Get your Genome Biology and Evolution 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 13 August, 2026
Submitting to Genome Biology and Evolution goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Genome Biology and Evolution 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 Genome Biology and Evolution. 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 Genome Biology and Evolution 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 Genome Biology and Evolution 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 Genome Biology and Evolution 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 ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).
| Element | Genome Biol Evolution requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Abstract: 250 words for all manuscript types (Articles, Genome Resources, Letters, Methods, Perspectives, Reviews). Must avoid references; if references are mentioned, the full reference must be given. All article types require a Significance Statement (max 150 words, 2-3 sentences) in addition to the abstract. Structure varies by article type: Articles include Abstract, Significance Statement, Introduction, Results, Discussion, Materials and Methods, Data Availability; Letters and Methods include Abstract, Significance Statement, Main Text, Data Availability; Perspectives include Abstract, Significance Statement, Main Text; Reviews include Abstract, Significance Statement, Main Text; Genome Resources include Abstract, Significance Statement, Introduction, Results and Discussion, Materials and Methods, Data Availability |
| Main text | Articles: 10,000 words (excluding references); Methods: 10,000 words (excluding references); Reviews: 10,000 words (excluding references); Letters: 2,500 words (excluding references); Perspectives: 2,500 words (excluding references); Genome Resources: 2,500 words (excluding references) |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Up to six keywords. should not repeat words from the title. Avoid terms that are too general. Aim is to describe subject matter, methodology, or theoretical framework |
| References | GBE style, generally following the CSE Style Manual (7th edition). In-text citations use author-date format (e.g., Marshall and Moulton 1981); for more than two authors use et al. Reference list in alphabetical order. List all authors if five or fewer; if more than five, list the first author followed by et al. Format: Authors' names, year, paper title, journal (abbreviated by World List of Scientific Periodicals), volume, inclusive pages. Datasets must include a [dataset] tag and follow DataCite recommendations |
| Peer review | Single-anonymized peer review (reviewers' identities hidden from authors,' identities known to reviewers). Note: While not explicitly stated on the GBE author guidelines page, GBE is published by Oxford University Press and is the sister journal of Molecular Biology and Evolution, which explicitly uses single-anonymized peer review. OUP's standard practice is single-anonymized review |
| Submission | mc.manuscriptcentral.com/gbe |
Read the Genome Biology and Evolution 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 Genome Biology and Evolution in under a page.
Skim two or three recent Genome Biol Evolution 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 Genome Biology and Evolution journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Genome Biology and Evolution guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).