MNRAS Formatting Requirements: Complete Author Guide

MNRAS abstracts are flexible in format but carry specific conventions rooted in astronomical tradition.

• Word limit: No strict cap (150-300 words is typical for main journal papers, ~100 for Letters)
• Structure: Unstructured (single paragraph or short paragraphs)
• Citations: Allowed but uncommon
• Keywords: Required. Listed after the abstract using MNRAS keyword categories.

• LaTeX math: Allowed in the abstract

MNRAS keywords are drawn from a controlled vocabulary specific to astronomy. The keyword line appears immediately after the abstract and uses the format:

\textbf{Key words:} galaxies: evolution, galaxies: high-redshift, cosmology: observations

Keywords are separated by double dashes (, ). Choose from the predefined MNRAS keyword list (available in the journal's Instructions to Authors). Don't invent custom keywords. The list covers major astronomical topics and is used for classification and indexing.

A convention in astronomy abstracts: quantitative results are expected. "We measure the stellar mass function at z = 2-3 and find a characteristic mass of log(M*/M_sun) = 10.8 +/- 0.2" is the level of specificity MNRAS readers expect. Vague abstracts that promise "interesting results" without numbers don't meet the standard.

MNRAS follows standard astronomical figure conventions with some specific requirements.

Figure specifications:

Color policy: MNRAS publishes online in full color at no charge, but the print edition is grayscale. This means you should design figures so they're interpretable in both color and black and white. Use different line styles (solid, dashed, dotted) in addition to colors to distinguish data series. If a figure relies on color for interpretation, add a note in the caption: "(colour version available in the online journal)."

Astronomical plotting conventions: MNRAS reviewers expect figures to follow community norms:

• Error bars on all data points (statistical, systematic, or both)
• Clear axis labels with units (e.g., "Flux density (mJy)" not just "Flux")
• Logarithmic scales where appropriate (magnitudes, luminosities, redshifts)
• Color bars for 2D density plots or images with appropriate labels
• Proper use of astronomical coordinate systems (RA/Dec, galactic coordinates)

Multi-panel figures: Very common in MNRAS. Label panels as (a), (b), (c) or with descriptive labels. Each panel needs explicit description in the caption.

Astronomical images: For telescope images, include orientation indicators (N/E arrows), scale bars (in arcseconds or physical units), and the instrument/filter information in the caption.

This is one of MNRAS's most distinctive requirements. Large data tables must be submitted in machine-readable format.

When it applies: Any table with more than approximately 20 rows should have a machine-readable version. Tables of catalog data, photometric measurements, spectroscopic parameters, or any large dataset fall under this requirement.

Format requirements:

• Plain text (ASCII) or CSV
• Column headers clearly labeled
• Units specified in the header
• Missing data marked consistently (e.g., -99.9 or NaN)
• A description of each column included as a header block

How it works in the manuscript: In the LaTeX manuscript, include a truncated version of the table (first 5-10 rows) with a note: "This table is available in its entirety in machine-readable form in the online journal. A portion is shown here for guidance regarding its form and content."

The machine-readable table is uploaded as a supplementary file during submission. It appears on the journal's website as a downloadable file alongside the article. This allows other researchers to use your data directly without manual transcription, which is a core principle of reproducible astronomy.

VizieR integration: MNRAS encourages authors to deposit large catalogs in the VizieR database at CDS (Centre de Donnees astronomiques de Strasbourg). Once deposited, VizieR provides a permanent URL and integrates the data into the astronomical data ecosystem. Reference the VizieR catalog number in the paper.

MNRAS uses an author-date (Harvard-style) citation system. This is a significant difference from most physics journals, which use numbered citations.

In-text citations:

• Single author: (Smith 2024)
• Two authors: (Smith & Jones 2024)
• Three or more: (Smith et al. 2024)
• Multiple citations: (Smith 2024; Jones et al. 2023)

Reference list format (alphabetical order):

Smith A. B., Jones C. D., Williams E. F., 2024, MNRAS, 528, 1234

Key formatting details:

• Author names: Last name, initials (no periods between initials).
• Comma between author groups.
• Year after author list.
• Journal abbreviation in italics (MNRAS, ApJ, A&A, etc.).
• Volume number in bold.
• First page or article number.
• No article titles in journal references (titles are included for books and theses).

The mnras.bst BibTeX style file handles all MNRAS reference formatting. Use it. The style file automatically omits article titles from journal references, bolds volume numbers, and formats author names correctly.

No article titles in journal references. This is a major MNRAS quirk that catches authors from other fields. Journal article references don't include the title of the cited paper. Only books, conference proceedings, theses, and technical reports include titles. If your BibTeX style is showing article titles, you're using the wrong .bst file.

ADS BibTeX entries: The astronomy community uses NASA's Astrophysics Data System (ADS) as the primary source for BibTeX entries. ADS provides correctly formatted BibTeX entries for virtually every astronomy paper. Use ADS exports with mnras.bst for error-free references.

There's no reference cap. Main journal papers typically cite 30 to 60 sources. Review-style papers may cite 100+.

