International Journal of Molecular Sciences Formatting Requirements: Complete Author Guide

IJMS keeps its abstract format simple and consistent across article types.

• Word limit: about 200 words maximum

• Structure: Single paragraph in the style of a structured abstract (background, methods, results, conclusion) but without headings

• Citations: Citations to previously published papers are not required in abstracts (MDPI style guide)

• Abbreviations: Define on first use within the abstract

An abstract of about 200 words should state the research question, describe the approach, present the main results with key data points, and briefly address significance. Don't start with generic background. Get to the point quickly.

MDPI journals display the abstract prominently on the article landing page, and it's the primary text used by indexing services. Make every word count.

Keywords: IJMS requires three to ten pertinent keywords, added after the abstract. Choose terms that are specific to the article yet reasonably common within the subject discipline, rather than broad field descriptors.

A detail specific to MDPI journals: keywords are displayed on the article page and used in the journal's search function. They're more visible than at Elsevier or Wiley journals, so treat them as a discovery tool, not just a formality.

IJMS doesn't publish a figure limit for research articles, and its aims and scope say there is no restriction on the number of electronic multimedia and supplementary files. The number of figures should be appropriate to the content.

Figure specifications:

MDPI-specific figure rules:

MDPI journals have a distinctive approach to figure placement. Figures should be inserted directly in the text at the point where they're first cited, not grouped at the end. This is different from most traditional journals and is part of MDPI's formatting template.

Each figure needs:

• A figure caption below the figure

• Caption starts with "Figure X." in bold, followed by the description

• Multi-panel figures labeled (a), (b), (c), etc.

• All panels explained in the caption

Table formatting:

• Tables are placed in-text, like figures

• Every column must have a header

• Table title goes above the table as "Table X." in bold

• Use the MDPI table style (minimal horizontal rules, no vertical rules)

• Footnotes below the table using superscript numbers

Graphical abstract: Optional for IJMS. If included, it should be a single image that visually summarizes the study. MDPI sets a minimum size of 560 × 1100 pixels (height × width) and accepts PNG, JPEG or TIFF files.

IJMS uses the MDPI reference style, which has several distinctive features that set it apart from Elsevier and Wiley formats.

In-text citations: Square brackets with numbers, e.g., [1], [2,3], [4-7]. Numbers assigned by order of first appearance.

Reference list format:

1. Author, A.B.; Author, C.D. Title of Article. Abbreviated Journal Name Year, Volume, Pages.

Key formatting details that make MDPI's style distinctive:

• Author names: Last name, then initials with periods (Smith, J.K.)

• Semicolons between authors (not commas)

• Journal titles are abbreviated (MDPI cites ISO 4 abbreviations; if you are unsure how to abbreviate a title, leave the full title and the Editorial Office will abbreviate it)

• Year, then volume, then page range (Abbreviated Journal Name Year, Volume, page range)

• DOIs are not mandatory but highly encouraged

• URLs included for web-based references with access dates (Available online: URL (accessed on Day Month Year))

MDPI cites journals with ISO 4 abbreviations, so a reference list exported with full journal titles may need adjusting. If you're using a citation manager, make sure it's configured for the MDPI style, not a generic numbered style. At first submission IJMS accepts any consistent reference style, and the journal guidelines apply from the revision stage.

MDPI provides style files for EndNote and Zotero, and the IJMS instructions recommend EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley or Reference Manager for preparing references (see the MDPI author instructions page). Use one of them. Manual formatting is impractical for papers with 30+ references.

IJMS uses MDPI's standard supplementary material system. Supplementary files are hosted on the MDPI website alongside the article and are freely accessible.

What goes in supplementary material:

• Extended methods and protocols

• Additional figures and tables

• Raw data files (Excel, CSV)

• Video files

• Code and scripts

• Questionnaires and survey instruments

MDPI supplementary formatting:

• Supplementary items are numbered sequentially (Figure S1, Table S1)

• Each item must have a caption

• Supplementary files may be in any format, but MDPI recommends common, non-proprietary formats where possible

• Citations and references in supplementary files are permitted provided they also appear in the main text and the reference list

MDPI has a strong emphasis on data transparency. IJMS encourages authors to make all underlying data available, either as supplementary files or through public repositories. The journal supports MDPI's Data Availability Statement policy, which requires specifying where data can be accessed.

Data Availability Statement: Mandatory for IJMS articles other than a few types (book review, editorial, obituary, correction, retraction, expression of concern). Placed at the end of the manuscript before Acknowledgments. MDPI provides recommended statements, for example:

• Data available in the article or supplementary material

• Data available on request from the corresponding author

• Data deposited in a publicly accessible repository

• No new data were created or analyzed

IJMS uses MDPI's Susy (Submission System) for online submission.

