Last updated: 29 April 2026 · 7 min read · Audience: Authors, students, early-career researchers · Reading level: Introductory
Formatting a research paper correctly is not a cosmetic concern. Editorial offices routinely return manuscripts that depart from stated guidelines without forwarding them to peer review. A careful reading of the target journal's instructions for authors is therefore the first step in any formatting exercise.
Standard manuscript layout
| Element | Common convention |
|---|---|
| Page size | A4 or US Letter, as specified |
| Margins | 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides |
| Font | 12 pt Times New Roman or equivalent serif |
| Line spacing | Double-spaced throughout, including references |
| Page numbers | Bottom centre or top right, continuous |
| Line numbering | Continuous, often required for review |
Section ordering
- Title page (with author affiliations, corresponding author, and ORCID where applicable)
- Abstract and keywords
- Introduction
- Methods
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion (if separated from Discussion)
- Acknowledgements and funding
- Conflict of interest statement
- References
- Tables and figures (placed at the end or inline, per journal policy)
Citation styles
Common styles include APA, Chicago, Vancouver, Harvard, and IEEE. The decisive factor is consistency: a manuscript that mixes styles within its reference list signals carelessness to editors and reviewers.
Tables and figures
- Each table and figure must be numbered consecutively and cited in the text in order of appearance.
- Captions belong above tables and below figures.
- Figures should be supplied at a resolution of 300 dpi or higher in formats accepted by the journal.
- Vector formats (PDF, EPS, SVG) are preferred for line art.
Key points
- Journal-specific instructions take precedence over generic conventions.
- Section ordering follows the IMRaD pattern with a small set of standard supplements.
- Citation style must be applied consistently throughout the manuscript.
- Figure quality and caption placement are frequent sources of avoidable revision requests.
Frequently asked questions
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Editorial enquiries
Questions about this guide or about preparing a manuscript for submission may be directed to the editorial office. Where a query relates to a specific journal in the portfolio, please indicate the journal abbreviation in your message.
Email: editor@ep-journals.org