Format your manuscript to the Nature Ecology and Evolution requirements — abstract, Nature superscript-numbered references, and required declarations — and submit through the Nature online submission 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 Nature Ecology and Evolution before review if the manuscript ignores the journal’s formatting requirements. This template is built around Nature Ecology & Evolution’s actual requirements — its abstract rules, Nature superscript-numbered references, and the required declarations — so your submission clears screening on the first pass. Everything below tracks the Nature Ecology & Evolution author guidelines; check it directly if anything looks out of date by the time you submit.
It’s a manuscript shell set up to Nature Ecology & Evolution’s specifications for ecology, evolution, and biodiversity across scales. Nature Ecology and Evolution is published by Springer Nature Portfolio). The shell covers the title page, the abstract, a body in Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) order, and a reference list in Nature superscript-numbered style.
Start with the title page (authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs). The abstract is an unstructured summary paragraph of about 150–200 words written for a broad audience. The body follows Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD), and the reference list uses Nature superscript-numbered. Close with the declarations block: ethics approval, conflict of interest, funding, and data availability.
The details that trip up most first submissions: submitting without the required cover letter and a clear editorial summary, a summary paragraph that runs past ~200 words, and figures that don't meet the Nature size and format specs. Beyond that, match your article type’s specific limits rather than assuming the defaults apply, keep Nature superscript-numbered formatting consistent from the first draft, and submit only through the Nature online submission system — email submissions aren’t processed.
The shell mirrors what Nature Ecology & Evolution’s editorial staff check first: abstract format and length, Nature superscript-numbered reference formatting, and a complete declarations block. For the journal’s full aims and scope, see the Nature Ecology & Evolution journal home page. Nature Ecology & Evolution offers an open-access option; check the current article-processing charge and any waiver before you commit. Manuscripts go in through the Nature online submission system, which also tracks your paper through peer review.
| Element | Nature Ecology & Evolution requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | an unstructured summary paragraph of about 150–200 words written for a broad audience |
| Main text | Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) |
| Declarations | Ethics approval, 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 | the Nature online submission system |
Read the Nature Ecology & Evolution author guidelines once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after your results are stable so it matches the paper. Set Nature superscript-numbered as your reference style before adding a single citation — retrofitting it later is where errors creep in.
Skim two or three recent Nature Ecology & Evolution 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 Nature Ecology & Evolution author guidelines: scope fit, abstract format, length, Nature superscript-numbered references, required declarations, and figure quality. Re-check the items that most often cause a bounce here — submitting without the required cover letter and a clear editorial summary, a summary paragraph that runs past ~200 words, and figures that don't meet the Nature size and format specs. Then submit through the Nature online submission system.