Analytical Chemistry Formatting Requirements: Complete Author Guide

The abstract follows standard ACS conventions.

• Word limit: 250 words for Articles, 100 words for Letters and Technical Notes
• Structure: Unstructured single paragraph
• Citations: Not permitted
• Abbreviations: Only universally recognized analytical abbreviations (HPLC, GC-MS, LC-MS/MS) are allowed without definition

For an analytical chemistry paper, the abstract should state the analytical challenge, the method or approach, the key performance metrics (limit of detection, linear range, selectivity, throughput), and the application. Quantitative specifics matter enormously. "We developed a sensitive method for detecting pesticides" is useless. "We developed a paper-based SERS sensor detecting organophosphate pesticides at 0.8 ppb in water samples with 15-minute turnaround and 96% recovery" gives readers the data they need to evaluate whether the method is useful for their work.

Every Analytical Chemistry submission needs a TOC graphic. This is standard across ACS journals.

TOC graphic specifications:

• Dimensions: 3.25 inches wide by 1.75 inches tall (exact)
• Resolution: 300 DPI minimum
• File format: TIFF, EPS, or high-resolution PDF
• Single image (no multi-panel compositions)
• Minimal text (8 pt font minimum)
• No title, author names, or journal branding
• Color is free

For analytical chemistry papers, effective TOC graphics typically show a schematic of the analytical workflow, the sensing mechanism, or the instrument setup alongside a key result. Avoid trying to represent the entire method. Pick the single most innovative element and illustrate it clearly.

The TOC graphic is uploaded as a separate file in ACS Paragon Plus. Don't embed it in the manuscript. ACS Paragon Plus validates the dimensions automatically, but the editorial office checks the content quality.

Analytical Chemistry follows ACS figure standards. There's no formal figure cap for Articles.

Figure formatting requirements:

Analytical data figures: Analytical Chemistry has specific expectations for how analytical data is presented. Chromatograms should include labeled peaks with retention times. Spectra should show clear axis labels with units. Calibration curves must include the regression equation, R-squared value, and the number of data points. Signal-to-noise calculations should be visible when reporting limits of detection.

Table formatting: Editable tables, every column with a header. Horizontal rules only (top, below header, bottom). No vertical rules. Footnotes use superscript lowercase letters. Analytical Chemistry papers often include method comparison tables, and these should include figures of merit for each method compared.

Color figures: Free for both online and print publication at Analytical Chemistry.

Supporting Information: Compile into a single PDF. Additional data files (raw spectra, datasets) can be uploaded separately. There's no limit on Supporting Information content.

Analytical Chemistry uses the standard ACS reference system.

In-text citations: Superscript numbers in order of first appearance. Multiple citations: ^1,3^ or ^1-5^.

Reference list format:

(1) Author, A. B.; Author, C. D. Title of Article. Journal Abbreviation Year, Volume, Pages. DOI.

Key formatting details:

• Author names: Last name, then initials with periods
• Semicolons between authors
• Journal titles abbreviated per CASSI
• Year in italics after journal abbreviation
• Volume in bold
• DOI required when available

Example:

(1) Garcia, M. L.; Thompson, R. J.; Nakamura, K. Label-Free Detection of Cardiac Biomarkers Using Plasmonic Nanogap Sensors. Anal. Chem. 2026, 98, 5678-5687. DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b00789.

The achemso LaTeX package and ACS reference manager styles handle this formatting automatically. Don't manually edit reference manager output unless there's a clear error.

1. Method validation data is expected. Analytical Chemistry editors and reviewers expect rigorous method validation. For quantitative methods, you should report: limit of detection (with how it was calculated), limit of quantification, linear range, precision (intra-day and inter-day RSD), accuracy (recovery studies), and selectivity/specificity. Missing validation data is a top reason for rejection.

2. Real sample analysis is strongly preferred. Papers that only demonstrate a method on standard solutions without testing real samples (environmental water, biological fluids, food matrices) are frequently criticized. If your method hasn't been tested on real samples, explain why and acknowledge the limitation.

3. Comparison with existing methods. Analytical Chemistry expects a comparison table showing your method's performance against published alternatives. This table should include the analytical technique, LOD, linear range, analysis time, and sample type for each method compared. It's not optional; reviewers will ask for it if it's missing.

