Development and Change Template
Get your Development 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 Development and Change Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 10 August, 2026
Submitting to Development and Change goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Development 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 Development and Change Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Development 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 Development and Change journal page before you draft.
What's actually in a Development 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 Development 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 Development and Change guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Development 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 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 Development Change.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Development 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 the journal's submission system.
Development and Change Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | Development Change requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured abstract of 100–200 words. No specific headings mentioned. No distinction by article type stated |
| Main text | Articles: 8,000 to 10,000 words (including text, abstract, notes, and references). Only in exceptional circumstances will the Editors consider a manuscript outside this range. Comments on articles: 3,000–6,000 words |
| 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 2, maximum of 8 keywords required for all submissions |
| References | Harvard (author-date) system of referencing. In-text citations should read: (Brown, 1992: 63–4); Lovell (1989, 1993). Use 'et al.' when citing a work by more than two authors, but list all authors in References (unless there are more than five) |
| Peer review | Double-blind peer review (both author and reviewer identities are blinded). All submissions undergo double-blind peer review after careful initial screening by the editorial board |
| Submission | authors.wiley.com/journal/DECH |
Quick Tips for Using the Development and Change Template
Read the Development 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 Development and Change in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent Development 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 Development 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 Development and Change guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.
