Farming System Template
Get your Farming System 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 Farming System Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 11 August, 2026
Submitting to Farming System goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Farming System 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 Farming System Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Farming System. 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 Farming System journal page before you draft.
What's actually in a Farming System 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 Farming System 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 Farming System guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Farming System 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 Farming System.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Farming System 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.
Farming System Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | Farming System requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured abstract required, maximum 250 words. Must briefly state the purpose of research, principal results and major conclusions. Must be able to stand alone. Avoid references (cite author(s) and year(s) if essential). Avoid non-standard abbreviations (define at first mention if essential). Same 250-word limit applies across all article types (full length articles, review articles, short communications, editorials, perspectives, and commentaries) |
| Main text | Full Length Article: approximately 6,000 words, not exceeding 8,000 words (excluding abstract, references, tables, figures, and appendices); up to 10 displayed items total. Review Article: approximately 6,000 words, not exceeding 10,000 words (excluding abstract, references, tables, figures, and appendices); up to 120 references. Short Communication: no more than 3,000 words including up to 4 displayed items; maximum 20 references. Editorial: around 2,000-3,000 words, up to 4,000 words in main text; up to 30 references; up to 4 tables and figures. Perspective: around 3,000-4,000 words in main text; up to 50 references; up to 6 figures and tables. Commentary: up to 2,000 words in main text; 10 references; 1-2 figures or tables encouraged but not required |
| 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. Keywords should be written in English. Authors should try to avoid keywords consisting of multiple words (using 'and' or 'of'). Abbreviations in keywords only recommended if firmly established in the field |
| References | Author-date citation style (Harvard-like). In-text citations: single author by name and year; two authors by both names and year; three or more authors as first author's name followed by 'et al.' and year. Reference list arranged alphabetically, then chronologically if necessary. Multiple references from same author(s) in same year identified by letters 'a', 'b', 'c' after year. Journal names abbreviated according to LTWA (List of Title Word Abbreviations). DOIs encouraged |
| Peer review | Single anonymized review (single-blind). Submission initially assessed by editors for suitability, then typically sent to minimum of two reviewers for independent expert assessment of scientific quality. Final decision made by editors |
| Submission | submit.elsevier.com/FARMSYS |
Quick Tips for Using the Farming System Template
Read the Farming System 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 Farming System in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent Farming System 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 Farming System 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 Farming System guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.
