EcoSal Plus Template
Get your EcoSal Plus 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 EcoSal Plus Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 10 August, 2026
Submitting to EcoSal Plus goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the EcoSal Plus 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 EcoSal Plus Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to EcoSal Plus. 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 EcoSal Plus journal page before you draft.
What's actually in an EcoSal Plus 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 EcoSal Plus 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 EcoSal Plus guide for authors before you submit.
What does this EcoSal Plus 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 EcoSal Plus.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the EcoSal Plus 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.
EcoSal Plus Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | EcoSal Plus requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured summary of maximum 250 words. The summary should be placed at the beginning of the manuscript file before the Introduction with the heading 'SUMMARY.' It will be included in the issue table of contents. No word/page limits for the overall manuscript |
| Main text | No page or word count limits stated. MMBR (which now includes EcoSal Plus content) explicitly states: 'Please note that Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews® doesn't have page or word count limits.' Manuscripts should include: table of contents with page numbers, summary (abstract), introduction, main body text, and references section |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Keywords are requested during submission (entered in the submission system under 'Keyword and research areas'). The official author guidelines do not specify a required count or range, but published EcoSal Plus articles include 3-4 keywords based on examination of recent articles |
| References | ASM style using citation-sequence reference system. References are numbered consecutively in the order they are cited in the text and cited parenthetically by number. All references must be formatted in ASM style with no limit on the number of references |
| Peer review | Single-anonymized (also known as single-blind peer review). Reviewer identity is not visible to the author, identity is visible to the reviewer, and both identities are visible to the decision-making editor |
| Submission | mmbr.msubmit.net/cgi-bin/main.plex |
Quick Tips for Using the EcoSal Plus Template
Read the EcoSal Plus 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 EcoSal Plus in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent EcoSal Plus 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 EcoSal Plus 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 EcoSal Plus guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.
