How to submit your manuscript for the first time

 

Preparing your manuscript

Navigate to view complete instructions for each manuscript category by clicking the appropriate link below.

 

Research manuscripts — first submissions

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Research manuscripts provide substantial new mechanistic insights into biology and disease using preclinical models as well as materials and data derived from humans. These manuscripts are complete descriptions of studies of scientific importance and broad interest to the JCI readership.

Formatting requirements

  • Recommended length, 9,000 words; maximum, 12,000 (all text inclusive of title page, full text, references, figure legends, and tables)
  • Double-spacing throughout, including references and tables; figure legends may be single spaced if necessary to keep a figure and its legend on the same page
  • All pages are numbered
  • Standard JCI abbreviations and acronyms may be used without definition; all others are defined at first mention (with the abbreviated form appearing in parentheses) and used without definition thereafter.
  • Gene and protein names and symbols conform to official NCBI Gene Nomenclature and are presented according to Journal style.
  • Graphs of quantitative data are presented in a manner that clearly shows the distribution of data and variation, as either dot plots or box-and-whisker plots (see Figures).

Note: After reviewing this section, authors are strongly encouraged to read Editorial policies and practices.

Content of Research manuscripts

Ensure that each section begins on a new page.

  • Title page

    • Manuscript title
      • Clear, concise, and limited to 15 words, including conjunctions
      • Refers to the relevant disease or disease model studied
      • No subtitles, colons, periods, or nonstandard abbreviations
    • Authors and affiliations
      • Full names of all authors (for example, “Jane L. Doe”); no titles, honorifics, degrees, or certifications
      • List of authors’ affiliations (departments, institutions, and locations, but not mailing addresses) during the period when the work was performed
      • Affiliation footnotes assigned consecutively using superscript numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.)
      • Corresponding author’s complete name, address, telephone number (including country code, where applicable), and email address
      • Consortium/study groups shown as authors (e.g., CARDIoGRAM Consortium: Unless the members of each group appear as authors, list each individual member and their affiliation in the supplemental material.
      • In an unnumbered footnote, clearly indicate any instances of shared senior or first authorship or of equal contributions.
      • For manuscripts with 2 or more co–first authors, state the method used to assign the authorship order among these authors in Author contributions.
    • Conflict-of-interest statement
      • A statement consistent with the Journal’s conflict-of-interest policy. If no author has a conflict, state: “The authors have declared that no conflict of interest exists.”

  • Abstract

    • Abstract of no more than 200 words stating the rationale, objectives, findings, and conclusions of the manuscript in a single paragraph without subheads
    • No primary data or references
    • Define all nonstandard abbreviations at first use

  • Graphical abstract (optional)

  • Main text

    • Introduction
    • Results
    • Discussion
    • Methods
      • Sex as a biological variable. For studies involving humans and/or animal models, include a paragraph at the beginning of Methods that details how the study design accounted for sex as a biological variable. Indicate which sex(es) were involved; if only one sex was involved, provide a rationale for this and explain whether the findings are expected to be relevant for more than one sex. If sex was not considered as a biological variable, state this in the paragraph. See Editorial policies and practices for examples.
      • Statistics. Methods of statistical analysis summarized in a stand-alone paragraph located near the end of Methods (right BEFORE “Study approval”).
      • Study approval. Declaration of approval of human and animal studies by the appropriate institutional review board(s) in a stand-alone paragraph titled “Study approval” (right BEFORE “Data availability”). For human studies, include a statement indicating that written informed consent was received prior to participation. For photographs of patients, authors must provide a separate statement specifically indicating that written informed consent was received for the use of the photographs and that the record of informed consent has been retained. In general, images of faces should not be shown unless essential to the clinical message.
      • Data availability. In a paragraph at the end of Methods, specify how underlying data and supporting analytic code for the article can be accessed. See Editorial policies for details.

  • Author contributions

    • Specify the contribution of each author (identified by initials) to the work.
    • Examples: designing research studies, conducting experiments, acquiring data, analyzing data, providing reagents, writing the manuscript
    • Multiple contributions may be listed for a single individual, and more than one author may be associated with a single contribution.
    • For manuscripts with 2 or more co–first authors, state the method used to assign the authorship order among these authors. For details, see the related JCI Editorial.

