Get your Evolution and Human Behavior paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
4.5
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 11 August, 2026
Submitting to Evolution and Human Behavior goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Evolution and Human Behavior 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 Evolution and Human Behavior. 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 Evolution and Human Behavior 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 Evolution and Human Behavior 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 Evolution and Human Behavior 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 Editorial Manager.
| Element | Evolution Hum Behav requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured, does not exceed 250 words. Should briefly state the purpose of research, principal results and major conclusions. Must stand alone. Avoid references (if essential, cite author(s) and year(s)). Avoid non-standard abbreviations (if essential, define at first mention). Short Reports: 200 words or less. EHB Reproductions: no more than 250 words |
| Main text | Research Reports: Should not be longer than 10,000 words excluding references (longer manuscripts considered by Editor-in-Chief only when believed to contribute significantly to field). Short Reports: No more than 3000 words in introduction, methods, results and discussion combined (maximum 30 references). EHB Reproductions: Introduction and Discussion no more than 1000 words combined; no word limit for Methods and Results but authors encouraged to be succinct (references limited to 10). Theoretical Contributions, Methodological Reports: no specific word limit stated. Review Articles: by invitation |
| 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 6 keywords required for indexing purposes. Should be written in English. Avoid keywords consisting of multiple words (using 'and' or 'of'). Only use abbreviations if firmly established in the field |
| References | APA style (American Psychological Association, 7th Edition, 2020). In-text citations follow APA referencing. Reference list arranged alphabetically then chronologically. Multiple references from same author(s) in same year identified by letters 'a', 'b', 'c' after year |
| Peer review | Double anonymized / double-blind review process. Submission initially assessed by editors, then typically sent to minimum of two reviewers for independent expert assessment |
| Submission | www.editorialmanager.com/EVOLHUMBEHAV/default.aspx |
Read the Evolution and Human Behavior 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 Evolution and Human Behavior in under a page.
Skim two or three recent Evolution Hum Behav 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 Evolution and Human Behavior journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Evolution and Human Behavior guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through Editorial Manager.