Crisis Template
Get your Crisis 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 Crisis Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 7 August, 2026
Submitting to Crisis goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Crisis 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 Crisis Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Crisis. 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 Crisis journal page before you draft.
What's actually in a Crisis 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 Crisis 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 Crisis guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Crisis 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 Editorial Manager.
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 Crisis.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Crisis 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 Editorial Manager.
Crisis Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | Crisis requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Structured abstract (300 words maximum) for Original Research Articles, Short Reports, Registered Reports, Systematic Reviews, and Scoping Reviews. Structured abstract must be divided into sections: Background, Aims, Method, Results, Limitations, Conclusion. Followed by minimum 2 and maximum 5 keywords. Unstructured abstract (300 words maximum) for Practice and Policy Insights and Debate Articles. Followed by minimum 2 keywords (no maximum stated). No abstract for Editorials and Viewpoint Articles |
| Main text | Original Research Articles: 3,500 words (excluding abstract, references, author biographies, appendices, figures, and tables) Short Reports: 2,000 words (excluding abstract, references, author biographies, appendices, figures, and tables) Practice and Policy Insights: 3,500 words (excluding abstract, references, author biographies, appendices, figures, and tables) Systematic Reviews and Scoping Reviews: 4,500 words (excluding abstract, references, author biographies, appendices, figures, and tables) Registered Reports Stage-1: 2,500 words (excluding abstract, references, author biographies, appendices, figures, and tables) Registered Reports Stage-2: 3,500 words (excluding abstract, references, author biographies, appendices, figures, and tables) Debate Articles: 3,500 words (excluding abstract, references, author biographies, appendices, figures, and tables) Viewpoint Articles: 1,500 words (excluding references, author biographies, appendices, figures, and tables) Editorials: 3,500 words (excluding references, author biographies, appendices, figures, and tables) |
| 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 2 and maximum 5 keywords for articles with structured abstracts (Original Research Articles, Short Reports, Registered Reports, Systematic Reviews, and Scoping Reviews). Minimum 2 keywords (no maximum stated) for articles with unstructured abstracts (Practice and Policy Insights and Debate Articles). No keywords mentioned for Editorials and Viewpoint Articles |
| References | APA style (7th edition). The guide states: 'Manuscripts should be prepared according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.) as regards both style and presentation, including referencing, which should be as author–date citations in brackets in the text.' DOIs must be provided for cited journal articles |
| Peer review | Double-blind peer review (stated explicitly: 'Manuscripts are subject to double blind peer review') |
| Submission | www.editorialmanager.com/cri/default.aspx |
Quick Tips for Using the Crisis Template
Read the Crisis 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 Crisis in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent Crisis 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 Crisis 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 Crisis guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through Editorial Manager.
