Pre-Submission Preflight (jacs-submission)

When to trigger

• "We're submitting today" — last check before the Paragon Plus upload
• You are unsure which files Paragon Plus expects
• You need a final, mechanical gate on format, SI, and disclosures

Pre-submission checklist

Files and system

• Manuscript in ACS Word or LaTeX template format
• Separate Supporting Information PDF
• CIF files for all crystal structures; CCDC numbers obtained and cited
• TOC / abstract graphic prepared per ACS size/content rules
• Figures at ACS-specified resolution/format; embedded or uploaded as required
• Submitting via ACS Paragon Plus with a registered account

Format

• Title, author list, affiliations, corresponding author(s) correct
• ORCID linked for authors as required
• Abstract within format norms; TOC graphic matches the abstract's message
• Citations in ACS numbered style, in order, with abbreviated journal titles
• Compound numbering consistent across text, schemes, and SI
• Article type (Article / Communication) selected to match the manuscript

Characterization and data (rigor gate)

• Every new compound: full characterization + purity evidence in SI
• Copies of key spectra (¹H, ¹³C, diagnostic others) in SI, legible
• Chiral/HPLC traces for stereochemistry/purity claims
• checkCIF/PLATON addressed; CCDC numbers correct
• Mechanism/catalysis claims supported by controls/kinetics/labeling as stated
• Computational coordinates and details in SI if computation is used

Disclosures and integrity

• Cover letter included (advance + fit)
• Conflict-of-interest statement per ACS policy
• Funding/acknowledgments handled (kept out of double-blind text if applicable)
• Data availability statement present
• Preprint / prior / companion-paper disclosure if applicable
• Safety hazards disclosed for dangerous reagents/procedures
• No image manipulation beyond uniform, disclosed adjustments

Reviewers

• Suggested reviewers entered (independent, no conflicts)
• Excluded reviewers entered with brief justification, if any

Confirm the current required files, limits, and policies on the JACS author page in Paragon Plus before submitting; specifics change over time.

Paragon Plus operation notes

• Upload main text, SI, CIFs, and graphics in the slots Paragon Plus designates.
• Verify the assembled proof PDF renders all figures, schemes, and Greek/math correctly.
• Enter ORCID, conflicts, funders, and reviewer suggestions in the system fields.
• Keep file sizes within the portal limits; check the generated PDF before approving.

Assembled-proof audit (the last human read)

The merged PDF that Paragon Plus builds is what the editor first sees. Read it end-to-end once, hunting only for assembly damage:

• Superscripts/subscripts survived conversion (¹³C, m/z, R1/wR2, °C, Å, δ)
• ChemDraw schemes rasterized sharply; wedge/hash bonds still distinguishable
• Bold compound numbers stayed bold in captions and tables
• Cross-references resolve — no "Scheme ??", no SI pointer to a section that moved
• TOC graphic sits in its slot, uncropped, text legible at printed size
• SI page numbering continuous; SI table of contents matches actual sections
• CCDC numbers in text match the deposited CIF filenames one-to-one

Timeline discipline (avoid same-day chaos)

• Days before: deposit CIFs with the CCDC and obtain numbers; run checkCIF; collect every co-author's ORCID and conflict statement; confirm the reviewer list with the corresponding author.
• Day before: freeze compound numbering; regenerate the SI PDF from the frozen text so spectra order matches; verify HRMS calcd/found pairs against the final structures one last time.
• Submission day: only mechanical steps remain — uploads, metadata, proof audit, approve. If a chemistry-content edit surfaces on submission day, stop and loop back to jacs-methods or jacs-writing-style; do not patch in the portal.

What triggers a bounce-back before review

• Abstract/TOC graphic mismatch — the graphic shows chemistry the abstract never claims
• A CIF that fails checkCIF with unexplained A-level alerts
• SI referenced in the text ("see Figure S12") but the figure absent from the uploaded SI
• Corresponding-author email that differs between the manuscript and the portal record

Anti-patterns

• Submitting with CIFs undeposited or CCDC numbers as placeholders
• SI missing spectra copies for some compounds
• "Data available on request" instead of a real availability statement
• TOC graphic that violates ACS size rules or doesn't show the chemistry
• Non-ACS reference formatting left from a reference manager
• Forgetting the cover letter or the conflict/funding disclosures

Output format

【Files】manuscript / SI / CIFs / TOC graphic — present? [...]
【Format】ACS template, citations, numbering — OK / fix: [...]
【Rigor gate】characterization + CCDC + mechanism support — OK / gaps: [...]
【Disclosures】COI / funding / data / preprint / safety — OK / missing: [...]
【Reviewers】suggested / excluded — entered? Y/N
【Verdict】ready to submit / blockers: [...]
【Next】await decision → jacs-revision

Related resources

• templates/checklist.md — full pre-submission self-check by section
• templates/manuscript_template.md — JACS-style manuscript skeleton (Article/Communication, SI structure)
• ../../resources/external_tools.md — Paragon Plus, CCDC deposition, ACS templates and styles