Ecosystem Services Template
Get your Ecosystem Services 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 Ecosystem Services Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 10 August, 2026
Submitting to Ecosystem Services goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Ecosystem Services 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 Ecosystem Services Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Ecosystem Services. 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 Ecosystem Services journal page before you draft.
What's actually in an Ecosystem Services 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 Ecosystem Services 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 Ecosystem Services guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Ecosystem Services 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 Ecosystem Services.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Ecosystem Services 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.
Ecosystem Services Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | Ecosystem Services requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured abstract. Maximum 250 words. Must be concise and factual, briefly state research purpose, principal results and major conclusions. Must be able to stand alone. References and non-standard abbreviations should be avoided unless essential (if included, cite author(s) and year(s), define abbreviations at first mention). No variation by article type specified |
| Main text | Research Articles (including policy assessments): up to approximately 8,000 words. Review Articles (including policy reviews): up to approximately 12,000 words (must include Methods section explaining literature review process). Views and Commentaries: maximum 1,500 words. Letters to the Editor: less than 800 words with 3 or fewer references. Policy Briefs: around 1,500 words main text (may include one figure/table, maximum 10 references). Note: word limits do not include references, tables, and figure captions |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | 1 to 7 keywords required for indexing purposes. Keywords should be written in English. Avoid keywords with multiple words using 'and' or 'of'. Abbreviations only if firmly established in field |
| References | Author-date style. References flexible at submission (any consistent style with complete information required: author names, journal/book titles, article/chapter titles, year, volume, pagination where applicable). After acceptance, journal applies its style: alphabetical then chronological order, author-date in-text citations (single author:, Year; two authors: both names and year; three+ authors: first author et al., year), journal names abbreviated per LTWA List |
| Peer review | Double anonymized (double-blind) review process |
| Submission | submit.elsevier.com/ECOSER |
Quick Tips for Using the Ecosystem Services Template
Read the Ecosystem Services 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 Ecosystem Services in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent Ecosystem Services 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 Ecosystem Services 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 Ecosystem Services guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.
