Earth System Science Data Template
Get your Earth System Science Data paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
4.1
How to Use the Earth System Science Data Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 10 August, 2026
Submitting to Earth System Science Data goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Earth System Science Data 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 Earth System Science Data Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Earth System Science Data. 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 Earth System Science Data journal page before you draft.
What's actually in an Earth System Sci Data 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 Earth System Science Data 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 Earth System Science Data guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Earth System Science Data 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 Earth System Sci Data.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Earth System Science Data 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.
Earth System Science Data Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | Earth System Sci Data requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured abstract with no specific word limit stated in the guidelines. The abstract should be intelligible to the general reader without reference to the text. After a brief introduction of the topic, the summary recapitulates the key points of the article and mentions possible directions for prospective research. Reference citations should not be included in this section (except for data sets) and abbreviations should not be included without explanations. At least for the final accepted publication, a functional data set DOI and its in-text citation must be given in the abstract. No word limit is specified |
| Main text | No overall word limit or page limit is specified in the guidelines. The manuscript PDF file size is limited to 50 MB. Manuscripts must use a 1-column format as preconfigured in the WORD and LaTeX templates. All pages must be numbered consecutively and line numbers must be included. Data description articles (the primary manuscript type) must include sections on validation against independent reference data and characterization of data quality variations. Extensive analysis and interpretation of data is considered out of scope |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Authors select manuscript subject areas and index terms from a predefined list during manuscript registration for the purpose of editor assignment. These index terms are not published as keywords in the final articles - published ESSD articles do not display keywords sections |
| References | Copernicus Publications style. References are listed alphabetically at the end of the manuscript under the first author's name. The full author list should be supplied with last name followed by initials. After the list of authors, the complete reference title needs to be named: journal names should be abbreviated, followed by the volume number, the complete page numbers (first and last page), the digital object identifier (DOI), and the publication year. Copernicus style files are available for EndNote, CSL (Zotero, Mendeley, Papers), and BibTeX |
| Peer review | Open/transparent peer review (interactive public peer review). The process involves a discussion stage where public commenting on the submitted preprint is invited by the referees, authors, and other members of the scientific community. Only the invited reviewers have the choice to remain anonymous. The reports of invited reviewers and responses by the authors are public, as are the comments posted by everyone else |
| Submission | editor.copernicus.org/ESSD/manuscript_registration |
Quick Tips for Using the Earth System Science Data Template
Read the Earth System Science Data 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 Earth System Science Data in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent Earth System Sci Data 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 Earth System Science Data 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 Earth System Science Data guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.
