Get your EMBO Molecular Medicine 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
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 10 August, 2026
Submitting to EMBO Molecular Medicine goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the EMBO Molecular Medicine 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.
It is a manuscript shell aligned to EMBO Molecular Medicine. 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 EMBO Molecular Medicine journal page before you draft.
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 EMBO Molecular Medicine guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
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 EMBO Molecular Medicine guide for authors before you submit.
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.
| Element | EMBO Mol Med requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured, single paragraph, not exceeding 175 words. Must describe all key novel findings and be comprehensible to readers before reading the paper. Reference citations not permitted, abbreviations should be avoided where possible. Reports: Abstracts should be accessible to readers outside the discipline. Reviews: usually 4,000 to 6,000 words (total, not abstract-specific limit stated). Comments: Typically 3 to 4 pages with an abstract |
| Main text | Research Articles: No strict format limitations, text and figures should be concise (usually up to 10 main figures). Reports: Limited to 25,000 characters excluding spaces, methods, figure legends and references, up to 5 figures or tables. Reviews: Usually 4,000 to 6,000 words, up to 4 figures. Perspectives: Typically up to 5,000 words, 4 figures, 50 references. Comments: Typically 3 to 4 pages, up to 25 references, 1 figure. Correspondence: Text must not exceed 900 words. Opinion: Must not exceed 1,600 words including references and affiliation. News & Views: Up to 9,000 characters |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Not specified in the official author guidelines |
| References | Harvard style. In-text citations by author and year; no more than two authors cited per reference; 'et al' used if more than two authors (e.g., Smith & Jones, 2003; Smith et al, 2000). Reference list alphabetical then chronological, surnames and initials inverted; where more than 10 authors, list 10 followed by 'et al.'. Journal names abbreviated according to Index Medicus and italicised. Unlimited references for research articles |
| Peer review | Single-anonymous peer review (default), where reviewers are aware of author names and affiliations but reviewer reports are anonymous unless a reviewer chooses to identify themself. Optional double-anonymous peer review available at initial submission. Transparent process for accepted manuscripts: Review Process File published with all reviewer comments, author responses, and editorial correspondence (authors can opt out prior to publication) |
| Submission | embomolmed.msubmit.net/submit |
Read the EMBO Molecular Medicine 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 EMBO Molecular Medicine in under a page.
Skim two or three recent EMBO Mol Med 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 EMBO Molecular Medicine journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the EMBO Molecular Medicine guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.