Journal Compliance Check

Journal Compliance Check

Verify a manuscript meets journal-specific submission requirements before upload.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Final review before submitting to a journal portal
• Checking a revision addresses all editor/reviewer concerns
• Validating formatting after structural changes

Compliance Checklist

Structure

• Title page: title, authors with degrees, affiliations, corresponding author, COI statement, running head, word counts, keywords
• Abstract: structured (Background/Methods/Results/Conclusions), within word limit
• Introduction: 2-3 paragraphs, no subheadings, ends with study objectives
• Methods: appropriate subheadings (Study Design, Outcome Measures, Statistical Analysis)
• Results: primary outcome first, secondary outcomes, efficiency data
• Discussion: flowing prose without subheadings (except CONCLUSIONS)
• References: journal citation style applied
• Figure legends: after references, one per figure
• SDC legends: after figure legends, one per SDC item

Word Counts

• Body text (Introduction through Conclusions) within journal limit
• Abstract within journal limit
• Counts on title page match actual counts

Tables

• Numbered in order of first reference in text
• Each table as separate .docx file
• Three-line border format (top thick, header underline, bottom thick)
• No internal gridlines or shading
• Title/caption on each table

Figures

• Numbered in order of first reference in text
• Resolution ≥300 DPI
• TIFF format (or journal-accepted format)
• Named as "Figure N.tiff"

Cross-References

• Every table/figure referenced at least once in text
• References match actual numbering (no stale numbers)
• No unresolved Quarto references (?@tbl-, ?@fig-)

Terminology

• Consistent terminology throughout (e.g., "reference standard" not mixed with "gold standard")
• No AI writing tells (em-dashes, "Furthermore", "Moreover", "delve", "intricate", etc.)

Supplemental Digital Content

• Within journal SDC limits (items, word count)
• Each SDC item has a legend
• SDC formatted as tables (not free text) where possible

Reviewer Response (for revisions)

• Every reviewer concern addressed with specific manuscript location
• Response letter maps each concern to the fix
• No stale references to removed content

Journal-Specific Requirements

PRS (Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery)

Requirement	Specification
Body word limit	3,000 (+ 500 extension)
Abstract	250 words, structured
Max figures + tables	20 pieces
Figure format	300 DPI, TIFF
SDC text limit	500 words
SDC items limit	10
Reference style	AMA
Tables	Separate .docx files

JPRAS (Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery)

Requirement	Specification
Body word limit	No strict limit (varies by article type)
Abstract	250 words, unstructured
Figure format	300 DPI, TIFF/EPS/PDF
Reference style	Vancouver (numbered)
Tables	Embedded in single manuscript file
Template	_templates/jpras-reference.docx
Font	Times New Roman, 12pt
Spacing	Double-spaced
Margins	1 inch all sides

Annals of Plastic Surgery

Requirement	Specification
Body word limit	3,000
Abstract	200 words, unstructured
Figure format	300 DPI, TIFF
Reference style	AMA
Tables	Embedded in manuscript
Template	_templates/annals-reference.docx
Font	Times New Roman, 12pt
Spacing	Double-spaced
Margins	1 inch all sides

How to Add Journal Configs

Create a YAML file in your project's review/ directory:

# review/journal_requirements.yaml
journal: "Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery"
word_limits:
  body: 3500  # including extension
  abstract: 250
figures:
  max_items: 20
  format: tiff
  min_dpi: 300
sdc:
  max_text_words: 500
  max_items: 10
reference_style: ama
tables:
  format: separate_docx
  borders: three_line