  • Acknowledgments

    • State sources of support in the form of grants, equipment, or drugs.
    • Other appropriate acknowledgments (for example, of other scientists for help or advice) may also be included.

  • References

  • Figures

    • See “How to prepare figures for submission”
    • Graphs of quantitative data
      • Presented in a manner that clearly shows the distribution of data and variation, as either:
        • Dot plots, with the average and appropriate error bars indicated; OR
        • Box-and-whisker plots, with values defined in the legend (bounds of the boxes, lines within the boxes, whiskers, and any outlying values)
    • Blot and gel images
      • Authors of new submissions that contain cropped blot/gel images are encouraged, but not required, to submit a file that contains the unedited images for all cropped blots and gels in their entirety. Each image should be annotated as “Full unedited blot/gel for Figure [X],” with the lanes corresponding to those shown in the cropped images clearly indicated. This file should be uploaded separately from any supplemental material. For revised submissions, this file is required. Note: Effective January 1, 2024, the full unedited blot/gel data will be published if the manuscript is ultimately accepted for publication.

  • Tables

  • Supplemental material

    • Supplemental material may include figures, tables, videos, or appendices but excludes large data sets.
    • Combine supplemental material (except videos and spreadsheets) into a single PDF.
    • Before submission, carefully review all files; they will not be checked by a copy editor. The JCI is not responsible for any errors contained in data supplements.
    • In the case of accepted articles, the supplemental material will be posted online along with the final published article.

  • Other accompanying files

    • Supporting data values: A single XLS file that provides all data in the manuscript and supplement represented in graphs and as mean ± standard deviation. Provide values for each applicable figure panel in a separate tab in the XLS file. This document will be published if the submission is ultimately accepted for publication. For details, see How to prepare a Supporting Data Values file.
 

Clinical Research and Public Health manuscripts — first submissions

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Clinical Research and Public Health manuscripts report findings derived from human participants, ranging from studies with a small number of patients to large-cohort population-based studies. Manuscripts should inform our understanding of disease pathogenesis, therapeutics, diagnosis, or prevention. Reports of interest include clinical trials, observational analyses, epidemiological studies, health disparities research, outcomes research, and implementation research.

In accordance with Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals, issued by the International Committee for Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), authors must provide specific information regarding the ethical treatment of research participants, patient consent, patient privacy, protocols, authorship, and competing interests.

Required supporting materials

  • Conflict of interest documentation: ICMJE uniform disclosure forms are required for all authors and should be uploaded as supplemental material.
  • Declaration of institutional review board approval and informed patient consent.
  • Flow diagrams and checklists appropriate to study type: include the appropriate flow diagram as a figure in the manuscript and the corresponding checklist in the supplemental material. Consult the Equator Network for a list of reporting guidelines for each study type.
    • Authors of observational studies should include a flow diagram describing the study design and included patients.
  • For clinical trials, clinical trial registry and trial registration number must be included in the manuscript.
  • Declaration of institutional review board approval and informed patient consent must be included in the Methods of the manuscript.

Formatting requirements for Clinical Research and Public Health manuscripts

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  • Recommended length, 9,000 words; maximum, 12,000 (all text inclusive of title page, full text, references, figure legends, and tables).
  • Double-spacing throughout, including references and tables; figure legends may be single spaced if necessary to keep a figure and its legend on the same page.
  • All pages are numbered.
  • Standard JCI abbreviations and acronyms may be used without definition; all others are defined at first mention (with the abbreviated form appearing in parentheses) and used without definition thereafter.
  • Gene and protein names and symbols conform to official NCBI Gene Nomenclature and are presented according to Journal style.
  • Graphs of quantitative data are presented in a manner that clearly shows the distribution of data and variation, as either dot plots or box-and-whisker plots (see Figures).

Note: After reviewing this section, authors are strongly encouraged to read Editorial policies and practices.

Content of Clinical Research and Public Health manuscripts

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Ensure that each section begins on a new page.

  • Title page

    • Manuscript title
      • Clear, concise, and limited to 15 words, including conjunctions
      • Refers to the relevant disease or disease model studied
      • No subtitles, colons, periods, or nonstandard abbreviations
    • Authors and affiliations
      • Full names of all authors (for example, “Jane L. Doe”); no titles, honorifics, degrees, or certifications
      • List of authors’ affiliations (departments, institutions, and locations, but not mailing addresses) during the period when the work was performed.
      • Affiliation footnotes assigned consecutively using superscript numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.)
      • Corresponding author’s complete name, address, telephone number (including country code, where applicable), and email address.
      • Consortium/study groups shown as authors (e.g., CARDIoGRAM Consortium): Unless the members of each group appear as authors, list each individual member and their affiliation in the supplemental material.
      • In an unnumbered footnote, clearly indicate any instances of shared senior or first authorship or of equal contributions.
      • For manuscripts with 2 or more co–first authors, state the method used to assign the authorship order among these authors in Author contributions.
    • Conflict-of-interest statement
      • A statement consistent with the Journal’s conflict-of-interest policy. If no author has a conflict, state: “The authors have declared that no conflict of interest exists.”

  • Structured abstract

    • Maximum 250 words
    • Study information summarized in the following sections:
      • Background. Provide context or background for the study and state the study’s primary objective or hypothesis in 1–2 sentences.
      • Methods. Describe the basic procedures used during the study, including selection of study participants and observational and analytical methods. Define the primary outcomes that were measured for each group of subjects.
      • Results. Summarize the main findings, including specific effect sizes and their statistical significance, if possible. Include (if relevant) the number of participants in each group, the primary outcome for each group, and any significant adverse events or side effects.
      • Conclusion. In 1–2 sentences, state the principal conclusions, emphasizing new and important aspects of the study or observations.
      • Trial registration. List the public registry and trial registration number, e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00950003.
      • Funding. List all sources.

  • Graphical abstract (optional)

  • Main text

    • Introduction
    • Results
    • Discussion
    • Methods
      • Sex as a biological variable. For studies involving humans and/or animal models, include a paragraph at the beginning of Methods that details how the study design accounted for sex as a biological variable. Indicate which sex(es) were involved; if only one sex was involved, provide a rationale for this and explain whether the findings are expected to be relevant for more than one sex. If sex was not considered as a biological variable, state this in the paragraph. See Editorial policies and practices for examples.
      • Statistics. Methods of statistical analysis summarized in a stand-alone paragraph.
      • Study approval. Declaration of approval of human and animal studies by the appropriate institutional review board(s) in a stand-alone paragraph titled “Study approval” (right BEFORE “Data availability”). For human studies, include a statement indicating that written informed consent was received prior to participation. For photographs of patients, authors must provide a separate statement specifically indicating that written informed consent was received for the use of the photographs and that the record of informed consent has been retained. In general, images of faces should not be shown unless essential to the clinical message.
      • Data availability. In a paragraph titled “Data availability,” specify how underlying data and supporting analytic code for the article can be accessed. See Editorial policies for details.

  • Author contributions

    • Specify the contribution of each author (identified by initials) to the work.
    • Examples: designing research studies, conducting experiments, acquiring data, analyzing data, providing reagents, writing the manuscript
    • Multiple contributions may be listed for a single individual, and more than one author may be associated with a single contribution.
    • For manuscripts with 2 or more co–first authors, state the method used to assign the authorship order among these authors. For details, see the related JCI Editorial.

  • Acknowledgments

    • State sources of support in the form of grants, equipment, or drugs.
    • Other appropriate acknowledgments (for example, of other scientists for help or advice) may also be included.

  • References

  • Figures

    • See “How to prepare figures for submission”
    • Graphs of quantitative data
      • Presented in a manner that clearly shows the distribution of data and variation, as either:
        • Dot plots, with the average and appropriate error bars indicated; OR
        • Box-and-whisker plots, with values defined in the legend (bounds of the boxes, lines within the boxes, whiskers, and any outlying values)
      • Blot and gel images
        • Authors of new submissions that contain cropped blot/gel images are encouraged, but not required, to submit a file that contains the unedited images for all cropped blots and gels in their entirety. Each image should be annotated as “Full unedited blot/gel for Figure [X],” with the lanes corresponding to those shown in the cropped images clearly indicated. This file should be uploaded separately from any supplemental material. For revised submissions, this file is required. Note: Effective January 1, 2024, the full unedited blot/gel data will be published if the manuscript is ultimately accepted for publication.

