eLight Template
Get your eLight 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 eLight Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 10 August, 2026
Submitting to eLight goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the eLight 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 eLight Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to eLight. 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 eLight journal page before you draft.
What's actually in an eLight 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 eLight 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 eLight guide for authors before you submit.
What does this eLight 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 Editorial Manager.
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 eLight.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the eLight 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 Editorial Manager.
eLight Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | eLight requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Research Article & Review: Unstructured, no word limit stated (should briefly summarize the aim, findings or purpose; minimize abbreviations; do not cite references in the abstract). Letter: Unstructured, 150-250 words (should not contain any undefined abbreviations or unspecified references) |
| Main text | Research Article & Review: No word or page limit stated ('the length and quantity of data is not restricted for many article types'). Letter: No word/page limit stated in guidelines |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Three to ten keywords representing the main content of the article |
| References | Numbered citation style. Journal abbreviations follow Index Medicus/MEDLINE. Web links and URLs should be given a reference number and included in the reference list (not within text), provided in full including title of site, URL, and date accessed. Data citations required for publicly available datasets with DOI/accession number |
| Peer review | Transparent peer review: reviewer reports are published online alongside the article under a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, but the reviewer is not named (single-anonymous) |
| Submission | www.editorialmanager.com/elit |
Quick Tips for Using the eLight Template
Read the eLight 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 eLight in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent eLight 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 eLight 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 eLight guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through Editorial Manager.
