Format your manuscript to the Journal of Plant Ecology requirements — abstract, a Harvard author-date style (confirm in the instructions for authors) references, and required declarations — and submit through ScholarOne Manuscripts without a formatting rejection.
4.3
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 19 August, 2026
A strong study can still bounce at Journal of Plant Ecology before review if the manuscript ignores the journal’s formatting requirements. This template is built around JPE’s actual requirements — its abstract rules, a Harvard author-date style (confirm in the instructions for authors) references, and the required declarations — so your submission clears screening on the first pass. Everything below tracks the JPE author guidelines; check it directly if anything looks out of date by the time you submit.
It’s a manuscript shell set up to JPE’s specifications for plant ecology — populations, communities, and ecosystems. Journal of Plant Ecology is published by Oxford University Press. The shell covers the title page, the abstract, a body in Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) order, and a reference list in a Harvard author-date style (confirm in the instructions for authors) style.
Start with the title page (authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs). The abstract is a structured abstract (Aims; Methods; Important findings). The body follows Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD), and the reference list uses a Harvard author-date style (confirm in the instructions for authors). Close with the declarations block: conflict of interest, funding, and data availability.
Beyond that, match your article type’s specific limits rather than assuming the defaults apply, keep a Harvard author-date style (confirm in the instructions for authors) formatting consistent from the first draft, and submit only through ScholarOne Manuscripts — email submissions aren’t processed.
The shell mirrors what JPE’s editorial staff check first: abstract format and length, a Harvard author-date style (confirm in the instructions for authors) reference formatting, and a complete declarations block. For the journal’s full aims and scope, see the JPE journal home page. Journal of Plant Ecology is fully open access; an article-processing charge applies — check the current APC and any waiver. Manuscripts go in through ScholarOne Manuscripts, which also tracks your paper through peer review.
| Element | JPE requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | a structured abstract (Aims; Methods; Important findings) |
| Main text | Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) |
| Declarations | Conflict of interest, funding, 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 | ScholarOne Manuscripts |
Read the JPE author guidelines once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after your results are stable so it matches the paper. Set a Harvard author-date style (confirm in the instructions for authors) as your reference style before adding a single citation — retrofitting it later is where errors creep in.
Skim two or three recent JPE 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 JPE author guidelines: scope fit, abstract format, length, a Harvard author-date style (confirm in the instructions for authors) references, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through ScholarOne Manuscripts.