more
  • Competing interests: Competing interests of any of the authors must be listed here (all authors must also fill out the Conflict of Interest form ).
  • When authors have no competing interests, this should also be declared.

Ethics statement

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

Author contributions

  • Add or confirm the author-written Author contributions statement; Articlo flags it if author input is still needed.
  • Authors contributions: Authors should be identified by their initials in an itemized list of their contributions to the paper (e.g., J.S. performed experiments, Y.-S.Z. performed theoretical modeling, etc.).
Show 2 more
  • Permissions: Images that have been obtained, reproduced, and/or adapted from elsewhere must be accompanied by proof of permission from the copyright holder, and the credit line must be provided in the manuscript.
  • This section should start by acknowledging non-author contributions and then should provide information under the following headings.

Supplementary files

  • Letter: Include every cited supplementary file and use matching labels in the manuscript.
  • Review: Include every cited supplementary file and use matching labels in the manuscript.
Show 10 more
  • Editorial: Include every cited supplementary file and use matching labels in the manuscript.
  • Research Article: Include every cited supplementary file and use matching labels in the manuscript.
  • Embed or attach the author-supplied supplementary material so Articlo can extract and label it for the package.
  • Supplementary multimedia or large data files that cannot be included in the main supplementary materials file should be uploaded as auxiliary supplementary materials (up to 10 files, total size limited to 25 MB) or movies (limited to 50 MB each).
  • The supplementary materials should be submitted as a single separate file in.docx or PDF format.
  • Supplementary materials must be essential to the scientific integrity and excellence of the paper.
  • If all data are in the paper and supplementary materials, include the sentence “All data are available in the manuscript or the supplementary materials.” All data, code, and materials used in the analysis must be available to any researcher for purposes of reproducing or extending the analysis.
  • All papers should contain a materials availability statement, even if there are no newly created materials or if all instructions for synthesizing the materials are provided in the supplementary materials.
  • In general, the supplementary materials may comprise: Materials and Methods: The materials and methods section should provide sufficient information to allow replication of the study.
  • In general, the supplementary materials may comprise: Supplementary Text: This section should provide additional information regarding control or supplemental experiments, field sites, observations, hypotheses, etc., that bear directly on the arguments of the main paper.

Statistical reporting

  • Statistical methods must be described with enough detail to enable a knowledgeable reader with access to the original data to verify the results.

Preprints and prior publication

  • If previously published data are used to create an entirely new graphic, the source of the data must be credited in the manuscript.

Other submission requirements

  • Authors and their affiliated institutions, linked by superscript numbers, should be listed beneath the title on the opening page of the manuscript.
  • Electronic files should be formatted for US letter paper (8.5 by 11 inches).
Show 36 more
  • Titles should be no more than 96 characters (including spaces).
  • Symbols and lettering should be large enough to be legible after reduction [a reduced size of about 7 points (2.5 mm) high, and not smaller than 5 points].
  • Line widths should be legible upon reduction (minimum of 0.5 point at the final reduced size).
  • Scales with large or small numbers should be presented as powers of 10.
  • Use numbers (1, 2, 3) only to represent a time sequence of images.
  • Do not use punctuation before name suffixes (e.g., Jr., 3rd, III).
  • There should be about 130 characters and spaces per line for a sequence occupying the full width of the printed page and about 84 characters and spaces per line for a sequence occupying two columns.
  • Manuscripts should be assembled in the order listed below (for easy and accurate assembly, download a copy of our Word template here ).
  • To improve machine readability, please identify the parts of your paper, even if you do not use our template.
  • Subheadings should be descriptive clauses, not full sentences.
  • Do not use op. cit., ibid., or et al. (in place of the complete list of authors’ names).
  • Data, code, and materials availability: Any restrictions on materials, such as material transfer agreements (MTAs), should be disclosed here.
  • These data should be in a standard machine-readable format (e.g., csv, tsv, json, or xml) and should be accompanied by a brief explanation of their structure and meaning.
  • Animated GIFs are not Authors should opt for the minimum frame size and number of images that are consistent with a reasonably effective on-screen presentation.
  • Use solid symbols for plotting data, if possible (unless data overlap or there are multiple symbols).
  • Panels should be set close to each other, and common axis labels should not be repeated.
  • Scales or axes should not extend beyond the range of the data plotted.
  • Use scale bars in place of, or in addition to, magnifications.
  • Do not use minor tick marks in scales or grid lines.
  • Use white type and scale bars over darker areas of images.
  • Units should be metric and follow SI convention.
  • Seconds should be abbreviated as “s”, not “sec”; minutes should be abbreviated as “min.”; and hours should not be abbreviated.
  • Linear adjustment of contrast, brightness, or color must be applied to an entire image or plate equally.
  • Journal articles Titles of cited articles should be included, followed by a period.
  • Provide the full page range, with numbers separated by an en dash.
  • Technical reports and monographs The title should be in quotes and should have initial caps.
  • If there is an article that describes the software, it should be cited in addition to the software itself.
  • Do not cite the article instead of the software.
  • For a manuscript submitted after peer review and revision, the same style guidelines apply, but we require slightly different file preparation – see instructions specific to a revised manuscript.
  • Technical terms should be defined.
  • Notes should be used for information aimed at the specialist (e.g., procedures) or to provide definitions or further information for the general reader that are not essential to the data or arguments.
  • Units should not change within a column.
  • Include P values here as well.
  • Use SI notation.
  • Do not use “ ibid. ” or “ op. cit. ”.
  • We cannot accept PowerPoint files or files that are not readable by Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Language and text style