4. Supporting Information for raw data. The journal encourages authors to include raw analytical data (chromatograms, spectra, calibration data) in Supporting Information. This supports reproducibility and allows readers to evaluate data quality independently.

5. Author Information section. Following ACS convention, the Author Information section (not a standalone Acknowledgments section) houses corresponding author contact, ORCID iDs, author contributions, and conflict disclosures. Acknowledgments go within this section.

6. Instrument and reagent details. Analytical Chemistry expects specific instrument models, manufacturer names, and software versions. For reagents, include supplier, purity grade, and catalog number where relevant. This level of detail is more granular than most journals require.

7. Uncertainty and error reporting. All quantitative values should include uncertainty estimates. Report standard deviations or confidence intervals, not just mean values. Significant figures should be consistent with the measurement uncertainty.

A standard Analytical Chemistry Article follows this order:

1. Title (specific to the method and analyte)
2. Author names and affiliations
3. Abstract (250 words max)
4. Introduction (analytical challenge, current limitations, study goals)
5. Experimental Section (reagents, instrumentation, procedures)
6. Results and Discussion (method development, optimization, validation, real samples)
7. Conclusions (optional but common)
8. Author Information (contact, ORCID, contributions, conflicts, acknowledgments)
9. References
10. TOC Graphic (separate file)
11. Figures and Tables (at end or embedded)
12. Supporting Information (compiled PDF)

The Experimental Section at Analytical Chemistry tends to be more detailed than at most journals because reproducibility of analytical methods depends on exact conditions. Include column specifications, mobile phase compositions with exact volumes, flow rates, temperatures, detector settings, and software parameters.

These issues delay papers at Analytical Chemistry most frequently:

• Missing or incorrectly sized TOC graphic
• Incomplete method validation data (missing LOD calculation, recovery, precision)
• No comparison with existing methods
• Using square bracket references instead of ACS superscript style
• Placing Acknowledgments as a standalone section instead of in Author Information
• Insufficient experimental detail (missing instrument models, software versions)
• Reporting quantitative results without uncertainty estimates
• Full journal names in references instead of CASSI abbreviations

For more on publishing at this journal, check our Analytical Chemistry submission guide and how to avoid desk rejection at Analytical Chemistry. For journal metrics, see the Analytical Chemistry impact factor page.

For the official author guidelines, visit the Analytical Chemistry information for authors.

In our pre-submission review work with manuscripts targeting Analytical Chemistry, four patterns generate the most consistent desk-rejection outcomes.

Scope: application study without new analytical methodology. Analytical Chemistry's scope is new methods, new instrumentation, and fundamental analytical measurements. Studies that apply an existing, published analytical method to a new sample matrix or analyte set, without improving the method's performance, selectivity, sensitivity, or mechanistic understanding, are rejected for scope. The author guidelines state that submissions must provide "new or significantly improved methods for chemical analysis." A study demonstrating that a known HPLC method detects a biomarker in a new clinical matrix is an application, not a methodological advance.

TOC synopsis missing or exceeding 200 words. ACS Analytical Chemistry requires a TOC synopsis of up to 200 words describing the work in terms accessible to non-specialists, along with a TOC graphic (3.25 x 1.75 inches, 300 dpi). Submissions without a synopsis are flagged during ACS manuscript pre-check. Synopses that simply restate the abstract, exceed the word limit, or describe the application rather than the methodological advance do not meet the standard and are revised before acceptance.

Analytical figures of merit missing or incomplete. Analytical Chemistry reviewers specifically check whether limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantitation (LOQ), linear dynamic range, precision (intra- and inter-day RSD), and recovery are reported. For new sensors or detection methods, these figures of merit are mandatory, not optional. Manuscripts that report selectivity data and performance comparisons without LOD/LOQ are routinely asked to provide them in revision. Omitting figures of merit is the most common revision request at this journal.

Supporting Information not including full method validation data. ACS reviewers at Analytical Chemistry expect SI to contain the complete validation dataset: calibration curves, statistical analysis of replicate measurements, matrix effect data for biological samples, and stability data where relevant. A 3-page SI for a biosensor paper, or SI that shows representative spectra without numerical validation tables, generates major revision requests before the paper is accepted.

A Analytical Chemistry submission readiness check evaluates methodological novelty, synopsis compliance, figures of merit completeness, and validation data against these patterns.