JMLR Template
Draft for JMLR with confidence. The template sets the correct structure, abstract, and references up front, so your manuscript clears editorial screening.
4.6
How to Use the JMLR Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 25 July, 2026
Submitting to JMLR goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the JMLR 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 JMLR Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to JMLR. 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 JMLR journal page before you draft.
What's actually in a JMLR 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 JMLR 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 JMLR guide for authors before you submit.
What does this JMLR Template include?
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. When your draft is ready, upload it through the journal's online 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 JMLR.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the JMLR 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 online submission system.
JMLR Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | JMLR requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured abstract that does not exceed 200 words. No mandatory headings specified. |
| 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 |
| Submission | jmlr.org |
| Keywords | 5 keywords required (stated as: 'a list of five key-words') |
| References | natbib format. The guide states: 'The reference section should be labeled "References" and should appear at the end of the paper in natbib format.' Examples provided include various citation types (books, journal articles, proceedings papers, technical reports, dissertations/theses, forthcoming publications). Citations within text should use author-year format, e.g., (Cheeseman, 1992). |
| Peer review | Not specified in the official author guidelines. The author guidelines do not explicitly state whether the review process is single-anonymous, double-anonymous, or open. However, the guidelines explicitly allow preprints on arXiv and personal websites (stated as: 'Authors may submit work to JMLR that is already available as a preprint, for example on arXiV or personal websites'), which is typically incompatible with double-blind review. The reviewer guide does not mention anonymization requirements. Note: TMLR (Transactions on Machine Learning Research, a separate JMLR family venue) explicitly uses double-blind review, but JMLR's main journal does not state its model explicitly in the official author guidelines. |
Quick Tips for Using the JMLR Template
Read the JMLR 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 JMLR in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent JMLR 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 JMLR 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 JMLR guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's online submission system.
