Get your European Planning Studies 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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Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 11 August, 2026
Submitting to European Planning Studies goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the European Planning Studies 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 European Planning Studies. 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 European Planning Studies 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 European Planning Studies 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 European Planning Studies 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 | European Planning Studies requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Abstract is required as an essential element. The guide specifies the manuscript structure order as: title page; abstract; keywords; main text introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion. However, no specific word limit for the abstract is stated. No requirements are given for structured vs unstructured abstracts or mandatory headings by article type. The guide does not specify abstract requirements beyond its inclusion |
| Main text | A typical paper for this journal should be no more than 9,000 words, inclusive of tables, references, figure or table captions, and footnotes. For special issues, articles should not exceed 9,000 words (including references and endnotes). No specific section order requirements beyond the general structure: main text introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Do not include keywords. The guide explicitly states in the checklist: 'Do not include keywords.' Authors are instructed to read about making their article more discoverable through title and search engine optimization instead |
| References | Any consistent scholarly citation format is acceptable at initial submission. The guide states: 'References can be in any style or format, so long as a consistent scholarly citation format is applied.' Post-acceptance, the journal reference style (Chicago AD - Author-Date format, available at https://files.taylorandfrancis.com/tf_ChicagoAD.pdf) will be applied by Taylor & Francis |
| Peer review | Single-blind (single-anonymous) peer review. The guide states: 'Once your paper has been assessed for suitability by the editor, it will then be single anonymous peer reviewed by two independent, anonymous expert.' |
| Submission | rp.tandfonline.com/submission/create?journalCode=ceps |
Read the European Planning Studies 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 European Planning Studies in under a page.
Skim two or three recent European Planning Studies 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 European Planning Studies journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the European Planning Studies guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.