Get your Journal of General Physiology 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 General Physiology goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Journal of General Physiology 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 General Physiology. 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 General Physiology 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 General Physiology 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 General Physiology 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 Gen Physiol requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured; must not exceed 250 words. Should describe relevant background, key results, and conceptual significance in a way accessible to a broad audience. Abstracts should not include references. No different requirements by article type |
| Main text | Articles: no limits on words or figures. Communications: no limits on words or figures (usually shorter than Articles but not mandated). Hypotheses: no limits on words or figures. Methods and Approaches: no limits on words or figures |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Not specified in the official author guidelines |
| References | Harvard style (author-date). In-text citations: Author et al., Year. Reference list: alphabetically by first author's last name. Include all authors' names (do not use et al. in reference list), year, complete article title, and inclusive page numbers. Journal abbreviations according to PubMed. No limit on number of references |
| Peer review | Single-blind. Reviewer anonymity is maintained (reviewers know authors' identities, but authors do not know reviewers' identities) |
| Submission | jgp.msubmit.net/cgi-bin/main.plex |
Read the Journal of General Physiology 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 General Physiology in under a page.
Skim two or three recent J Gen Physiol 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 General Physiology journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Journal of General Physiology guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.