  • Tables

  • Supplemental material

    • Supplemental material may include figures, tables, videos, or appendices but excludes large data sets.
    • Combine supplemental material (except videos and spreadsheets) into a single PDF.
    • Before submission, carefully review all files; they will not be checked by a copy editor. The JCI is not responsible for any errors contained in data supplements.
    • In the case of accepted articles, the supplemental material will be posted online along with the final published article.

  • Other accompanying files

    • Supporting data values: A single XLS file that provides all data in the manuscript and supplement represented in graphs and as mean ± standard deviation. Provide values for each applicable figure panel in a separate tab in the XLS file. This document will be published if the submission is ultimately accepted for publication. For details, see How to prepare a Supporting Data Values file.
 

Research Letter manuscripts — first submissions

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Research Letter manuscripts are focused reports of an original preclinical or clinical research finding of exceptional interest to the JCI readership. They are limited to 1,200 words — including the title page, main text, references, and figure legend or table — and 1 display item (figure or table).

Note: For clinical studies, where applicable, authors must provide specific information regarding the ethical treatment of research participants, patient consent, patient privacy, protocols, authorship, and competing interests. This is in accordance with Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals, issued by the International Committee for Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).

Formatting requirements

  • Maximum length, 1,200 words (all text including title page, main text, references, and figure legend or table). See below for Acknowledgments.
  • Limit of 1 display item (1 figure or 1 table)
  • Double-spacing throughout, including references and table (if applicable)
  • All pages numbered
  • Standard JCI abbreviations and acronyms may be used without definition; all others are defined at first mention (with the abbreviated form appearing in parentheses) and used without definition thereafter.
  • Gene and protein names and symbols conform to official NCBI Gene Nomenclature and are presented according to Journal style.
  • Supplemental material: maximum 4 display items (tables or figures)
  • Graphs of quantitative data are presented in a manner that clearly shows the distribution of data and variation, as either dot plots or box-and-whisker plots (see Figures).

Note: After reviewing this section, authors are strongly encouraged to read Editorial policies and practices.

Content of Research Letter manuscripts

  • Main text

    • Ensure that each section begins on a new page.

  • Title page

    • Manuscript title
      • Clear, concise, and limited to 15 words, including conjunctions
      • No subtitles, colons, periods, or nonstandard abbreviations
    • Authors and affiliations
      • Full names of all authors (for example, “Jane L. Doe”); no titles, honorifics, degrees, or certifications
      • List of authors’ affiliations (departments, institutions, and locations, but not mailing addresses)
      • Affiliation footnotes assigned consecutively using superscript numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.)
      • Corresponding author’s complete name, address, telephone number (including country code, where applicable), and email address
      • For manuscripts with 2 or more co–first authors, state the method used to assign the authorship order among these authors.
    • Conflict-of-interest statement
      • A statement consistent with the Journal’s conflict-of-interest policy. If no author has a conflict, state: “The authors have declared that no conflict of interest exists.”

  • Body text

  • References

  • Figure or Table

    • See “How to prepare figures for submission”
    • See "How to prepare tables for submission"
    • Figure does not exceed ¾ page in size
    • Graphs of quantitative data
      • Presented in a manner that clearly shows the distribution of data and variation, as either:
        • Dot plots, with the average and appropriate error bars indicated; OR
        • Box-and-whisker plots, with values defined in the legend (bounds of the boxes, lines within the boxes, whiskers, and any outlying values)
    • Figure legend: maximum 250 words
    • Table must fit on a single page in portrait orientation

