Journal Submission Specifications: Word Limits, Figure Limits & Reference Caps
Journal submission requirements by journal vary much more than most authors expect, from NEJM's strict 3,000-word cap and 35-reference limit to PLOS ONE and eLife with no hard limits at all. This reference page replaces scattered author-instructions tabs with one searchable comparison table.
This table covers 57 journals. Word counts are for the main text unless otherwise noted and typically exclude abstract, methods, references, and figure legends, but definitions vary by journal. Always verify against current author instructions before submission.
Updated Feb 2026
Journal submission requirements by journal
Search, sort, and export article-type-specific submission limits across 57 journals, including word limits, abstract format, display-item allowances, reference caps, and supplementary-material rules.
13
Strict ≤3,000w
20
Moderate 3–6k words
22
Flexible 6k+ or none
22
Structured abstract
Journal submission requirements by journal
Filter by journal, article type, or format rule. Export the current view while building a submission-ready checklist for your manuscript.
Visible rows
58
Visible journals
57
Structured abstracts
58
| Journal | Article type | Word limit | Figures / tables |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood | Regular Article | ~5,000 | 7 total |
| BMC Medicine | Research Article | No strict limit | No strict limit |
| BMJ Open | Research Article | No strict limit | No strict limit |
| Brain | Original Article | ~4,000 | 6 total |
| Cancer Cell | Article | ~6,000–8,000 | 7 main figures |
| Cell | Article | ~6,000–8,000 | 7–8 main figures |
| Cell Host & Microbe | Article | ~5,000–7,000 | 7 main figures |
| Cell Metabolism | Article | ~5,000–7,000 | 7 main figures |
| Cell Reports | Report | ~6,500 | 7 total |
| Cell Stem Cell | Article | ~5,000–7,000 | 7 main figures |
| Circulation | Original Research | ~4,000 | 6 total |
| Circulation Research | Original Research | ~5,000 | 6 total |
| Current Biology | Article | ~4,500 | 6 main figures |
| Developmental Cell | Article | ~5,000–7,000 | 7 main figures |
| eLife | Research Article | No strict limit | No strict limit |
| European Heart Journal | Original Article | ~4,000 | 6 total |
| Frontiers in Immunology | Original Research | ~12,000 | 15 total |
| Gastroenterology | Full Research Article | ~5,000 | 6 total |
| Genome Biology | Research Article | No strict limit | No strict limit |
| GUT | Original Article | ~3,500 | 6 total |
| Hepatology | Original Article | ~4,500 | 6 total |
| Immunity | Article | ~6,000–8,000 | 7 main figures |
| JACC | Original Investigation | ~5,000 | 7 total |
| JAMA | Original Investigation | ~2,800 | 5 total |
| JAMA Cardiology | Original Investigation | ~2,800 | 5 total |
| JAMA Oncology | Original Investigation | ~2,800 | 5 total |
| Journal of Clinical Investigation | Research Article | ~6,000 | 8 total |
| Journal of Clinical Oncology | Original Report | ~4,000 | 5 total |
| Journal of Neuroscience | Research Article | ~10,000 | 10 total |
| Lancet | Article | ~3,000 | 5 total |
| Lancet Infectious Diseases | Article | ~3,000 | 5 total |
| Lancet Neurology | Article | ~3,000 | 5 total |
| Lancet Oncology | Article | ~3,000 | 5 total |
| Molecular Cell | Article | ~5,000–7,000 | 7 main figures |
| Molecular Psychiatry | Original Article | ~4,000 | 6 total |
| Nature | Article | ~3,000 (main text) | 6 display items |
| Nature Biotechnology | Article | ~3,000 | 6 display items |
| Nature Chemical Biology | Article | ~3,000 | 6 display items |
| Nature Communications | Article | ~4,500 | 10 display items |
| Nature Genetics | Article | ~3,000 | 6 display items |
| Nature Immunology | Article | ~3,500 | 8 display items |
| Nature Medicine | Article | ~3,000–5,000 | 6 display items |
| Nature Methods | Article | ~3,000 | 6 display items |
| Nature Neuroscience | Article | ~3,500 | 8 display items |
| Nature Structural & Molecular Biology | Article | ~3,000 | 6 display items |
| NEJM | Original Article | ~3,000 | 5 total |
| Neuron | Article | ~6,000–8,000 | 7–8 main figures |
| Nucleic Acids Research | Full Paper | ~7,000 | 10 total |
| PLOS Medicine | Research Article | ~3,000 | 5 total |
| PLOS ONE | Research Article | No strict limit | No strict limit |
| PNAS | Research Article | ~6,000 | 6 total (more with justification) |
| Science | Research Article | ~4,500 | 6–8 display items |
| Science | Report | ~2,500 | 4 display items |
| Science Advances | Research Article | ~7,000 | 7–8 display items |
| Science Translational Medicine | Research Article | ~4,500 | 8 display items |
| Scientific Reports | Article | No strict limit | No strict limit |
| The BMJ | Research Article | ~3,400 | 6 total |
| The EMBO Journal | Research Paper | ~7,000 | 7 main figures |
Patterns Worth Knowing
The 3,000-word club
The most prestigious clinical journals (NEJM, Lancet, JAMA, BMJ) are also some of the most restrictive on word count. Their 3,000-word limit covers the body text only; methods, abstract, references, and figure legends sit on top. The practical ceiling for a submission-ready manuscript to these journals is closer to 7,000–8,000 words total.
