Current Protocols Template
Get your Current Protocols paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
4.7
How to Use the Current Protocols Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 10 August, 2026
Submitting to Current Protocols goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Current Protocols 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 Current Protocols Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Current Protocols. 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 Current Protocols journal page before you draft.
What's actually in a Current Protocols 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 Current Protocols 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 Current Protocols guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Current Protocols 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 Current Protocols.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Current Protocols 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.
Current Protocols Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | Current Protocols requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured abstract with 300 word limit. For protocol articles, authors must list the title of each protocol included beneath the abstract paragraph (e.g., Basic Protocol 1: [Title], Basic Protocol 2: [Title], etc.) — this text counts towards the 300-word limit. Clinical protocol articles must include a registration number |
| Main text | Current Protocols does not impose length requirements on manuscripts, with one exception: Protocol Communications are limited to 4000 words, 3 figures, 2 tables, and no more than 3 protocols per article. No word limit is specified for other article types |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | 3-5 keywords required. Authors should also include the same keywords in the Research Exchange upload. RRIDs (Research Resource Identifiers) should be included in the list of keywords associated with the manuscript |
| References | APA style. References should be listed alphabetically by author's last name. For Overview Articles, the reference list should generally contain a maximum of 25 to 30 references, of which the majority should be less than 5 years old and contain, when available, some recent review articles |
| Peer review | Single-anonymous (single-blind) peer review. The journal uses a three-tiered review process: (1) review by the academic editorial board to select content/authors and vet unsolicited proposals, (2) technical review by a Wiley in-house editor with a relevant advanced degree to ensure clarity from a novice perspective, (3) final detailed review by a scientific copyeditor with laboratory experience to ensure protocol reproducibility. Manuscripts by editorial board members are sent to unaffiliated editors to prevent bias |
| Submission | submission.wiley.com/submit |
Quick Tips for Using the Current Protocols Template
Read the Current Protocols 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 Current Protocols in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent Current Protocols 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 Current Protocols 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 Current Protocols guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.
