Get your Journal of Cancer Policy 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 Cancer Policy goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Journal of Cancer Policy 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 Cancer Policy. 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 Cancer Policy 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 Cancer Policy 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 Cancer Policy 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 Editorial Manager.
| Element | J Cancer Policy requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Research Articles: Structured abstract up to 300 words with sections: Background (stating the aim), Methods (brief summary), Results, Conclusion, and Policy Summary (short statement on policies and improvements paper seeks to impact). Review Articles: Structured abstract with sections: introduction, methods, results, policy summary. Policy Analysis: Unstructured abstract of 250 words. Short Reports and Communications: Abstract required (no specific word limit or structure specified). Correspondence (Letters): No abstract required. General articles: Concise and factual abstract not exceeding 250 words |
| Main text | Research Articles: 3,000 words (excluding abstract, references, acknowledgments). Maximum 5 tables and figures. Up to 15 references not specified. Review Articles: 5,000 words. Unlimited tables and figures. Short Reports and Communications: 1,500 words maximum, 2 tables and 1 figure, no more than 15 references. Correspondence (Letters): 1,000 words maximum, 10 references. Policy Analysis: 2,500 words maximum, no more than 20 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 | Research Articles: Up to 10 keywords required. Review Articles: Up to 10 keywords required. General articles: 1 to 7 keywords required for indexing purposes, written in English. Abbreviations should only be used if firmly established in the field. Correspondence (Letters): No keywords required |
| References | Numbered style in square brackets, numbered in order of appearance in the text. Journal names abbreviated according to List of Title Word Abbreviations (LTWA). Format example: [1] J. van der Geer, T. Handgraaf, R.A. Lupton, The art of writing a scientific article, J. Sci. Commun. 163 (2020) 51–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sc.2020.00372 |
| Peer review | Single anonymized review (single-blind). Submission initially assessed by editors, then typically sent to minimum of two reviewers for independent expert assessment of scientific quality. Editors make final decision on acceptance or rejection |
| Submission | www.editorialmanager.com/cancerpolicy/default.aspx |
Read the Journal of Cancer Policy 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 Cancer Policy in under a page.
Skim two or three recent J Cancer Policy 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 Cancer Policy journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Journal of Cancer Policy guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through Editorial Manager.