Cell Press vs. Nature: different philosophies
Cell Press journals (Cell, Neuron, Immunity, Cancer Cell) allow 6,000–8,000 word articles with extensive supplementary data: they expect full mechanistic stories. Nature family journals (Nature, Nature Medicine, Nature Genetics) cap main text at around 3,000 words but allow extensive supplements. Same prestige tier, opposite length philosophy.
Reference limits matter most at clinical journals
JAMA's 35-reference limit is strict and enforced. NEJM allows 70. Many basic science journals (PNAS, Genome Biology, eLife) have no limit. If you're coming from a basic science background and submitting to a clinical journal for the first time, the reference cap is the adjustment that catches most authors off guard.
Open-access journals are generally more flexible
PLOS ONE, eLife, Scientific Reports, BMJ Open, and BMC Medicine don't impose strict word or figure limits. This isn't lower standards. It's a different philosophy. The page cost concern that drove strict limits at traditional print journals simply doesn't apply when publication is digital and costs are covered by APCs.
References
- International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. Updated 2023. [icmje.org ↗]
- Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). (2017). Core Practices for journal publishers and editors. Retrieved February 2026. [publicationethics.org ↗]
- Springer Nature. Author submission guidelines. Retrieved February 2026. [springernature.com/authors ↗]
- PLOS ONE. Guidelines for authors. Retrieved February 2026. [journals.plos.org ↗]
- Cell Press. Author guidelines: general policies. Elsevier. Retrieved February 2026. [cell.com/author-guidelines ↗]
Version History
February 2026
Reviewed the submission-spec dataset against current publisher guidance, added structured export tools, and clarified article-type distinctions where journals use multiple formats.
December 2025
Expanded the reference table to 57 journals and organized limits by article type rather than a single journal-wide default.
Frequently Asked Questions
What word count limits apply to original research articles at top journals?
Word count limits vary considerably. Nature limits original research articles to 3,000 words of main text. Science allows 4,500 words. Cell allows 6,000-8,000 words depending on article type. NEJM original articles are capped at 3,400 words. JAMA research articles allow 3,000 words. Nature Communications and Scientific Reports are more permissive at 5,000-8,000 words. Always check the current author instructions for your specific article type - Brief Communications, Letters, and Short Reports have tighter limits than full Research Articles.
How many figures and tables are typically allowed?
Most top journals limit main-text figures to 5-6 for Letters or Brief Communications and 6-8 for full Research Articles. Nature allows 5 figures or tables in the main text; additional data can go in Extended Data (up to 10 items). Cell allows 7 figures. NEJM typically allows 4-5 tables or figures in the main text. Additional figures and tables belong in Supplementary Information. Reviewers and editors pay close attention to whether main-text figures are all essential - unnecessary figures are a common revision target.
What file formats do journals accept for manuscript and figure submission?
Most journals accept manuscripts in Microsoft Word (.docx) or LaTeX format via submission systems like Editorial Manager or ScholarOne. For figures, high-resolution TIFF (300-600 DPI for photographs, 600-1200 DPI for line art) is the most widely accepted format. PDF and EPS are also commonly accepted. Avoid low-resolution figures - they are a common cause of revision requests. For revision submissions, many journals also accept a tracked-changes Word document alongside the clean version.
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Manusights. (2026). Biomedical journal submission specifications: Word limits, figure limits, and reference caps. Retrieved from https://manusights.com/resources/journal-submission-specs
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