Applied Sciences (Basel) Formatting Requirements: Complete Author Guide

Applied Sciences uses a straightforward abstract format.

• Word limit: Approximately 200 words

• Structure: Unstructured single paragraph

• Citations: Not permitted

• Abbreviations: Avoid non-standard abbreviations; define essential ones at first use

The abstract should state the problem, the methods, the key quantitative results, and the conclusions. MDPI abstracts tend to be functional and direct. Don't waste words on vague statements. Get to the point early and include specific numbers. "We investigated the properties of a composite material" should be replaced with "We fabricated a CNT/epoxy composite with 3 wt% filler loading, achieving a 47% increase in tensile strength and a 23% increase in thermal conductivity compared to neat epoxy."

Applied Sciences doesn't impose a strict figure limit, but figures should be relevant and necessary.

Figure formatting requirements:

Table formatting: MDPI uses a specific table style. Every column must have a header. Tables should be clean and simple, with horizontal rules at the top, below the header, and at the bottom. No vertical rules. Footnotes below the table use superscript numbers (not letters, as in some other publishers).

Color figures: Free for all MDPI journals. There's no charge for color in either the online or downloaded PDF versions.

Supplementary Materials: Additional data, figures, tables, and code can be uploaded as supplementary files. These are hosted alongside the article on the MDPI website. Label supplementary figures as Figure S1, S2, etc.

Applied Sciences uses the MDPI reference format, which is a numbered system with square brackets.

In-text citations: Square brackets: [1], [2,3], [4-7]. Numbers in order of first appearance.

Reference list format:

1. Last, F.I.; Last, F.I. Title of Article. Journal Name Year, Volume, Page Range.

Key formatting details:

• Author names: Last name, then first and middle initials (Last, F.I.)

• Semicolons between authors

• Article title in sentence case

• Journal name in italics, not abbreviated (this differs from most other publishers)

• Year follows journal name

• Volume in bold

• Page range (or article number for online-only journals)

• DOI required

Worked example (with MDPI emphasis markers):

1. Zhang, Y.; Chen, L.; Patel, W.R. Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of TiO2/Graphene Composites for Water Purification. *Applied Sciences* **2026**, *16*, 1234.

Important difference: MDPI uses full journal titles in italics, not abbreviations. This is one of the most distinctive features of the MDPI reference format and catches authors who are used to abbreviated journal names. "Applied Sciences" stays as "Applied Sciences," not "Appl. Sci."

MDPI template is mandatory. Applied Sciences won't accept manuscripts that aren't formatted using the MDPI template. This is strictly enforced. If you submit a manuscript in a generic format, it'll be returned immediately. Download the template before you start writing.

Two-column format for review. Unlike most journals, MDPI journals use a two-column formatted layout even for the review version. This means your manuscript will look close to the final published format during review. Don't fight the template; it's intentional.

Author contributions section required. Applied Sciences requires an Author Contributions section using the CRediT taxonomy. This must be included in the manuscript, not just submitted as a separate form.

Funding section is separate. Funding information must be listed in a dedicated "Funding" section, separate from Acknowledgments. Include grant numbers and funding bodies.

Data availability statement required. You must include a Data Availability Statement in the manuscript. MDPI provides standard templates: "Data are available on request," "Data are available in the Supplementary Materials," or custom statements for data deposited in repositories.

ORCID required for all authors. MDPI requires ORCID iDs for all authors, not just corresponding authors. This is more strict than most publishers. Make sure all co-authors have ORCID accounts before submission.

No supplementary-only results. MDPI journals expect that all essential results are in the main text. Supplementary materials should contain supporting data, not primary findings. Reviewers may flag papers where important results are only in supplementary files.

Open access and APCs. Applied Sciences is fully open access, and there's an article processing charge (APC) upon acceptance. The APC doesn't affect the formatting requirements, but it's worth knowing about before submission. MDPI offers waivers for authors from developing countries.

Special issue submissions. Many Applied Sciences publications are part of Special Issues, which are organized by guest editors. The formatting requirements are identical regardless of whether you're submitting to the open journal or a Special Issue.

A standard Applied Sciences research article follows this order:

The section structure is flexible. You can combine Results and Discussion, add subsections as needed, and adjust section titles to fit your content. Numbered sections are standard.

If you are migrating a manuscript from another publisher, these are the axes where Applied Sciences (MDPI) diverges most from the conventions you may carry over from Nature, Science, or JACS.

Source: MDPI, Nature Portfolio, AAAS, and ACS author guidelines, accessed June 2026.

For manuscripts targeting Applied Sciences (Basel), four patterns generate the most consistent desk-rejection outcomes.

MDPI template not used. Applied Sciences mandates the MDPI article template in either Word or LaTeX (mdpi.cls). Manuscripts formatted for ACS, Elsevier, Springer, or generic two-column formats are returned through the Susy system before peer review. The MDPI template enforces specific fonts, margins, section structure, and two-column review layout that are not reproducible by adapting another journal's template.

Reference list uses abbreviated journal titles. MDPI journals require full journal names in references (e.g., "Applied Sciences" not "Appl. Sci.", "Sensors" not "Sensors" abbreviated), which is the reverse of ACS, Elsevier, and most other publishers. Authors migrating a manuscript from an ACS or Elsevier journal commonly carry over abbreviated titles from their citation manager preset, causing an administrative return.

ORCID not provided for all authors. MDPI requires an ORCID iD for every listed author, not just the corresponding author. Submissions missing ORCID for any co-author are flagged during the technical check and returned before the editorial triage stage.

Cover letter omits subject area or academic editor suggestion. Applied Sciences handles a high volume of submissions across engineering, physics, chemistry, computer science, and biology. Cover letters that do not specify the relevant subject area or suggest an appropriate academic editor by name face slower triage and a higher rate of desk rejection for poor fit, as the editorial team cannot efficiently route the paper across so broad a multidisciplinary scope.

In our pre-submission review work, naming the matching Special Issue or section editor and stating the manuscript's primary subject category measurably shortens the technical-check-to-editor handoff and reduces scope-mismatch returns before peer review even begins.

A Applied Sciences (Basel) submission readiness check evaluates manuscript template compliance, reference formatting, ORCID completeness, and scope alignment against these desk-rejection patterns.