- For authors
- Open access
- CC BY 4.0
Instructions for Authors
How to prepare and submit a manuscript to the Journal of Genetic Engineering: submission routes, article types, manuscript structure, reporting standards, ethics statements and fees.
Submission routes
- Primary route
ManuscriptZone
The publisher's online submission and review system. Register or sign in, choose the Journal of Genetic Engineering and upload the manuscript files.
- Alternative route
Simple manuscript submission form
A single-page form that opens with the Journal of Genetic Engineering selected.
- Assisted route
[email protected]
For authors who are unable to use either online route. Send the manuscript files with a cover letter to the editorial office.
Authors must use only one submission route for the same manuscript.
Article types
JGE publishes the article types below. Requirements depend on the format. The scope of the journal is set out in the Aims and Scope.
Original Research
Experimental, computational or theoretical studies that report new findings in genetic engineering, including genome editing, recombinant DNA, synthetic biology, gene therapy, biotechnology and the mathematical or computational study of genetic and population processes.
- Abstract
- Structured: Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions.
- Main text
- Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusions. State the research question and, where applicable, the hypotheses, the controls, the replication and the sample-size or power calculation. For models, state the assumptions, the parameters and how the model was implemented and validated.
- Reporting
- The guideline for the design, for example ARRIVE 2.0, CONSORT, MIQE or STREGA.
Review (including Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis)
Critical, balanced syntheses of a defined topic in genetic engineering. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses follow a prespecified protocol; scoping and narrative reviews state how the literature was identified.
- Abstract
- Structured for systematic reviews; a brief summary for other reviews.
- Main text
- Introduction; Methods (eligibility criteria, information sources and the full search strategy, study selection, data extraction, risk-of-bias assessment and synthesis) with a flow diagram for systematic reviews; Results or thematic sections; Discussion. Give the protocol registration where applicable.
- Reporting
- PRISMA 2020; PRISMA-ScR for scoping reviews.
Methods and Protocols
New, adapted or validated methods, tools, software and laboratory or computational protocols, and protocols for planned studies.
- Abstract
- Structured, with headings adapted to the method.
- Main text
- Rationale; a description of the method with the detail, code, sequences or materials others need to apply it; validation or a worked application, compared with existing approaches where available; limitations. A study protocol sets out the design, outcomes, analysis plan, ethics approval and registration, and has no Results section.
- Reporting
- SPIRIT or PRISMA-P for study protocols, TRIPOD for prediction models, MIQE for quantitative PCR, where applicable.
Short Communication
A concise report of a focused or preliminary finding.
- Abstract
- Brief, structured.
- Main text
- A condensed Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion centered on the main finding.
- Reporting
- As for Original Research, where applicable.
Perspective or Commentary
An evidence-based argument on a current question in genetic engineering, including its technical, ethical, regulatory or societal dimensions, or on published research.
- Abstract
- Brief, unstructured.
- Main text
- Free structure with descriptive headings; claims supported by cited evidence and conclusions proportionate to it. Methods and Results sections are not required.
- Reporting
- Reference the evidence for each claim.
Letter
A brief response to an article published in JGE, or a short observation of relevance to the field.
- Abstract
- None.
- Main text
- Short text without section headings and with a small number of references. A letter about a published article cites it in full, and its authors may be invited to reply.
- Reporting
- Reference the article or evidence discussed.
Length. There are no fixed length limits for any article type; manuscripts should be concise and proportionate to their content.
Choosing a type. Where a manuscript sits between types, choose the closest type and explain the choice in the cover letter; the editors confirm the classification. A scoping review is submitted as a Review, and a study protocol as Methods and Protocols.
Preparing the manuscript
These requirements apply to every article type. The structure of the main text follows the guidance for the type above.
- Files
- The main text as an editable word-processing file (for example, Microsoft Word), with figures, tables that cannot be edited in the text, and supplementary material supplied as separate files.
- Title page
- A concise, informative title; full names, affiliations and ORCID iDs (recommended) of all authors; and the corresponding author's contact details.
- Double-blind review
- For double-blind review, remove author names, affiliations, acknowledgments, funding details, institution names, and other identifying information from the reviewer manuscript. Provide identifying information separately in the title-page file or submission form.
- Abstract
- As set for the article type. Structured abstracts use the headings Background, Methods, Results and Conclusions.
- Keywords
- A short list of specific, searchable terms.
- Sequences and materials
- Name genes, alleles and constructs with standard nomenclature, give accession numbers for sequences, and state the source of plasmids, strains, cell lines and organisms. Deposit sequence data and, where possible, plasmids in public repositories.
- Statistics and models
- Describe statistical methods in enough detail for replication; report effect estimates with confidence intervals, give exact p-values where statistical tests are used, and name the software and version. For mathematical and computational models, give the equations, assumptions and parameter values, and share the code.
- Declarations
- Author contributions (CRediT), funding, conflicts of interest, ethics approval and consent where applicable, biosafety approvals where applicable, data availability and any use of AI tools.
- Cover letter
- States the article type and the relevance of the work to genetic engineering, confirms that the manuscript is not under consideration elsewhere, and notes any preprint and any request for double-blind review.
- Language
- Clear English, with abbreviations defined at first use.