  • Supplemental material

    • Maximum 4 display items (tables or figures)
    • Methods may appear in the supplemental material. Ensure that the following subsections are provided.
      • Sex as a biological variable. For studies involving humans and/or animal models, include a paragraph in the main text or supplemental material that details how the study design accounted for sex as a biological variable. Indicate which sex(es) were involved; if only one sex was involved, provide a rationale for this and explain whether the findings are expected to be relevant for more than one sex. If sex was not considered as a biological variable, state this in the paragraph. See Editorial policies and practices for examples.
      • Statistics. Methods of statistical analysis summarized in a stand-alone paragraph located near the end of Methods (right BEFORE “Study approval”).
      • Study approval. Declaration of approval of human and animal studies by the appropriate institutional review board(s) in a stand-alone paragraph titled “Study approval” (right BEFORE “Data availability”). For human studies, include a statement indicating that written informed consent was received prior to participation. For photographs of patients, authors must provide a separate statement specifically indicating that written informed consent was received for the use of the photographs and that the record of informed consent has been retained. In general, images of faces should not be shown unless essential to the clinical message.
      • Data availability. In a paragraph at the end of Methods, specify how underlying data and supporting analytic code for the article can be accessed. See Editorial policies for details.
      • Acknowledgments. State sources of support in the form of grants, equipment, or drugs. Other appropriate acknowledgments (for example, of other scientists for help or advice) may also be included.

  • Other accompanying files (if applicable)

    • Supporting data values: A single XLS file that provides all data in the manuscript and supplement represented in graphs and as mean ± standard deviation. Present values for each applicable figure panel in a separate tab in the XLS file. This document will be published if the submission is ultimately accepted for publication. For details, see How to prepare a Supporting Data Values file.
    • Blot and gel images: Authors of new submissions that contain cropped blot/gel images are encouraged, but not required, to submit a file that contains the unedited images for all cropped blots and gels in their entirety. Each image should be annotated as “Full unedited blot/gel for Figure [X],” with the lanes corresponding to those shown in the cropped images clearly indicated. This file should be uploaded separately from any supplemental material. For revised submissions, this file is required. The full unedited blot/gel data will be published if the manuscript is ultimately accepted for publication.
 

Letter to the Editor manuscripts — first submissions

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Letter to the Editor manuscripts comment on a recent JCI research article and must be of substantial impact and interest to the general readership. They are limited to 850 words — including title page, main text, references, figure legend or table — and 1 display item (figure or table). Submission must occur within 1 month of the date of the issue in which the original article was published; the authors of the JCI article are provided the opportunity to respond.

Formatting requirements

  • Maximum length, 850 words (all text including title page, full text, references, and figure legend or table)
  • Double-spacing throughout, including references and table (if applicable)
  • All pages numbered
  • Standard JCI abbreviations and acronyms may be used without definition; all others are defined at first mention (with the abbreviated form appearing in parentheses) and used without definition thereafter.
  • Gene and protein names and symbols conform to official NCBI Gene Nomenclature and are presented according to Journal style.
  • Graphs of quantitative data are presented in a manner that clearly shows the distribution of data and variation, as either dot plots or box-and-whisker plots (see Figures).

Note: After reviewing this section, authors are strongly encouraged to read Editorial policies and practices.

Content of Letter to the Editor manuscripts

Ensure that each section begins on a new page.

  • Title page

    • Manuscript title
      • Clear, concise, and limited to 15 words, including conjunctions
      • No subtitles, colons, periods, or nonstandard abbreviations
    • Authors and affiliations
      • Full names of all authors (for example, “Jane L. Doe”); no titles, honorifics, degrees, or certifications
      • List of authors’ affiliations (departments, institutions, and locations, but not mailing addresses)
      • Affiliation footnotes assigned consecutively using superscript numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.)
      • Corresponding author’s complete name, address, telephone number (including country code, where applicable), and email address
    • Conflict-of-interest statement
      • A statement consistent with the Journal’s conflict-of-interest policy. If no author has a conflict, state: “The authors have declared that no conflict of interest exists.”