MNRAS supports online-only supplementary material in addition to machine-readable tables.

Supported types:

• Extended figures and tables
• Machine-readable data files
• Appendices too long for the main paper
• Video and animation files
• Code scripts

Supplementary material is cited in the text and is peer-reviewed. It appears on the journal's website as downloadable files.

For large datasets (survey catalogs, simulation outputs), deposit in a public astronomy repository:

• CDS/VizieR: Standard for astronomical catalogs
• MAST: For HST, JWST, and other space telescope data
• IRSA: For infrared survey data
• Zenodo: For general scientific datasets

Cite the repository accession number or DOI in the paper. MNRAS expects that data underlying published figures and results be accessible to other researchers, either through supplementary files or repository deposition.

These are the details that experienced MNRAS authors know:

Left-aligned equations. MNRAS uses left-aligned (fleqn) equations, not centered. This is set by the fleqn option in the document class. Don't override this in your preamble.

Section numbering. MNRAS uses Arabic numerals for sections (1, 1.1, 1.1.1). The Introduction is Section 1. Conclusions typically come last, followed by Acknowledgements (British spelling) and References.

Acknowledgements spelling. MNRAS uses British English spelling: "Acknowledgements" (with the "e"). The LaTeX class defines a dedicated \section*{Acknowledgements} command. Don't use the American spelling "Acknowledgments."

Standard acknowledgement text. MNRAS papers that use specific facilities or datasets are expected to include standardized acknowledgement text. For example, papers using SDSS data should include the SDSS acknowledgement boilerplate. Papers using ESO data should acknowledge ESO. The relevant boilerplate text is available from each facility's website.

Data availability statement. Required for all MNRAS papers. This is a separate section (typically placed after Acknowledgements) stating how readers can access the data underlying the results. Options include supplementary material, public repositories, or "available upon request."

Author affiliation format. MNRAS uses numbered superscript affiliations linked to an affiliation list below the author names. The MNRAS LaTeX class handles this through \author and \affiliation commands.

Running header. The MNRAS class automatically generates a running header from the short title and author list. Provide these using \title[Short Title]{Full Title} and the appropriate author commands.

No "e.g.," or "i.e.," in italics. MNRAS house style sets "e.g." and "i.e." in roman (upright) type, not italics. The copy editors will change this if you italicize them.

Redshift notation. In astronomy, redshift is typically denoted as "z" (italicized). MNRAS expects consistent notation: "at $z = 2.5$" not "at z=2.5" or "at redshift 2.5."

1. Machine-readable tables. Any table with more than ~20 rows needs a machine-readable version. Authors regularly forget to prepare and upload these.

1. No article titles in journal references. The mnras.bst style omits titles from journal citations by design. Using a different BibTeX style that includes titles will be flagged.

1. British English spelling. MNRAS uses British conventions: "colour," "behaviour," "modelling," "analyse." The copy editors will change American spellings.

1. Colour figures readable in grayscale. The print edition is black and white. Figures that depend on color alone for interpretation will cause problems.

1. Data availability statement. This became mandatory in recent years, and older authors sometimes forget to include it.

In our pre-submission review work with manuscripts targeting Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, four patterns generate the most consistent desk-rejection outcomes.

Manuscript not prepared in LaTeX. MNRAS does not accept Word submissions. The journal requires LaTeX as the exclusive preparation format, using the mnras2e document class. The instructions to authors are explicit: "MNRAS only accepts manuscripts prepared using LaTeX." Authors who submit a Word document or a PDF without the accompanying LaTeX source are informed at the submission stage that reformatting is required before the paper can be processed. Authors unfamiliar with LaTeX are advised to use the journal's template, available through the Oxford University Press MNRAS author page.

Harvard author-date citation style not applied. MNRAS uses an author-date (Harvard) citation system, which differs from the numbered reference systems used in most physics journals. In-text citations appear as (Surname et al. Year) and the reference list is sorted alphabetically by first author surname. Using the MNRAS BibTeX style file (mnras.bst) handles this automatically. Manuscripts that use numbered citations throughout the text are not compatible with MNRAS style and require complete reference reformatting.

Large data tables not submitted in machine-readable format. MNRAS requires that tables exceeding approximately 20 rows be submitted in machine-readable plain text or CSV format in addition to the formatted LaTeX table in the manuscript. The machine-readable version is hosted online and linked from the published article for data reuse. Manuscripts with large data tables presented only in the LaTeX body, without a corresponding machine-readable file, are flagged for correction during production.

Color figures not designed to be interpretable in grayscale. MNRAS publishes color figures in the online edition at no cost, but the print edition uses black and white. Peer reviewers evaluate figures in their submitted color form, but production editors check whether figures remain interpretable when converted to grayscale. Manuscripts where data series are distinguished by color alone, without accompanying line styles, symbols, or patterns, are asked to revise the figures or add a note indicating color-only differentiation and the implication for print readers.

A MNRAS formatting and readiness check evaluates manuscript structure, LaTeX compliance, citation style, and data table requirements against these desk-rejection patterns before you submit.