Materials Characterization Template
Draft for Materials Characterization with confidence. The template sets the correct structure, abstract, and references up front, so your manuscript clears editorial screening.
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How to Use the Materials Characterization Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 25 July, 2026
Submitting to Materials Characterization goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Materials Characterization 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 Materials Characterization Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Materials Characterization. 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 Materials Characterization journal page before you draft.
What's actually in a MC 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 Materials Characterization 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 Materials Characterization guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Materials Characterization 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 Editorial Manager.
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 MC.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Materials Characterization 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 Editorial Manager.
Materials Characterization Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | MC requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured abstract with a maximum of 250 words. The abstract should be concise and factual, briefly stating the purpose of research, principal results, and major conclusions. Abstracts must stand alone and avoid references (cite author(s) and year(s) if essential). Non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided or defined at first mention. |
| Main text | Section order and length per article type |
| Declarations | Ethics, competing interests, funding, data as required |
| 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 avoid keywords consisting of multiple words (using 'and' or 'of'). Abbreviations should only be used in keywords if firmly established in the field. |
| References | Numbered reference style in order of appearance in the text. References indicated by numbers in square brackets. Journal names abbreviated according to the List of Title Word Abbreviations (LTWA). Any style or format accepted at submission as long as consistent (author names, journal/book titles, year, volume, pagination included where applicable); journal reference style applied at proof stage after acceptance. |
| Peer review | Single anonymized review (single-blind). Submission is initially assessed by editors for suitability, then typically sent to a minimum of one reviewer for independent expert assessment of scientific quality. Reviews (by invitation only) are typically reviewed by two reviewers in addition to the Editor assigned to the paper. |
| Submission | editorialmanager.com |
Quick Tips for Using the Materials Characterization Template
Read the Materials Characterization 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 Materials Characterization in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent MC 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 Materials Characterization 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 Materials Characterization guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through Editorial Manager.