  • Symbols, abbreviations, and acronyms should be defined the first time they are used.
  • Up to three levels of subheadings may be used if warranted; please distinguish them clearly (bold for level one, bold and italic for level two, and italic for level three; each heading should be set off by a line break).
Show 1 more
  • Journal titles should be in italics; volume numbers should be in bold. (If there is no volume number, use the publication year in its place.) Do not place a comma before the volume number or before any parentheses.

Title page and author information

  • Note that affiliations should indicate the institution(s) where the work was performed.
  • Use commas (not “and”) to separate author names.
Show 1 more
  • Other symbols should be as follows, in order of appearance in the author list (note that the symbols are not superscripted): †, ‡, §, ¶, #, **, ††, ‡‡, etc. These symbols should appear after the numbered affiliations in the author list (e.g., T).

Manuscript structure

  • Research Article: Abstracts of Research Articles should explain to the general reader why the research was done, what was found and why the results are important.
  • This should be followed by an explanation of the OBJECTIVES/METHODS and then the RESULTS.
Show 6 more
  • The final sentence should outline the main CONCLUSIONS of the study, in terms that will be comprehensible to all readers.
  • The manuscript should start with a brief introduction describing the paper’s significance.
  • Every vertical column should have a heading, consisting of a title with the unit of measure in parentheses.
  • They should start with some brief BACKGROUND information: a sentence giving a broad introduction to the field comprehensible to the general reader, and then a sentence of more detailed background specific to your study.
  • The introduction should provide sufficient background information to make the article intelligible to readers in other disciplines and sufficient context so that the significance of the experimental findings is clear.
  • Clinical and preclinical studies should include a section titled Experimental Design at the beginning of the materials and methods in which the objectives and design of the study, as well as prespecified components, are described.

Article type and manuscript length

  • All data must be shown in either the main text or the supplementary materials or must be available in a permanent, publicly accessible repository.
  • The values for N, P, and the specific statistical test(s) performed for each experiment should be included in the appropriate figure caption or main text.
Show 3 more
  • This section can be referred to in the main text as “supplementary text” (reference note not required).
  • All figures should be called out in the main text.
  • In general, the supplementary materials may comprise: References only cited in the supplementary materials should be included at the end of the reference section of the main text, and the reference numbering should continue as if the supplementary materials are a continuation of the main text, with no duplicate entries.

Submission forms and permissions

  • If you are unable to obtain permission, the image cannot be used.
Save journal and get updates Download complete checklist

What your package checks

Abstract: 125 words
Declarations: Funding, Competing interests, Conflict of interest, Author contributions
Format: single spacing

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