manuscript_requirements.json reference

paperpush/manuscript_requirements.json records what each venue’s author guidelines require of the manuscript itself – the companion to venues.json, which describes the submission form. paperpush validate measures the uploaded files against these rules and paperpush requirements VENUE prints them. The top-level object maps a venue slug to a venue entry; the special keys $schema and $aliases are metadata (see below). This page is generated from paperpush/manuscript_requirements.schema.json, which is itself generated from the dataclasses in paperpush/requirements.py.

Every key is optional: an entry records only what the guidelines state, and rules with no structured key go in a section’s notes list. Two mechanisms keep entries short: inherits starts from another venue’s entry and overrides keys section by section (a key set to null drops the inherited value; notes accumulate), and article_types holds per-article-type overrides keyed by the exact option string of the field named in article_type_field.

Venue entry

The keys of one venue entry. Each section key holds the object described in its own table below.

Key	Type	Description
source_urls	list of string	Guideline pages the entry was taken from.
retrieved	string	Date (YYYY-MM-DD) the guidelines were last read.
inherits	string	Slug whose requirements this entry starts from. Empty for a standalone entry.
article_type_field	string	Id of the .sub field whose value selects an article_types override.
article_types	map of rules	Per-article-type overrides, keyed by the exact option string; each value carries the same section keys as the top level.
manuscript	manuscript or null	Rules for the main manuscript file: format, size, length, and layout.
title_page	title_page or null	What the title page must carry.
abstract	abstract or null	Abstract length and structure.
keywords	keywords or null	How many keywords the manuscript must list.
sections	sections or null	Section headings the manuscript body must (or may) carry.
statements	statements or null	Declarations that must appear in the manuscript text.
figures	figures or null	Figure file format, resolution, dimensions, and count.
tables	tables or null	Table file format, editability, count, and placement.
supplementary	supplementary or null	Supplementary-file format, size, count, and bundling.
references	references or null	Reference style and count.
cover_letter	cover_letter or null	Whether a cover letter is required and how it is supplied.
upload	upload or null	Size caps on the submission’s uploads as a whole.
notes	list of string	Venue-wide rules that fit no section.

rules

Per-article-type overrides: the same section keys as a venue entry.

The same section keys as a venue entry (plus notes); used as the value of each article_types entry.

manuscript

Key	Type	Description
formats	list of string or null	File extensions accepted for the main manuscript upload (lowercase, with dot).
max_file_size_mb	number or null	Maximum size of the manuscript file in MB.
max_words	integer or null	Maximum word count of the whole document, references included.
max_words_before_refs	integer or null	Maximum word count of the main text (before the reference list).
max_pages	integer or null	Maximum page count of the whole document.
max_pages_before_refs	integer or null	Maximum page count of the main text (before the reference list).
main_text_end_headings	list of string or null	Headings other than the reference list that end the main text for the before-refs limits (e.g. Appendix).
count_excludes	list of string or null	Parts of the manuscript the venue leaves out of its word/page count (informational).
count_includes	list of string or null	Parts the venue explicitly counts that authors might not expect (informational).
max_display_items	integer or null	Maximum number of figures and tables combined.
line_numbers	boolean or null	Continuous line numbers required.
double_spacing	boolean or null	Double line spacing required.
page_numbers	boolean or null	Page numbers required.
font	string or null	Mandated body font, if any.
font_size_pt	number or null	Mandated body font size in points, if any.
margins_mm	number or null	Mandated page margins in mm, if any.
page_size	string or null	Mandated page size (A4, US Letter), if any.
single_file	boolean or null	Manuscript must be a single file holding text, figures, and tables.
figures_placement	end | inline | separate | end_or_inline or null	Where figures go relative to the main manuscript file.
tables_placement	end | inline | separate | end_or_inline or null	Where tables go relative to the main manuscript file.
anonymized	boolean or null	Double-blind: no author names or affiliations in the manuscript.
template_required	boolean or null	Must use the venue’s style file or template.
template_url	string or null	URL of the venue’s template.
latex_class	string or null	Required LaTeX document class or style file.
template_layout	TemplateLayout or null	Geometry of the compiled template, checked against the manuscript PDF to catch shrunken margins, font, or line spacing.
language	string or null	Mandated language variant, if any.
notes	list of string or null	Rules with no structured key, one per string.

title_page

Key	Type	Description
required_items	list of title | authors | affiliations | corresponding_author | corresponding_email | orcid | keywords | running_title | word_count | figure_count | table_count | author_contributions | funding | competing_interests | abstract | postal_address | phone | one_sentence_summary | classification | author_footnotes or null	Canonical ids of the items the title page must carry.
separate_file	boolean or null	Title page is uploaded as its own file (double-blind venues).
title_max_characters	integer or null	Maximum title length in characters (spaces included).
title_max_words	integer or null	Maximum title length in words.
running_title_max_characters	integer or null	Maximum running/short title length in characters.
notes	list of string or null	Rules with no structured key.

abstract

Key	Type	Description
max_words	integer or null	Maximum abstract length in words.
min_words	integer or null	Minimum abstract length in words.
max_characters	integer or null	Maximum abstract length in characters.
structured	boolean or null	Abstract must be structured into labelled subsections.
structured_headings	list of string or null	The subsection labels a structured abstract must carry.
no_references	boolean or null	Abstract must not cite references.
no_abbreviations	boolean or null	Undefined abbreviations are banned in the abstract.
notes	list of string or null	Rules with no structured key.

