Communications of the ACM Template
Get your Communications of the ACM 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 of the ACM Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 7 August, 2026
Submitting to Communications of the ACM goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Communications of the ACM 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 of the ACM Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Communications of the ACM. 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 of the ACM journal page before you draft.
What's actually in a Communications ACM 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 of the ACM 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 of the ACM guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Communications of the ACM 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 ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).
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 ACM.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Communications of the ACM 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 ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).
Communications of the ACM Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | Communications ACM requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Abstract required for all submissions to Opinion, Research and Advances, Practice, and Research Highlights sections. No specific word limit or structural requirements (structured vs unstructured, mandatory headings) are stated in the official guide |
| Main text | Opinion: no more than 5 pages, single-column, single-spaced; Research and Advances: no more than 10 pages, single-column, single-spaced; Practice: no more than 10 pages, single-column, single-spaced (approximately 6,000 words); Research Highlights: no more than 8 pages formatted with the CACM Research Highlights Template; Technical Perspective: one-page (about 800 words); News: up to 2,000 words; Letters to the Editor: should not exceed 500 words. All page limits include tables, graphics, and figures but exclude references. Submissions should use acmsmall template (Word or LaTeX), formatted single-spaced and single-column |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | CCS Concepts and user-defined keywords are required per ACM's general submission policy for articles over two pages in length (per https://www.acm.org/publications/authors/submissions), though the CACM-specific author guidelines do not explicitly mention keyword requirements |
| References | References must be ordered alphabetically by last name, first initial, and numbered. All references must be referred to in the text by their corresponding number. All articles are copyedited to conform to The Chicago Manual of Style (University of Chicago Press) and CACM's house style. Reference count limits vary by section: Opinion (10 or fewer), Research and Advances (40 or fewer), Practice (40 or fewer), Research Highlights (at most 25) |
| Peer review | Peer-reviewed. The official guide states 'Submissions are peer-reviewed to ensure the highest quality. The Editorial Board and EiC review all submissions.' The specific anonymity model (single-blind, double-blind, etc.) is not stated in the CACM author guidelines. ACM's general peer review policy allows for single-anonymous or double-anonymous peer review |
| Submission | mc.manuscriptcentral.com/cacm |
Quick Tips for Using the Communications of the ACM Template
Read the Communications of the ACM 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 of the ACM in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent Communications ACM 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 of the ACM 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 of the ACM guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).
