Journal of Development Economics Template
Get your Journal of Development Economics 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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How to Use the Journal of Development Economics Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 17 August, 2026
Submitting to Journal of Development Economics goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Journal of Development Economics 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 Journal of Development Economics Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Journal of Development Economics. 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 Development Economics journal page before you draft.
What's actually in a J Development Econ 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 Journal of Development Economics 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 Journal of Development Economics guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Journal of Development Economics Template include?
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.
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 J Development Econ.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Journal of Development Economics 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 submission system.
Journal of Development Economics Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | J Development Econ requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured abstract required, maximum 250 words. The abstract should be concise and factual, briefly stating the purpose of research, principal results and major conclusions. Must stand alone as abstracts are often presented separately from the article. References should be avoided (if essential, cite author(s) and year(s)). Non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided (if essential, define at first mention). No distinction by article type specified |
| Main text | No overall word or page limit stated for regular research articles. Short Papers track: maximum 6,000 words with at most 5 exhibits (tables or figures). Online appendices of at most 20 pages permitted for Short Papers, but manuscripts must be self-contained |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | 1 to 7 keywords required for indexing purposes. Keywords should be written in English. Authors should try to avoid keywords consisting of multiple words (using 'and' or 'of'). Abbreviations should only be used in keywords if they are firmly established in the field |
| References | Author-date style (Harvard-like) at initial submission, though the journal does not set strict requirements on reference formatting at submission - any style is acceptable as long as it is consistent. The journal's reference style will be applied after acceptance at proof stage. Final style uses author-date citations in text (e.g., Allan, 2020; Allan and Jones, 2019; Kramer et al., 2023) with references listed alphabetically (then chronologically if needed) in the reference list. Journal names should be abbreviated according to the List of Title Word Abbreviations (LTWA) |
| Peer review | Single anonymized review process (also referred to as single-blind peer review). Submissions are initially assessed by editors, and if deemed suitable, are sent to a minimum of two reviewers for independent expert assessment of scientific quality. Final decision made by editors |
| Submission | submit.elsevier.com/DEVEC |
Quick Tips for Using the Journal of Development Economics Template
Read the Journal of Development Economics 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 Development Economics in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent J Development Econ 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 Development Economics 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 Journal of Development Economics guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.
