JAMA Oncology Template
Get your JAMA Oncology 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 JAMA Oncology Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 17 August, 2026
Submitting to JAMA Oncology goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the JAMA Oncology 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 JAMA Oncology Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to JAMA Oncology. 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 JAMA Oncology journal page before you draft.
What's actually in a JAMA Oncol 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 JAMA Oncology 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 JAMA Oncology guide for authors before you submit.
What does this JAMA Oncology 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 JAMA Oncol.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the JAMA Oncology 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.
JAMA Oncology Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | JAMA Oncol requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Structured abstract required for reports of original data, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. For Original Investigations: no more than 350 words using headings: Importance, Objective, Design, Setting, Participants, Intervention(s) (for clinical trials) or Exposure(s) (for observational studies), Main Outcome(s) and Measure(s), Results, Conclusions and Relevance, Trial Registration (for clinical trials only). For Meta-analyses: no more than 350 words using headings: Importance, Objective, Data Sources, Study Selection, Data Extraction and Synthesis, Main Outcomes and Measures, Results, Conclusions and Relevance, Trial Registration. For Systematic Reviews: no more than 350 words (structured). For Narrative Reviews: no more than 300 words (structured). Brief Reports require structured abstract for reports of original data (350 words). Research Letters: no abstract required. Viewpoints, Editorials, and special features: abstracts not required. Special Communications: structured abstract required (specific headings for reviews) |
| Main text | Original Investigations: 3000 words (not including abstract, tables, figures, acknowledgments, references, and online-only material) with ≤5 tables and/or figures. Brief Reports: 1200 words (recommended, not including abstract, tables, figures, acknowledgments, references, and online-only material) with ≤3 tables and/or figures and ≤15 references. Research Letters: 800 words maximum with ≤10 references and up to 2 small tables or figures. Systematic Reviews (without meta-analysis): 3000 words (not including abstract, tables, figures, acknowledgments, references, and online-only material) with ≤5 tables and/or figures and 50-75 references. Narrative Reviews: 2000-3500 words (maximum) with ≤5 tables and/or figures and 50-75 references. Viewpoints: up to 1200 words of text (or 1000 words with 1 small table or figure) and ≤7 references. Special Communications: 3000 words (not including tables, figures, or references) with ≤4 tables and/or figures and ≤50 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 | Not requested. Keywords are not mentioned in the official Instructions for Authors guide |
| References | AMA Manual of Style. Number references in the order they appear in the text (not alphabetized). Use superscript arabic numerals in text, tables, and legends. Abbreviate journal names according to PubMed. List all authors/editors up to 6; if more than 6, list first 3 followed by 'et al.' Include issue number in parentheses after volume number for journal references |
| Peer review | Single-anonymized (also called single-blind): peer reviewer identities are kept confidential (unless reviewers choose to reveal their names in their formal reviews); author identities are made known to reviewers |
| Submission | manuscripts.jamaonc.com/submit |
Quick Tips for Using the JAMA Oncology Template
Read the JAMA Oncology 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 JAMA Oncology in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent JAMA Oncol 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 JAMA Oncology 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 JAMA Oncology guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.