  • Main text

  • References

  • Figure or Table

    • See “How to prepare figures for submission”
    • See "How to prepare tables for submission"
    • Graphs of quantitative data
      • Presented in a manner that clearly shows the distribution of data and variation, as either:
        • Dot plots, with the average and appropriate error bars indicated; OR
        • Box-and-whisker plots, with values defined in the legend (bounds of the boxes, lines within the boxes, whiskers, and any outlying values)
    • Figure legend: maximum 200 words
    • Table must fit on a single page in portrait orientation

  • Other accompanying files (if applicable)

    • Supporting data values: A single XLS file that provides all data in the manuscript and supplement represented in graphs and as mean ± standard deviation. Present values for each applicable figure panel in a separate tab in the XLS file. This document will be published if the submission is ultimately accepted for publication. For details, see How to prepare a Supporting Data Values file.
    • Blot and gel images: Authors of new submissions that contain cropped blot/gel images are encouraged, but not required, to submit a file that contains the unedited images for all cropped blots and gels in their entirety. Each image should be annotated as “Full unedited blot/gel for Figure [X],” with the lanes corresponding to those shown in the cropped images clearly indicated. This file should be uploaded separately from any supplemental material. For revised submissions, this file is required. Note: The full unedited blot/gel data will be published if the manuscript is ultimately accepted for publication.
 

The submission process

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You can submit a manuscript in one of the following ways

Note: There is no charge for submission to the JCI.

  1. Submit a manuscript directly to the JCI through your account on the JCI’s submission website. Follow the instructions to either register for an account or access your existing account. Click the button below to open the submission site.
  2. Submit a manuscript to the JCI and JCI Insight simultaneously using the Dual-Journal Submission option. View details here.
  3. You may transfer a manuscript from the preprint server bioRxiv or medRxiv for submission to the Journal. Once the manuscript is transferred, corresponding authors receive an email indicating that the draft submission is available for editing and completion. Required documents are as described below.
  4. You may submit a manuscript with reviews from another journal. Visit Information for Authors for the Journal’s policy. During the submission process, upload the external review history for the manuscript as a single PDF that contains the following:
    • Any subsequent correspondence with the other journal
    • A point-by-point response to the reviews (either previously prepared responses or proposed responses)
    • Full, unedited prior decision letter and reviews

Submit your work

 

What to have available during the online submission process — Research and Clinical Research and Public Health

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Instructions for revised submissions are available here.
Go to Preparing your manuscript/Research.
Go to Preparing your manuscript/Clinical Research and Public Health.

  • Access to and familiarity with the Journal’s editorial policies (you will be asked to check a box indicating you agree)
  • List of funding source(s) and any special license requirements (such as CC BY)
  • ORCID information for authors (recommended)
  • Digital files of manuscript and supporting documents (see Required documents, below)
  • Cover letter
  • Abstract (word limit: 200)
  • Author list
  • Keywords
  • You will be asked to name 3 potential reviewers
  • You may note up to 2 reviewers you wish to exclude and the reason(s) for exclusion
  • You may suggest a member of the Editorial Board with appropriate expertise to handle your submission

Required documents for first-time submissions

  • PDF of the entire manuscript, including figures, figure legends, and tables. Preferably, each figure is shown together with its corresponding legend on the same page. See formatting information below.
  • Word/RTF file with text that is identical to the PDF but not including the figure images
  • Publication-quality supplemental material files
    • PDF of any supplemental methods, figures and legends, tables (but not large data sets), etc.
    • Spreadsheets of large tables
    • Video files in MPEG-4 (mp4) format
  • Supporting data values
    • View Journal policy on supporting data.
    • XLS file (distinct from any other supplemental material) that provides data values for all graphs, and values behind any reported means in the manuscript or supplement.
    • All associated values for the manuscript must be compiled into a single document. Values for each applicable figure panel should be provided in a separate tab.
    • Before submission, carefully review your file; it will not be checked by a copy editor. The Journal is not responsible for any errors contained in Supporting Data Values.
    • For details, see How to prepare a Supporting Data Values file.
  • PDF of any cited reference that is in review or in press at another journal, or is publicly unavailable
  • Recommended: For submissions that contain cropped blots/gels: a file that contains the unedited images for all cropped blots and gels in their entirety. View Journal policy on blot/gel images.
 

What to have available during the online submission process — Research Letter only

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Instructions for revised submissions are available here.
Go to Preparing your manuscript/Research Letter.