keywords

Key	Type	Description
min	integer or null	Minimum number of keywords.
max	integer or null	Maximum number of keywords.
notes	list of string or null	Rules with no structured key.

sections

Key	Type	Description
required	list of string or null	Canonical section names the manuscript must contain (matched via $aliases).
optional	list of string or null	Canonical section names the venue allows but does not require.
order	list of string or null	Prescribed section order, if the venue states one.
combined_allowed	list of string or null	Combined headings the venue accepts (e.g. Results and Discussion).
notes	list of string or null	Rules with no structured key.

statements

Key	Type	Description
required	list of data_availability | code_availability | competing_interests | author_contributions | funding | acknowledgements | ethics_approval | consent_to_participate | consent_to_publish | materials_availability | lead_contact | inclusion_and_diversity | ai_use | reproducibility | ethics_statement | clinical_trial_registration | reporting_guidelines or null	Canonical ids of the declarations the manuscript must contain (matched via $aliases).
optional	list of data_availability | code_availability | competing_interests | author_contributions | funding | acknowledgements | ethics_approval | consent_to_participate | consent_to_publish | materials_availability | lead_contact | inclusion_and_diversity | ai_use | reproducibility | ethics_statement | clinical_trial_registration | reporting_guidelines or null	Declarations the venue accepts but does not require.
notes	list of string or null	Rules with no structured key.

figures

Key	Type	Description
formats	list of string or null	Accepted figure file extensions.
vector_formats	list of string or null	Formats preferred for line art / vector figures.
min_dpi	integer or null	Minimum resolution for halftone/photographic figures.
min_dpi_line_art	integer or null	Minimum resolution for line art.
min_dpi_combination	integer or null	Minimum resolution for combination (halftone + line) figures.
max_file_size_mb	number or null	Maximum size of each figure file in MB.
max_count	integer or null	Maximum number of main-text figures.
single_column_width_mm	number or null	Single-column figure width in mm.
double_column_width_mm	number or null	Double-column figure width in mm.
max_width_mm	number or null	Maximum figure width in mm.
max_height_mm	number or null	Maximum figure height in mm.
color_mode	list of string or null	Accepted colour spaces (RGB, CMYK, grayscale).
min_font_size_pt	number or null	Minimum font size for figure lettering, in points.
max_font_size_pt	number or null	Maximum font size for figure lettering, in points.
font	string or null	Mandated or recommended figure font.
legend_max_words	integer or null	Maximum words per figure legend.
legends_location	end_of_manuscript | with_figure | after_references or null	Where figure legends go.
multipanel_labels	string or null	Required style of panel labels.
color_charge	boolean or null	Colour figures carry a charge.
placement	separate_files | end_of_manuscript | inline | end_or_inline or null	Where figures go for the initial submission.
notes	list of string or null	Rules with no structured key.

tables

Key	Type	Description
formats	list of string or null	Accepted table file extensions.
editable	boolean or null	Tables must be editable text, not images.
max_count	integer or null	Maximum number of main-text tables.
placement	separate_files | end_of_manuscript | inline | end_or_inline or null	Where tables go for the initial submission.
notes	list of string or null	Rules with no structured key.

supplementary

Key	Type	Description
formats	list of string or null	Accepted supplementary file extensions.
max_file_size_mb	number or null	Maximum size of each supplementary file in MB.
max_count	integer or null	Maximum number of supplementary files.
combined_single_pdf	boolean or null	Supplementary text, figures, and tables must be combined into one PDF.
notes	list of string or null	Rules with no structured key.

references

Key	Type	Description
style	string or null	Reference style, in words.
numbered	boolean or null	Numbered (true) vs author-year (false) citations.
max_count	integer or null	Maximum number of references.
include_titles	boolean or null	Article titles are required in reference entries.
doi_required	boolean or null	DOIs are required in reference entries.
unpublished_allowed	boolean or null	Unpublished work may be cited in the list.
preprints_allowed	boolean or null	Preprints may be cited in the list.
notes	list of string or null	Rules with no structured key.

cover_letter

Key	Type	Description
required	boolean or null	A cover letter is required.
formats	list of string or null	Accepted cover letter file extensions.
max_words	integer or null	Maximum cover letter length in words.
notes	list of string or null	Rules with no structured key.

upload

Key	Type	Description
max_total_mb	number or null	Maximum combined size of one submission’s uploads in MB.
max_file_mb	number or null	Per-file size cap that applies to every upload, in MB.
notes	list of string or null	Rules with no structured key.

TemplateLayout

Key	Type	Description
page_width_pt	number or null	Page width in points.
page_height_pt	number or null	Page height in points.
text_left_pt	number or null	x of the text block’s left edge.
text_right_pt	number or null	x of the text block’s right edge (justified line ends).
text_top_pt	number or null	y of the highest body-text line on a page.
text_bottom_pt	number or null	y of the lowest body-text line on a full page.
body_font_pt	number or null	Body font size in points.
baseline_skip_pt	number or null	Distance between consecutive body-text baselines in points.
running_head	string or null	Running head the submission version prints on page 1 (e.g. ‘Under review as a conference paper at ICLR 2027’).
margin_line_numbers	boolean or null	The submission version prints line numbers in the margin.
tolerance_pt	number	How far, in points, a measured edge may sit from the template’s before it is reported.

$aliases

Heading wordings that count as each canonical section / statement name when the manuscript text is searched. Keys: sections, statements; each maps a canonical name to a list of alternative headings.

Key	Type	Description
sections	map of list of string
statements	map of list of string