Manuscript brief template
Use this template when the source material is messy, incomplete, or spread across notes, figures, or slides.
Target
- Journal:
- Article type:
- Closest bundled mode:
- Specific author-guide details already verified:
- Details that still need checking:
Paper promise
- One-sentence central claim:
- What the paper is not claiming:
- Why it matters outside the immediate subfield:
- Why this journal's readers should care now:
Evidence ladder
List 3-6 load-bearing results.
- Figure / analysis:
- Question answered:
- Observation:
- Allowed claim:
- Main caveat:
- Figure / analysis:
- Figure / analysis:
- Figure / analysis:
- Figure / analysis:
- Figure / analysis:
Gap and prior work
- Strongest prior work:
- Exact unresolved problem:
- Why existing approaches were insufficient:
Limitations and risk points
- Strongest limitation:
- Most likely reviewer concern:
- Most dangerous overclaim to avoid:
- Alternative explanation that must be addressed:
Methods and compliance
- System / samples / cohort:
- Key methods:
- Statistics:
- Ethics / approvals / consent:
- Reporting checklist likely required:
- Data availability status:
- Code availability status:
- Materials availability status:
Editorial notes
- Broad-reader bridge sentence:
- Candidate title keywords:
- Acronyms that are essential:
- Acronyms to avoid:
- Unknown facts to confirm before submission: