Cell Formatting Requirements: Complete Author Guide

Cell requires three separate summary elements. Missing any one of them will get your manuscript returned.

Summary (Abstract): 150 words maximum, unstructured single paragraph, no citations. Cell calls it the "Summary" rather than "Abstract."

Highlights: 3--4 bullet points, each limited to 85 characters including spaces. No abbreviations. Highlights appear prominently in the table of contents and search results, so each one should state a single, specific finding. "We identify a novel mechanism" is too vague. "CRISPR-Cas9 editing of BRCA1 restores homologous recombination in patient-derived organoids" is the right level of specificity.

eTOC Blurb: Approximately 50--80 words written in third person ("Smith et al. show that..." not "We show that..."). This appears in the electronic table of contents email sent to subscribers. Write it for a broad biology audience, not specialists. Cell's editorial team uses the eTOC Blurb and Highlights as source material for the "In Brief" summary they write for accepted articles.

All three elements should be submitted together in a single Word document, separate from the main manuscript text.

Graphical abstract (mandatory): Cell was one of the first top journals to require this. The graphical abstract must be exactly 1,200 x 1,200 pixels (square), submitted as a separate TIFF, PDF, or JPG file, with minimal text and self-explanatory without a legend. Cell's editors evaluate the graphical abstract during the initial editorial screen, a poorly designed one can contribute to desk rejection. Use BioRender or Adobe Illustrator, not PowerPoint screenshots.

Multi-panel figures: Cell papers typically use dense multi-panel figures with 4--8 panels each. There's no explicit panel limit, but readability matters. Supplementary figures must meet the same resolution standards as main figures and go through full peer review.

Color is free and expected. Cell doesn't charge for color figures and actively expects high-quality color presentation. Consistent color schemes across figures are strongly encouraged.

Cell uses numbered superscript citations. In-text: superscript numbers (e.g., "as previously reported^1,2,3"). Ranges condense (e.g., ^1-5).

Reference list format:

1. Author, A.B., Author, C.D., and Author, E.F. (Year). Title of article. Journal Abbreviation Volume, Pages.

Key formatting details:

• Full author list up to 10 authors; use "et al." after the 10th
• Year in parentheses immediately after the author list
• Article title included (some numbered styles omit titles; Cell doesn't)
• Journal name abbreviated per ISO 4
• Volume number in italic
• No DOI in the reference list
• "and" before the last author, not "&"

The reference cap for Articles is approximately 80 (soft limit, exceeding 100 will likely prompt an editorial request to trim). Short Articles should stay around 40. Preprint references are allowed but must include "(preprint)" after the title and the DOI to the preprint server. Editors may ask you to update preprint references to published versions during revision.

Cell's supplementary content is structured differently from Nature or Science.

Supplementary Figures: Up to 7 supplementary figures (labeled S1--S7), compiled into a single supplementary PDF with legends. Short Articles allow up to 4 supplementary figures but up to 8 total supplemental items including tables and videos. All supplementary figures go through full peer review and must meet the same resolution standards as main figures.

Supplementary Tables: Submit as Excel files (preferred for large datasets) or as part of the supplementary PDF.

Data and Code Deposits: Cell requires all data underlying the paper to be deposited in appropriate public repositories, with accession numbers in the Key Resources Table. Cell Press partners with Mendeley Data for supplementary dataset hosting, which generates a DOI linked to the article.

STAR Methods (Structured, Transparent, Accessible Reporting) replaced traditional Materials and Methods in 2016 and is mandatory for all Cell research articles. It's one of the journal's most distinctive features.

An important practical detail from Cell Press: your manuscript does not need to follow STAR Methods format at initial submission. If your paper is accepted, your handling editor will work with you to format the STAR Methods section. That said, submitting with STAR Methods already formatted signals familiarity with the journal.

STAR Methods are divided into five standard headings:

1. Resource Availability (three mandatory subheadings)

• Lead contact (name and email)
• Materials availability (reagent sharing statement)
• Data and code availability (repository accession numbers, DOIs)

1. Experimental Model and Subject Details (when appropriate)

• Cell lines, animal models, human subjects with full provenance

1. Method Details (required)

• Full experimental procedures, organized with up to two levels of subheadings

1. Quantification and Statistical Analysis (when appropriate)

• All statistical tests, software, sample sizes, significance thresholds

1. Additional Resources (when appropriate)

• Any supplementary methodological information

Key Resources Table (KRT): The centerpiece of STAR Methods and entirely unique to Cell Press. The KRT is a structured table listing every reagent, antibody, cell line, organism, software tool, algorithm, chemical, peptide, recombinant DNA, deposited data, and other resource used in the study. Each entry includes the resource name, source, and identifier (catalog number, RRID, accession number, URL). RRIDs are required for antibodies, cell lines, organisms, and software. The KRT template is available from the Cell Press author guidelines.

All original code must be deposited in a repository that mints DOIs (GitHub + Zenodo, for example) or included in supplemental information before acceptance.

STAR Methods are part of the article, not supplementary. Unlike Science (where Methods go to SM) or Nature (where Methods go after references), Cell's STAR Methods appear at the end of the paper after acknowledgments and references. They're fully searchable, fully citable, and appear in the PDF.

Figure legends go in a dedicated section. Don't place legends directly under figures. They go in their own section after the main text.

Transparent peer review is opt-in. Cell offers transparent peer review where reviewer reports and author responses are published alongside the article. If you opt in, format your response to reviewers knowing it will be public.

Lead contact vs corresponding author. One author must be designated as the lead contact in STAR Methods, handling all post-publication correspondence. This is separate from (but can overlap with) the corresponding author.

Correspondence section at submission. Cell doesn't require a standalone cover page. Submission metadata is entered through the Cell Press online system. Titles should be informative and specific with no abbreviations, Cell titles tend to be 15-20 words. Up to 2 corresponding authors with email addresses. A cover letter is strongly recommended and should explain why Cell is the appropriate venue.

Cell Press multi-journal submission. Cell Press offers a multi-journal submission option. If Cell declines your paper, editors can recommend it to a sibling journal (Cell Reports, Cell Stem Cell, etc.) without requiring reformatting. This is worth knowing when preparing your initial submission, formatting for Cell automatically covers most Cell Press journals.

Cell's formatting demands are heavier than most journals, but that's because Cell publishes data-rich papers that need structured presentation. Getting the format right signals to editors that you understand the journal. If you want to check your manuscript's readiness before submitting, Cell submission readiness check to identify formatting and structural issues that lead to desk rejection.

For the full formatting specifications and templates, see the Cell author guidelines.

If you're weighing Cell against other top journals, our guides on Nature formatting requirements and Science formatting requirements offer direct comparisons.

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

STAR Methods incomplete or not properly structured. Cell's author guidelines mandate the STAR Methods format with fixed section headers: Resource Availability, Experimental Model and Study Participant Details, Method Details, and Quantification and Statistical Analysis. The guidelines further require a Key Resources Table listing all key reagents, antibodies, cell lines, software, and datasets with catalog numbers and identifiers. Manuscripts that use a conventional Materials and Methods section, omit the Key Resources Table, or use non-standard STAR Methods headers are returned before editorial assessment. The STAR Methods section must appear after the references and is a fully peer-reviewed part of the manuscript.

Highlights missing or not meeting character limits. Cell requires 3-5 bullet-point Highlights, each no longer than 85 characters including spaces. Highlights appear in the table of contents and email alerts. Highlights that are too long, too vague ("We identify a new mechanism"), or fewer than 3 bullets trigger administrative review. The Cell guidelines specify that Highlights should convey the core findings, not restate the title.

Graphical abstract repurposed from a figure panel. Cell requires a 1,200 x 1,200 pixel graphical abstract in TIFF or EPS format with minimal text, submitted as a separate file. The guidelines distinguish this from figure panels: it should be a purpose-built schematic summarizing the study's conceptual contribution. Cropped or scaled figure panels submitted in place of a graphical abstract are flagged during technical check and require resubmission.

Correlative data without mechanistic validation. Cell's editorial guidelines state that papers must advance mechanistic understanding, not just report correlations. The author checklist asks whether the study provides "genetic, biochemical, or pharmacological evidence" for the proposed mechanism. Studies that identify correlations without genetic knockouts, rescue experiments, or equivalent mechanistic evidence are desk rejected regardless of the correlation's statistical strength.

A Cell submission readiness check evaluates STAR Methods completeness, Highlights format, graphical abstract compliance, and mechanistic evidence quality against these patterns.