  • PDF or Word file of the manuscript that may include a maximum of one (1) display item (either a figure with its legend; or a table)
  • If applicable:
    • Publication-quality PDF of supplemental material; content is limited to four (4) display items (tables or figures)
    • Supporting data values
      • View Journal policy on supporting data.
      • XLS file (distinct from any other supplemental material) that provides data values for all graphs, and values behind any reported means in the manuscript or supplement.
      • All associated values for the manuscript must be compiled into a single document. Values for each applicable figure panel should be provided in a separate tab.
      • Before submission, carefully review your file; it will not be checked by a copy editor. The Journal is not responsible for any errors contained in Supporting Data Values.
      • For details, see How to prepare a Supporting Data Values file.
    • Recommended: For submissions that contain cropped blots/gels: a file that contains the unedited images for all cropped blots and gels in their entirety. View Journal policy on blot/gel images.
  • Cover letter
  • Access to and familiarity with the Journal’s editorial policies (you will be asked to check a box indicating you agree)
  • Author list
  • ORCID information for authors (recommended)
  • Keywords
 

What to have available during the online submission process — Letter to the Editor only

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Instructions for revised submissions are available here.
Go to Preparing your manuscript/Letter to the Editor.

  • PDF or Word file of the manuscript that may include a maximum of one (1) display item (either a figure with its legend; or a table)
  • If applicable:
    • Supporting data values
      • View Journal policy on supporting data.
      • XLS file (distinct from any other supplemental material) that provides data values for all graphs, and values behind any reported means in the manuscript or supplement.
      • All associated values for the manuscript must be compiled into a single document. Values for each applicable figure panel should be provided in a separate tab.
      • Before submission, carefully review your file; it will not be checked by a copy editor. The Journal is not responsible for any errors contained in Supporting Data Values.
      • For details, see "How to prepare a Supporting Data Values file."
    • Recommended: For submissions that contain cropped blots/gels: a file that contains the unedited images for all cropped blots and gels in their entirety. View Journal policy on blot/gel images.
  • Cover letter
  • Access to and familiarity with the Journal’s editorial policies (you will be asked to check a box indicating you agree)
  • Author list
  • ORCID information for authors (recommended)
  • Keywords
 

Producing PDFs

  • To produce PDFs, you will need Adobe Acrobat.
  • Note: This is different from Acrobat Reader, which is free software program that allows you only to view PDFs.
What if I’m not able to produce a PDF?

The following websites provide access to utilities that convert a variety of file types to PDFs:

 

Contacting Journal staff about a submitted manuscript

For any communication with staff, reference the tracking number assigned by the Journal noted in the acknowledgment of your submission. If you do not have this information, reference the manuscript title and corresponding author’s name. Email staff@the-jci.org or call 734-222-6050.

 

Revision history

[Top of page]

  • December 15, 2024: Added Public Health to create Clinical Research and Public Health category and revised instructions; revised Research category description.
  • November 13, 2024: Dual-Journal Submission is live.
  • November 1, 2024: Added Dual-Journal Submission option.
  • September 30, 2024: Clarified instructions for Research Letter and Letter to the Editor categories.
  • April 26, 2024: Specified that Acknowledgments in the main text of Research Letters contributes to the word count.
  • December 13, 2023: Added requirement to include "Sex as a biological variable" paragraph.
  • October 25, 2023: Revised to state that uncut blots and gels will be published for any accepted manuscript effective January 1, 2024; and to require supporting data values file at first submission.
  • Changed requirement for quantitative graph presentation to occur at first submission.
  • October 3, 2023: Changed requirement for quantitative graph presentation to occur at first submission.
  • July 12, 2023: Added links to "How to prepare tables."
  • June 2, 2023: Provided alternate URL for CONSORT checklist.
  • April 6, 2023: Added requirement for Data Availability paragraph.
  • July 25, 2022: Added Supplemental material to Research Letter category.
  • July 2022: Added Research Letter category
  • May 23, 2022: Changed Letter to the Editor word limit from 400 to 850.
  • January 4, 2022: Removed Concise Communication category.
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