Cover letter: Required. IJMS states that a cover letter must be included with each manuscript submission. It should be concise, explain why the content of the paper is significant (placing the findings in the context of existing work), and explain why the manuscript fits the journal's scope. In it:

• Acknowledge any prior submissions of the manuscript to MDPI journals

• Include the two required statements (neither the manuscript nor any parts of its content are currently under consideration for publication with or published in another journal; all authors have approved the manuscript and agree with its submission to IJMS)

• Leave out reviewer names: enter your three suggested reviewers, and any excluded reviewers, in the submission system instead

Required submission components:

• Manuscript in Word or LaTeX (the MDPI template is encouraged; free format is accepted at first submission)

• All figure files (embedded in manuscript and/or separate high-resolution files)

• Supplementary material files

• Data Availability Statement (within the manuscript)

• Author Contributions statement (within the manuscript)

• Conflicts of Interest statement (within the manuscript)

• Funding statement (within the manuscript)

Author Contributions: IJMS requires a structured author contributions statement using CRediT-style categories. This is placed at the end of the manuscript, after the Conclusions and before the References.

Institutional Review Board statement: For studies involving human subjects, include the ethics approval information. For animal studies, include IACUC or equivalent approval. These are placed as formal statements at the end of the manuscript.

These are the formatting details that regular IJMS authors know:

The MDPI template is encouraged from day one. IJMS accepts free format submission and asks you to format to the journal guidelines at the revision stage, but the template shortens copy-editing and publication, so downloading it before you start writing saves a reformatting step.

Section numbering is built into the template. MDPI's template auto-numbers sections. Don't add manual numbering. The Instructions for Authors list the research manuscript sections as Introduction, Results, Discussion, Materials and Methods, Conclusions (optional), although the article-type description in the same document lists Materials and Methods before Results. Under free format submission the order is not enforced at first submission.

Materials and Methods can come after Discussion. In the template layout this is the opposite of most traditional journals. IJMS's manuscript-preparation list gives the order Introduction, Results, Discussion, Materials and Methods, Conclusions, while its article-type description lists Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions, so the documents differ. If you're used to writing IMRaD (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion), you can submit in that order under free format and restructure when asked.

In-text figure and table placement. Figures and tables go directly in the text at their first citation, not at the end of the manuscript. This is a distinctive MDPI requirement.

APC-based publishing model. IJMS is fully open access with an article processing charge. The APC covers all publication costs including color figures. Be aware of this cost structure before submitting.

Special Issue submissions. IJMS publishes many Special Issues. If submitting to a Special Issue, select the correct one during submission.

Even regular IJMS authors miss these:

1. Journal title abbreviations in references. MDPI cites journals with ISO 4 abbreviations; if you are unsure how to abbreviate a title, leave the full title and the Editorial Office will abbreviate it.

1. Section order. The manuscript-preparation list puts Materials and Methods after Discussion, while the article-type description puts it before Results; under free format submission the order is not enforced at first submission.

1. Template usage. The MDPI template is encouraged and speeds copy-editing; free format is accepted at first submission and the journal format is requested at the revision stage.

1. Data Availability Statement placement. It goes at the end of the manuscript, after the main text and before Acknowledgments. Don't put it in the supplementary material.

1. Author Contributions format. Use the structured format: "Conceptualization, A.B. and C.D.; methodology, A.B.; investigation, C.D.; writing, A.B." etc.

For manuscripts targeting International Journal of Molecular Sciences, four patterns generate the most consistent desk-rejection outcomes.

MDPI template not used. IJMS encourages the current MDPI Word or LaTeX template and accepts free format submission; the journal guidelines apply from the revision stage. The IJMS instructions point LaTeX users to the MDPI LaTeX template files. MDPI updates templates; authors should download the current version from the IJMS instructions page rather than reusing templates from previous submissions.

Abstract exceeds about 200 words or is not self-contained. The IJMS instructions give about 200 words maximum, as a single paragraph in the style of a structured abstract but without headings. MDPI's style guide says the abstract must be self-contained: abbreviations must be defined in it, no reference can be made to the bibliography or figures, and equations, figures and tables are not included. Citations to previously published papers are not required in abstracts.

ORCID iD not provided. MDPI's style guide strongly recommends that authors have an ORCID account; the iD can be added in the submission system and is shown in the published paper with an icon linking to the ORCID profile. The IJMS instructions do not list an ORCID iD as a submission requirement.

Journal names not abbreviated in the reference list. IJMS uses MDPI reference style, which cites journals with ISO 4 abbreviations, for example "Int. J. Mol. Sci." for this journal. Reference lists exported with full titles may need adjusting; if you are unsure how to abbreviate a title, leave the full title and the Editorial Office will abbreviate it.

A International Journal of Molecular Sciences submission readiness check evaluates manuscript structure, MDPI template compliance, abstract length, and reference format against these desk-rejection patterns before you submit.

For a manuscript-specific signal before you submit, run an International Journal Of Molecular Sciences submission readiness check.

Or see example reports before you finalize.