Format your manuscript to the Trends in Plant Science requirements — abstract, Cell Press numbered references, and required declarations — and submit through Editorial Manager without a formatting rejection.
4.5
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 24 August, 2026
A strong study can still bounce at Trends in Plant Science before review if the manuscript ignores the journal’s formatting requirements. This template is built around Trends in Plant Science’s actual requirements — its abstract rules, Cell Press numbered references, and the required declarations — so your submission clears screening on the first pass. Everything below tracks the Trends in Plant Science author guidelines; check it directly if anything looks out of date by the time you submit.
It’s a manuscript shell set up to Trends in Plant Science’s specifications for plant biology and plant science. Trends in Plant Science is published by Cell Press (Elsevier). The shell covers the title page, the abstract, a body in Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) order, and a reference list in Cell Press numbered style.
Start with the title page (authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs). The abstract is an unstructured abstract of up to about 150 words written for a broad readership. Trends in Plant Science also expects a short eTOC blurb and, where the article type allows, a graphical abstract. The body follows Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD), and the reference list uses Cell Press numbered. Close with the declarations block: ethics approval, conflict of interest, funding, and data availability.
The details that trip up most first submissions: skipping the required eTOC blurb, a summary that runs past the word cap, and figures that don't meet Cell Press size and resolution specs. Beyond that, match your article type’s specific limits rather than assuming the defaults apply, keep Cell Press numbered formatting consistent from the first draft, and submit only through Editorial Manager — email submissions aren’t processed.
The shell mirrors what Trends in Plant Science’s editorial staff check first: abstract format and length, Cell Press numbered reference formatting, and a complete declarations block. For the journal’s full aims and scope, see the Trends in Plant Science journal home page. Trends in Plant Science offers an open-access option; check the current article-processing charge and any waiver before you commit. Manuscripts go in through Editorial Manager, which also tracks your paper through peer review.
| Element | Trends in Plant Science requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | an unstructured abstract of up to about 150 words written for a broad readership |
| 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 | Editorial Manager |
Read the Trends in Plant Science author guidelines once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after your results are stable so it matches the paper. Set Cell Press numbered as your reference style before adding a single citation — retrofitting it later is where errors creep in. Prepare a short eTOC blurb and, where the article type allows, a graphical abstract early rather than leaving it to the end.
Skim two or three recent Trends in Plant Science 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 Trends in Plant Science author guidelines: scope fit, abstract format, length, Cell Press numbered references, required declarations, and figure quality. Re-check the items that most often cause a bounce here — skipping the required eTOC blurb, a summary that runs past the word cap, and figures that don't meet Cell Press size and resolution specs. Then submit through Editorial Manager.