Length by article type
| Article type | Max words | Figures / tables | Fee type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original Research | 12,000 | Not specified | A |
| Brief Research Report | 4,000 | Up to 4 | B |
| Review / Systematic Review | 12,000 | Not specified | A |
| Mini Review | 3,000 | Up to 2 | B |
| Methods | 12,000 | Not specified | A |
| Hypothesis and Theory | 12,000 | Not specified | A |
| Perspective | 3,000 | Up to 2 | B |
| Case Report | 3,000 | Up to 4 display items | B |
| Data Report | 3,000 | Up to 2 | B |
| Opinion | 2,000 | Up to 1 | B |
| General Commentary | 1,000 | Up to 1 | B |
Word counts include the main text, footnotes and in-text citations. They exclude the abstract, section titles, figure and table captions, funding statement, acknowledgments and references. State word, figure and table counts on the first page.
Title and abstract
- Ideally the title states the main result or conclusion. Avoid bare questions, openers like "Towards" or "A characterization of", and vague phrases such as "Role of" or "Effect of" without saying what the role or effect is.
- Abstract: a single paragraph, structured for example along IMRAD, without references, figures or tables.
- Five to eight keywords.
What each section should do
- Introduction: succinct, with no subheadings.
- Materials and Methods: enough detail to repeat all procedures, including an ethics approval statement for animal or human research.
- Results: may use subheadings; no footnotes.
- Discussion: key findings, their novelty against prior research, limitations, how they advance current understanding, and future directions.
Formatting
- Word or LaTeX, using the Frontiers templates. Single-spaced, with page and line numbers.
- Avoid non-standard abbreviations unless they appear at least four times.
- Figures at 300 dpi in RGB, sized for one column (85 mm) or two columns (180 mm). Panel labels (A), (B) are added in typesetting, so do not embed them on the image.
- A 200-word scope statement explaining the fit to the journal and section is required at submission; it is not published.
References
- Frontiers journals use either Harvard (author-date) or Vancouver (numbered) style; check the Frontiers help center for which applies.
- List the first six authors, then et al., with DOIs where available.
- Only published or accepted work goes in the reference list. Check that no cited article has been retracted.
Using AI tools
Content produced or edited with generative AI must be acknowledged in the Acknowledgments, and in the Methods where applicable, naming the tool, version, model and source. Frontiers encourages uploading the prompts and outputs as supplementary files.
Fees
All articles are open access under CC-BY. Fees depend on the article type (A or B); see the journal's publishing fees page.
Draft your manuscript from your own figures
A 12,000-word limit leaves room, but Frontiers asks for a succinct introduction. PublicationGod drafts results from your confirmed figures and helps you keep each section focused.
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