Developmental Biology Template
Get your Developmental Biology 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 Developmental Biology Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 10 August, 2026
Submitting to Developmental Biology goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Developmental Biology 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 Developmental Biology Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Developmental Biology. 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 Developmental Biology journal page before you draft.
What's actually in a Dev Biol 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 Developmental Biology 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 Developmental Biology guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Developmental Biology 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 Dev Biol.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Developmental Biology 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.
Developmental Biology Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | Dev Biol requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Concise and factual abstract, maximum 250 words. Should briefly state the purpose of research, principal results and major conclusions. Abstracts must be able to stand alone. Avoid references (if essential, cite author(s) and year(s)). Avoid non-standard or uncommon abbreviations (if essential, define at first mention). By article type: Original Research Papers: standard 250-word abstract as above. Opinion papers (DB Perspectives): abstract still required but format is flexible. Commentary: should not contain an abstract |
| Main text | Original Research Papers: word length and figure numbers are not restricted. Short Communications: no specific word limit, but typical range is 2,000-3,000 words with approximately four figures and a single scientific conclusion. Commentary: no longer than 2,000 words. Review Articles: no specific word limit stated. Resource Papers: no specific formatting restrictions. Technique: no specific formatting requirements |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Required: 1 to 6 keywords for indexing purposes. Keywords should be written in English. Avoid keywords consisting of multiple words (using 'and' or 'of'). Only use abbreviations if firmly established in the field |
| References | Numbered in square brackets in order of appearance in text. Any style or format accepted at submission as long as consistent. Journal names abbreviated according to List of Title Word Abbreviations (LTWA). Examples provided follow numbered format: [1] Author(s), Title, Journal abbreviated name volume (year) pages. https://doi.org/ |
| Peer review | Single anonymized review process (also known as single-blind). Reviewers are aware of authors' identities. Submission initially assessed by editors for suitability, then typically sent to minimum of two reviewers for independent expert assessment of scientific quality. Final decision made by editors |
| Submission | submit.elsevier.com/DEVELOPMENTALBIOLOGY |
Quick Tips for Using the Developmental Biology Template
Read the Developmental Biology 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 Developmental Biology in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent Dev Biol 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 Developmental Biology 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 Developmental Biology guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.
