Draft for Information and Software Technology with confidence. The template sets the correct structure, abstract, and references up front, so your manuscript clears editorial screening.
4.5
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 25 July, 2026
Submitting to Information and Software Technology goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Information and Software Technology 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 journal specifically expects a Highlights list, a graphical abstract, CRediT author-contribution statements, a data availability statement; build these in from the start. This template sets that structure up for you.
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Information and Software Technology. 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 Information and Software Technology journal page before you draft.
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Keep the abstract within about 300 words. 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 Information and Software Technology 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 Information and Software Technology 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 | IST requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Structured abstract required with five mandatory dimensions: Context, Objectives, Methods, Results, Conclusion. Maximum 300 words. Papers will not be handled without a structured abstract. Must be able to stand alone. Avoid references (if essential, cite author(s) and year(s)). Avoid non-standard abbreviations (if essential, define at first mention). |
| Main text | Section order and length per article type |
| Declarations | Ethics, competing interests, funding, data as required |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | 1 to 7 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 if firmly established in the field. |
| References | Numbered references in square brackets in order of appearance in text. Any style accepted at submission as long as consistent. Journal's numbered reference style (similar to Vancouver) applied at proof stage after acceptance. References must include author names, journal/book titles, year, volume, pagination where applicable. Journal names abbreviated according to LTWA. 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. Editors make final decision on acceptance/rejection. |
| Submission | editorialmanager.com |
Read the Information and Software Technology 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 Information and Software Technology in under a page.
Skim two or three recent IST 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 Information and Software Technology journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Information and Software Technology guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through Editorial Manager.