Get your Journal of Animal Ecology 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 17 August, 2026
Submitting to Journal of Animal Ecology goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Journal of Animal Ecology 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 Journal of Animal Ecology. 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 Journal of Animal Ecology 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 Journal of Animal Ecology 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 Journal of Animal Ecology 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 | J Anim Ecol requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Abstract should not exceed 350 words and should list the main results and conclusions, using simple, factual, numbered statements. No specific sub-heading structure is mandated, but numbered statement format is required. Authors are encouraged to provide a second abstract in their native language or the language relevant to the country where the research was conducted |
| Main text | Research Article: 8,500 words (includes title page, abstract, main text, references, and figure/table legends). Review: 8,500 words. Long-term Studies in Animal Ecology: 8,500 words. Research Methods Guide: 7,000 words. Concept: 3,000 words (and up to four tables or figures). Section order: Title page (as separate file), Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, 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 | A list in alphabetical order not exceeding eight words or short phrases. Keywords are mandatory |
| References | Author-date method with author's last name and year of publication in text (e.g., Jones, 1998). Complete reference list appears alphabetically by name at the end of the paper. DOI should be provided for all references where available. Authors are not asked to reformat references during submission or peer review |
| Peer review | Double-blind (double-anonymized). The journal operates a double-anonymized confidential peer-review process |
| Submission | mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jae-besjournals |
Read the Journal of Animal Ecology 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 Journal of Animal Ecology in under a page.
Skim two or three recent J Anim Ecol 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 Journal of Animal Ecology journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Journal of Animal Ecology guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).