Get your Journal of Applied Gerontology 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 Gerontology goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Journal of Applied Gerontology 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 Gerontology. 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 Gerontology 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 Gerontology 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 Gerontology 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 Appl Gerontol requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Structured abstract of 150 words required. section headings: Background, Objective, Methods, and Results. For clinical trials, the trial registry name, URL, and registration number must be included at the end of the abstract. Following the abstract, authors must provide at least 2 and up to 3 bullet points on what the paper adds to existing literature and at least 2 and up to 3 bullet points on applications of study findings to gerontological practice, policy and/or research |
| Main text | Original research articles: The body of the text must be under 6,000 words (including abstract and references). Systematic reviews/meta-analyses: The body of the text must be under 6,000 words (including abstract but NOT including references). Brief reports: The body of the text must be under 2,500 words (including abstract and references). Tables and Figures may not exceed seven (7) pages |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Minimum of 4 keywords required. Keywords should be as specific as possible to the research topic |
| References | APA reference style |
| Peer review | Double-anonymized (double-blind). The journal adheres to a rigorous double-anonymized reviewing policy in which the identity of both the reviewer and author are always concealed from both parties. Two independent reviews are required for a manuscript to reach a Revise or Accept decision |
| Submission | mc.manuscriptcentral.com/JAG |
Read the Journal of Applied Gerontology 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 Gerontology in under a page.
Skim two or three recent J Appl Gerontol 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 Gerontology 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 Gerontology guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).