Get your Journal of Applied Crystallography 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 Applied Crystallography goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Journal of Applied Crystallography 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 Applied Crystallography. 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 Applied Crystallography 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 Applied Crystallography 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 Applied Crystallography 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 the journal's submission system.
| Element | J Appl Crystallography requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | All contributions should be accompanied by an English language Abstract and a one or two sentence Synopsis. The Abstract should state as specifically and as quantitatively as possible the principal results obtained, and provide an indication of the broader significance of the work. No word limit is stated in the official guide. The Abstract should make no reference to tables, diagrams, atom numbers or formulae contained in the article, should not contain footnotes, and should not include 'we' or 'I'. No specific structured headings are required; the guide does not distinguish abstract requirements by article type |
| Main text | Research Papers: should not normally exceed 15 journal pages (about 15,000 words). Short Communications: should not normally exceed two journal pages (about 1,500 words). Lead Articles: length discussed between Editors and potential authors. Feature Articles: generally about ten journal pages (10,000 words). Topical Reviews: typically about 6,000 words with a maximum of 50 references. New Commercial Products: up to 300 words. Titles: the most effective titles are generally no more than 10–12 words in length |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Authors should supply at least five keywords (required, not optional). These may include synonyms and specific phrases related to the subject of the article |
| References | References follow the Harvard (author-year) style. In-text citations: authors' names followed immediately by the year of publication, e.g. Neder & Schulz (1998) or (Neder & Schulz, 1998). For three or more authors: Smith et al. (1998). The reference list should be arranged alphabetically, and all authors and inclusive page numbers should be given. Example: Krause, L., Herbst-Irmer, R., Sheldrick, G. M. & Stalke, D. (2015). J. Appl. Cryst. 48, 3–10 |
| Peer review | Single-blind (manuscripts are reviewed single blind, meaning that authors do not know the identity of the referees, but the referees have sight of the authors' names) |
| Submission | journals.iucr.org/j/services/submit.html |
Read the Journal of Applied Crystallography 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 Applied Crystallography in under a page.
Skim two or three recent J Appl Crystallography 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 Applied Crystallography journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Journal of Applied Crystallography guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.