Reporting guidelines
Report the study following the guideline that matches its design and upload the completed checklist as a supplementary file. The guidelines are available from the EQUATOR Network.
| Study design | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Randomized trials | CONSORT |
| Systematic reviews and meta-analyses | PRISMA 2020 |
| Scoping reviews | PRISMA-ScR |
| Trial and review protocols | SPIRIT; PRISMA-P |
| Animal research, including genetically modified animals | ARRIVE 2.0 |
| Quantitative PCR experiments | MIQE |
| Microarray and functional-genomics experiments | MIAME |
| Genetic association studies | STREGA |
| Diagnostic accuracy studies | STARD |
| Prediction models | TRIPOD |
| Agent-based and simulation models | ODD protocol |
References, tables and figures
- Reference style
- Numbered in order of first citation. List the first five authors, then et al., and give a DOI or stable URL where one exists. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of references.
- Tables
- Numbered consecutively, each with a descriptive title; abbreviations and symbols explained in a footnote.
- Figures
- High resolution (at least 300 dpi) in TIFF, EPS, PNG or high-quality JPEG, with a caption for each figure and text that remains legible after reduction. Uncropped images of gels and blots are supplied as supplementary files.
- Supplementary files
- Numbered (for example, Supplementary Table S1), cited in the text and listed with short titles at the end of the manuscript. They are published as supplied, so they must be final.
- Reused material
- Written permission from the copyright holder to reproduce or adapt published figures, tables or text, unless the material is already available under a license that permits reuse; the source is cited in the legend.
Reference examples
- Journal article
- Author AA, Author BB, Author CC, Author DD, Author EE, et al. (Year) Title of the article. Journal Name. Volume(Issue):pages. DOI: 10.xxxx/xxxxx
- Book
- Author AA, Author BB (Year) Title of the Book. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher.
- Report or webpage
- Organization Name (Year) Title of the report or page. URL (accessed Month Day, Year)
- Dataset or sequence
- Author AA, Author BB (Year) Title of the dataset. Version. Repository Name. DOI or accession number
- Preprint
- Author AA, Author BB (Year) Title of the preprint. Preprint Server Name [Preprint]. DOI: 10.xxxx/xxxxx
- Trial registration
- Sponsor or Principal Investigator (Year) Title of the trial. Registry Name. Registration number. Registered Month Day, Year. URL
Ethics and declarations
Each manuscript includes the statements below that apply to it. The full policies are set out in the Editorial Policies.
Human participants and materials
The name of the approving ethics committee or institutional review board and the approval reference number, and confirmation of informed consent, or a waiver documented by the ethics committee, where applicable.
Clinical trials
Interventional clinical trials must be registered in an accepted public trial registry at or before the first participant provides consent for enrollment. The registry name, registration number, and registration date must be reported in the manuscript.
Animal research
Approval from the institutional animal care and use committee or animal ethics committee with its reference number, compliance with animal-welfare regulations and the 3Rs, and reporting in line with the ARRIVE guidelines.
Biosafety
Institutional biosafety approval and containment level for work with recombinant nucleic acids, modified organisms and viral vectors, and permits for any field release, where applicable.
Conflicts of interest and funding
All financial and non-financial interests of every author, including patents, each source of funding and the role of the funder.
Data availability
Every empirical research manuscript must include a data-availability statement. It explains where the data can be found or the conditions for access.
Use of AI tools
Any use of AI tools in writing, analysis or figure preparation, with the tool named and its use described. AI tools are not listed as authors.
Peer review and decisions
All submissions undergo initial editorial screening, including a similarity check with Crossref Similarity Check. Manuscripts that meet the journal's scope and minimum requirements proceed to independent peer review.
Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request.
Manuscripts that proceed to external peer review are normally evaluated by at least two independent subject-matter experts. Editorial decisions are based on scope, scientific quality, methodological rigor, ethical compliance, reporting quality, and relevance to the journal.
Revised manuscripts are accompanied by a point-by-point response to the reviewers' comments. After acceptance, authors check the proofs, and the article is published open access under CC BY 4.0 with a Crossref DOI.
Fees
USD 1,440 article processing charge for every article type.
The article processing charge is payable only after acceptance; withdrawal after submission is subject to the journal's withdrawal policy.
No charge is made at submission. Fee-relief inquiries are considered case by case; contact the editorial office before or at submission. Full details are on the Article Processing Charges page.
Final checklist
A fuller checklist and the submission routes are on the Submit Manuscript page.
- The manuscript addresses a question within the scope of genetic engineering and uses one of the article types above.
- The title page, abstract, keywords and main text follow the guidance for the article type.
- For double-blind review, the reviewer manuscript is anonymized and identifying information is in the title-page file.
- Ethics approval, consent or waiver, biosafety approval and trial registration are reported where applicable.
- The completed reporting checklist is attached where applicable.
- Declarations cover contributions, funding, conflicts of interest, data availability and AI use.
- Sequences and data are deposited in public repositories, and code for models is shared where possible.
- Figures, tables and supplementary files are cited in the text, and permissions are in place for reused material.
- A cover letter accompanies the submission, which is made through one route only.
Author inquiries
Questions about preparing or submitting a manuscript can be sent to the editorial office at [email protected].