Communications Biology Template
Get your Communications Biology paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
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How to Use the Communications Biology Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 7 August, 2026
Submitting to Communications Biology goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Communications Biology guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
What is the Communications Biology Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Communications Biology. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the Communications Biology journal page before you draft.
What's actually in a Communications Biol submission:
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the Communications Biology guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
What separates a clean submission from one that gets kicked back:
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the Communications Biology guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Communications Biology Template include?
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through the journal's submission system.
Steps to Use This Template with SciSpace Agent
- Click Start Writing on this page. The SciSpace Agent prompt screen opens with the template loaded.
- Use the loaded template, or upload a version your group already uses for Communications Biol.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Communications Biology guide for authors.
- Run the prompt. The agent drafts into the correct structure and reference style.
- Use View Outputs to verify required statements and formatting are present.
- Export and submit through the journal's submission system.
Communications Biology Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | Communications Biol requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | For Articles: Unstructured abstract of 150 words or fewer. Must be a single statement including background, 'Here we show' or equivalent phrase, and major results/conclusions. Must be accessible to non-specialists and must not contain citations. Acronyms and hyperbolic language should be avoided. For Reviews, Mini Reviews, and Perspectives: Preface of less than 100 words written for a general audience |
| Main text | Article: Recommended ~5,000 words. Review/Perspective: Recommended ~6,000 words (typically no more than 10 pages). Mini Review: Recommended ~3,000 words (typically no more than 7 pages), including a 500-word introduction and 500-word outlook/perspectives section. Comment: Typically 1,500 words (typically 1-4 pages). Note: Formatting requirements only apply at acceptance stage, not initial submission |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Not requested. The guidelines do not mention keywords as a required or optional component of manuscript submission |
| References | Nature referencing style. Numbered citations in text, with full references listed at end. For journals: Author(s). Title. Journal name (abbreviated/italicized) volume, pages (year). For papers with more than five authors, include only the first author's name followed by 'et al.' |
| Peer review | Single-anonymized peer review (default), with optional double-anonymized peer review available upon author request at submission. Authors who choose double-anonymized review must anonymize their manuscript accordingly |
| Submission | mts-commsbio.nature.com/cgi-bin/main.plex |
Quick Tips for Using the Communications Biology Template
Read the Communications Biology guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to Communications Biology in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent Communications Biol papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the Communications Biology journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Before You Submit: Final Check
Do one focused pass against the Communications Biology guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.
