Get your Journal of Genetic Counseling paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
4.5
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 17 August, 2026
Submitting to Journal of Genetic Counseling goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Journal of Genetic Counseling 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 Genetic Counseling. 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 Genetic Counseling 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 Genetic Counseling 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 Genetic Counseling 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 Genetic Counseling requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured, 300 words maximum for most article types, with plain language summary of 2-3 sentences (not included in word count). By article type: - Original Articles (quantitative): Unstructured, 300 words, including specific methodology (e.g. cross sectional survey, RCT) and sample size - Original Articles (qualitative): Unstructured, 300 words, including specific methodology (e.g. grounded theory, reflexive thematic analysis) - Review Articles: Unstructured, 300 words, naming review type (e.g. systematic, scoping) - Brief Reports: Unstructured, 300 words, including methodology if applicable - Case Studies: Unstructured, 300 words - Professional Issues: Unstructured, 300 words - Commentaries: None required - Research Protocol Papers: Structured, 300 words, including background, objectives, methods, and potential implications - Practice Resource/Practice Guideline: Unstructured, 300 words per PGC template - Focused Revision: Use "Purpose" heading instead of "Abstract", per PGC template - Book Review/Conference Report/Correspondence/Corrigenda and Errata: None |
| Main text | By article type (word/page limits exclude references except where noted): - Original Articles (quantitative): 6000 words limit (excl. references) or 25 pages double-spaced (abstract, tables, figures, and references included in page count) - Original Articles (qualitative): 8000 words limit (excl. references) or 35 pages double-spaced (abstract, tables, figures, and references included in page count) - Review Articles: 6000 words limit (excl. references) or 25 pages double-spaced (abstract, tables, figures, and references included in page count) - Brief Reports: 2000 words limit (excl. references) or 9 pages double-spaced (abstract, tables, figures, and references included in page count) - Case Studies: 2000 words limit or 15 pages double-spaced (abstract, tables, figures, and references included in page count) - Professional Issues: 6000 words limit (excl. references) or 25 pages double-spaced (abstract, tables, figures, and references included in page count) - Commentaries: 2000 words (excl. references) or max 15 pages double-spaced (abstract, tables, figures, and references included in page count) - Research Protocol Papers: 4000 words limit (excl. references) - Correspondence: Max 2 pages double-spaced - Book Review: 3 pages max, double-spaced - Introduction: typically 2 pages double line spaced |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | 3-6 keywords required for most article types, including subject classifications from the journal's list. Not required for Focused Revisions, Book Reviews, Correspondence, and Corrigenda and Errata. Mandatory for title: 'A brief informative title containing the major key words.' |
| References | APA reference style. However, Journal of Genetic Counseling offers Free Format submission: References may be submitted in any style or format, as long as it is consistent throughout the manuscript. This will be taken care of by the typesetter |
| Peer review | Single-anonymized peer review (also called single-blind). Except where otherwise stated, manuscripts are peer reviewed by at least two anonymous reviewers and an Associate or Assistant Editor |
| Submission | authors.wiley.com/journal/JGC4 |
Read the Journal of Genetic Counseling 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 Genetic Counseling in under a page.
Skim two or three recent J Genetic Counseling 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 Genetic Counseling journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Journal of Genetic Counseling guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.