{
  "dataset": "Journal Submission Specifications",
  "publisher": "Manusights",
  "version": "2026.09.11-requirements1",
  "lastReviewed": "2026-09-11",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://manusights.com/resources/journal-submission-specs",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
  },
  "method": "A purposive reference set of eight journals, not a representative sample or a complete submission checklist. Each observation is paraphrased from the named official source section for one article type. Limits, recommendations, layout examples and explicit absence of a restriction remain distinct. Missing fields mean not verified in this edition, not unlimited. Observation dates do not establish when a policy took effect.",
  "evidenceBoundary": "Publisher instructions control. Recheck the exact article type, submission stage and any editor-specific instructions before submitting. Historical March 2026 unsourced cells are withheld from current tables and exports; they are not retroactively verified.",
  "journalCount": 3,
  "claimCount": 10,
  "claims": [
    {
      "id": "plos-one:research-article:main_text",
      "journalSlug": "plos-one",
      "journal": "PLOS ONE",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript submission",
      "field": "main_text",
      "label": "Main text",
      "value": "No word-count restriction",
      "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
      "scope": "Concise presentation is encouraged; abstract has a separate limit.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS ONE submission guidelines",
      "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "plos-one:research-article:abstract",
      "journalSlug": "plos-one",
      "journal": "PLOS ONE",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript submission",
      "field": "abstract",
      "label": "Abstract",
      "value": "At most 300 words",
      "strength": "limit",
      "scope": "No citations; follow any study-specific requirements.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS ONE submission guidelines",
      "sourceLocator": "Abstract",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "plos-one:research-article:display_items",
      "journalSlug": "plos-one",
      "journal": "PLOS ONE",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript submission",
      "field": "display_items",
      "label": "Figures and tables",
      "value": "No restriction on number of figures",
      "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
      "scope": "The cited statement names figures, not an independent table allowance.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS ONE submission guidelines",
      "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "plos-one:research-article:supplementary",
      "journalSlug": "plos-one",
      "journal": "PLOS ONE",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript submission",
      "field": "supplementary",
      "label": "Supporting material",
      "value": "No restriction on amount of supporting information",
      "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
      "scope": "File preparation instructions still apply.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS ONE submission guidelines",
      "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "plos-medicine:research-article:main_text",
      "journalSlug": "plos-medicine",
      "journal": "PLOS Medicine",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript preparation; format-free initial submission available",
      "field": "main_text",
      "label": "Main text",
      "value": "No word-count restriction",
      "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
      "scope": "The journal encourages concise reporting.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS Medicine submission guidelines",
      "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "plos-medicine:research-article:abstract",
      "journalSlug": "plos-medicine",
      "journal": "PLOS Medicine",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript preparation; format-free initial submission available",
      "field": "abstract",
      "label": "Abstract",
      "value": "300 words preferred; maximum 500",
      "strength": "conditional limit",
      "scope": "Structured: Background; Methods and Findings; Conclusions.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS Medicine submission guidelines",
      "sourceLocator": "Abstract",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "plos-medicine:research-article:display_items",
      "journalSlug": "plos-medicine",
      "journal": "PLOS Medicine",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript preparation; format-free initial submission available",
      "field": "display_items",
      "label": "Figures and tables",
      "value": "No restriction on number of figures",
      "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
      "scope": "The source does not separately state a table cap here.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS Medicine submission guidelines",
      "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "plos-medicine:research-article:supplementary",
      "journalSlug": "plos-medicine",
      "journal": "PLOS Medicine",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript preparation; format-free initial submission available",
      "field": "supplementary",
      "label": "Supporting material",
      "value": "No restriction on amount of supporting information",
      "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
      "scope": "Other submission and file requirements still apply.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS Medicine submission guidelines",
      "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "bmj:research:main_text",
      "journalSlug": "bmj",
      "journal": "The BMJ",
      "articleType": "Research",
      "stage": "Research article preparation",
