Competition and Change Template
Get your Competition and Change 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 Competition and Change Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 7 August, 2026
Submitting to Competition and Change goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Competition and Change 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 Competition and Change Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Competition and Change. 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 Competition and Change journal page before you draft.
What's actually in a Competition Change 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 Competition and Change 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 Competition and Change guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Competition and Change 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 Competition Change.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Competition and Change 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).
Competition and Change Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | Competition Change requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured abstract of 150 words maximum between the title and main body of manuscript. Must concisely state the purpose of the research, major findings, and conclusions. For clinical trials, the trial registry name, URL, and registration number must be included at the end of the abstract |
| Main text | Maximum 10,000 words including all references, figures, and tables for original submissions |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Minimum of 5 keywords required, listed after the abstract. Keywords should be as specific as possible to the research topic. No MeSH requirement stated |
| References | Sage Harvard reference style. Every in-text citation must have a corresponding citation in the reference list and vice versa. Corresponding citations must have identical spelling and year |
| Peer review | Double-anonymized (identity of both reviewer and author are concealed from both parties) |
| Submission | mc.manuscriptcentral.com/cach |
Quick Tips for Using the Competition and Change Template
Read the Competition and Change 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 Competition and Change in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent Competition Change 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 Competition and Change 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 Competition and Change guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).
