Format your manuscript to the Journal of Human Genetics requirements — a 250-word unstructured abstract, 5,000-word limit, and Vancouver references — and submit through the journal's online system without a formatting rejection.
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Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 19 August, 2026
A strong study can still bounce at Journal of Human Genetics before review if the manuscript ignores the journal’s formatting requirements. This template is built around JHG’s actual requirements — its abstract rules, the length limit, Vancouver (numbered in order of citation) references, and the required declarations — so your submission clears screening on the first pass. Everything below tracks the JHG author guidelines; check it directly if anything looks out of date by the time you submit.
It’s a manuscript shell set up to JHG’s specifications for human genetics and genomics, including medical, statistical and population genetics. Journal of Human Genetics is published by Springer Nature on behalf of the Japan Society of Human Genetics. The shell covers the title page, the abstract, a body in Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) order, and a reference list in Vancouver (numbered in order of citation) style.
Start with the title page (authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs). The abstract is unstructured, ≤250 words (150 words for short-format articles), with citations and abbreviations avoided. Keep an eye on length — up to 5,000 words for Articles (excluding abstract, references, figures and tables). JHG also expects article-type-specific word and abstract limits (check the Guide to Authors table). The body follows Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD), and the reference list uses Vancouver (numbered in order of citation). Close with the declarations block: conflict of interest, funding, ethics approval and consent, and data availability.
The details that trip up most first submissions: exceeding the 5,000-word Article limit and including reference citations inside the abstract. Beyond that, match your article type’s specific limits rather than assuming the defaults apply, keep Vancouver (numbered in order of citation) formatting consistent from the first draft, and submit only through the JHG online submission system — email submissions aren’t processed.
The shell mirrors what JHG’s editorial staff check first: abstract format and length, Vancouver (numbered in order of citation) reference formatting, and a complete declarations block. For the journal’s full aims and scope, see the JHG journal home page. JHG is hybrid, with an optional open-access route under Springer Nature. Manuscripts go in through the JHG online submission system, which also tracks your paper through peer review.
| Element | JHG requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | unstructured, ≤250 words (150 words for short-format articles), with citations and abbreviations avoided |
| Main text | up to 5,000 words for Articles (excluding abstract, references, figures and tables); Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) |
| Declarations | Conflict of interest, funding, ethics approval and consent, and data availability |
| Figures / tables | Captioned, cited in order; check format and resolution rules in the guide |
| Supplemental | Large datasets, extra tables, code — uploaded separately and cited in text |
| Submission | mts-jhg.nature.com |
Read the JHG author guidelines once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after your results are stable so it matches the paper. Set Vancouver (numbered in order of citation) as your reference style before adding a single citation — retrofitting it later is where errors creep in. Prepare article-type-specific word and abstract limits (check the Guide to Authors table) early rather than leaving it to the end.
Skim two or three recent JHG papers to calibrate depth, structure, and figure style. State your contribution in the first two paragraphs, not on page ten. Write a data-availability statement that names a real repository rather than a placeholder, and disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in your cover letter. Confirm current open-access pricing and any institutional agreement before committing to a fee.
Do one focused pass against the JHG author guidelines: scope fit, abstract format, length, Vancouver (numbered in order of citation) references, required declarations, and figure quality. Re-check the items that most often cause a bounce here — exceeding the 5,000-word Article limit and including reference citations inside the abstract. Then submit through the JHG online submission system.