      "field": "main_text",
      "label": "Main text",
      "value": "No fixed word-count limit",
      "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
      "scope": "Reported main-text count excludes abstract, references, tables, boxes and figures. Methods are not excluded by this definition.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.bmj.com/about-bmj/resources-authors/article-types",
      "sourceTitle": "The BMJ: Article types and preparation",
      "sourceLocator": "Research: Word count and style",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    },
    {
      "id": "bmj:research:abstract",
      "journalSlug": "bmj",
      "journal": "The BMJ",
      "articleType": "Research",
      "stage": "Research article preparation",
      "field": "abstract",
      "label": "Abstract",
      "value": "250 to 300 words; up to 400 for CONSORT or PRISMA abstracts",
      "strength": "conditional guidance",
      "scope": "Structured; use the study-appropriate headings.",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.bmj.com/about-bmj/resources-authors/article-types",
      "sourceTitle": "The BMJ: Article types and preparation",
      "sourceLocator": "Research: Structured abstract",
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null,
      "datasetVersion": "2026.09.11-requirements1"
    }
  ],
  "journals": [
    {
      "journalSlug": "plos-one",
      "journal": "PLOS ONE",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript submission",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS ONE submission guidelines",
      "claims": [
        {
          "field": "main_text",
          "value": "No word-count restriction",
          "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
          "scope": "Concise presentation is encouraged; abstract has a separate limit.",
          "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length"
        },
        {
          "field": "abstract",
          "value": "At most 300 words",
          "strength": "limit",
          "scope": "No citations; follow any study-specific requirements.",
          "sourceLocator": "Abstract"
        },
        {
          "field": "display_items",
          "value": "No restriction on number of figures",
          "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
          "scope": "The cited statement names figures, not an independent table allowance.",
          "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length"
        },
        {
          "field": "supplementary",
          "value": "No restriction on amount of supporting information",
          "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
          "scope": "File preparation instructions still apply.",
          "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length"
        }
      ],
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null
    },
    {
      "journalSlug": "plos-medicine",
      "journal": "PLOS Medicine",
      "articleType": "Research Article",
      "stage": "Manuscript preparation; format-free initial submission available",
      "sourceUrl": "https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/s/submission-guidelines",
      "sourceTitle": "PLOS Medicine submission guidelines",
      "claims": [
        {
          "field": "main_text",
          "value": "No word-count restriction",
          "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
          "scope": "The journal encourages concise reporting.",
          "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length"
        },
        {
          "field": "abstract",
          "value": "300 words preferred; maximum 500",
          "strength": "conditional limit",
          "scope": "Structured: Background; Methods and Findings; Conclusions.",
          "sourceLocator": "Abstract"
        },
        {
          "field": "display_items",
          "value": "No restriction on number of figures",
          "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
          "scope": "The source does not separately state a table cap here.",
          "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length"
        },
        {
          "field": "supplementary",
          "value": "No restriction on amount of supporting information",
          "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
          "scope": "Other submission and file requirements still apply.",
          "sourceLocator": "Style and Format: Length"
        }
      ],
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null
    },
    {
      "journalSlug": "bmj",
      "journal": "The BMJ",
      "articleType": "Research",
      "stage": "Research article preparation",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.bmj.com/about-bmj/resources-authors/article-types",
      "sourceTitle": "The BMJ: Article types and preparation",
      "claims": [
        {
          "field": "main_text",
          "value": "No fixed word-count limit",
          "strength": "explicitly unrestricted",
          "scope": "Reported main-text count excludes abstract, references, tables, boxes and figures. Methods are not excluded by this definition.",
          "sourceLocator": "Research: Word count and style"
        },
        {
          "field": "abstract",
          "value": "250 to 300 words; up to 400 for CONSORT or PRISMA abstracts",
          "strength": "conditional guidance",
          "scope": "Structured; use the study-appropriate headings.",
          "sourceLocator": "Research: Structured abstract"
        }
      ],
      "observedOn": "2026-09-11",
      "effectiveFrom": null
    }
  ],
  "revisions": [
    {
      "date": "2026-09-25",
      "note": "22 requirement observations for 5 journals, sourced from Elsevier and Elsevier / ScienceDirect and Cell Press and The Lancet and Nature Portfolio and JAMA Network pages, are left out of the downloads. They remain cited, with links, on the pages that use them."
    }
  ]
}