Nature Geoscience Submission Preflight (ngeo-submission)

When to trigger

• "Submitting tonight" — the last check before uploading to Editorial Manager
• You are unsure which files the Nature Portfolio system expects
• You need to confirm the Reporting Summary and data/code-availability statements are complete
• You want a single gate before handing off to the in-house editor

Pre-submission checklist

Scope and length

• The manuscript clears the broad-interest Earth-system gate (see ngeo-scope-fit)
• Main text within the ~3,000-word Article limit (excluding abstract/Methods/refs/legends)
• Abstract ≤ ~200 words, unreferenced, and uses "Here we show"
• Title ≤ ~90 characters
• Display items within the 4–6 ceiling; references near/under ~50

Format and structure

• Correct content type selected (Article or Brief Communication)
• Online Methods section present, divided by topical subheadings
• Results/Discussion organised with 3–4 topical subheadings (Article)
• SI units, consistent significant figures, every quantity with uncertainty
• Every acronym/symbol defined on first use; notation consistent throughout
• Nature reference style applied

Compliance files (these gate acceptance, not just submission)

• Data availability statement: repository + accession/DOI (community repo where available, e.g. PANGAEA)
• Code availability statement for custom analysis code
• Nature Portfolio Reporting Summary completed and consistent with Methods
• Any required ethics / sample-provenance / permit statements (fieldwork, cores, meteorites)
• Competing-interests statement
• Author-contributions (CRediT-style) statement

Files to upload

• Main manuscript (main text + online Methods, per the current template)
• All figures at production resolution (vector for line art; high-res raster for imagery)
• Supplementary Information file(s), items labeled Fig. Sn / Table Sn
• Reporting Summary
• Cover letter (justifies broad interest; not seen by reviewers — see ngeo-cover-letter)
• Source data for main figures if required

Editorial Manager metadata

• Corresponding author, ORCID, and all affiliations complete
• Title / abstract / author list entered consistently with the manuscript
• Suggested and excluded referees entered (see ngeo-referee-strategy)
• Double-blind review opt-in selected (and manuscript anonymised) if chosen
• Related manuscripts under consideration disclosed
• Prior preprint (ESSOAr / EarthArXiv) disclosed

Self-consistency

• Every "see Supplementary" / "see Methods" pointer resolves
• Figure/table/reference numbering continuous and matching in-text callouts
• SI items use the S-prefix and are each cited from the main text or Methods
• The main text stands alone without the SI (cross-check ngeo-supplementary)

Submission-system notes

• Submit through the Nature Portfolio Editorial Manager manuscript-tracking system; verify the current portal and account requirements on the author pages.
• No presubmission enquiries are accepted — the cover letter carries the full case (see ngeo-cover-letter).
• The in-house editor triages on interest before review; most submissions are declined without review, so scope and cover letter are decisive.
• Keep the Reporting Summary and availability statements accurate — they are checked and can hold up acceptance.
• Open-access: Nature Geoscience offers an OA option with an APC (re-check the current figure on the official site); a subscription route also exists.

Night-before dry run

Run this sequence the evening before, not at the upload screen:

1. Limit audit. Word count (main text only), abstract words, title characters, display-item count, reference count — all under their ceilings.
2. Compliance sweep. Reporting Summary complete; data DOI live; code repository accessible; ethics/permit statements present.
3. Pointer audit. Every "Methods"/"Supplementary" mention maps to real content; no S-prefixed item uncited.
4. Metadata dry-fill. Draft the Editorial Manager fields (referees, contributions, disclosures) in a text file so the live session is transcription, not composition.
5. Freeze. No content edits after the dry run; any change reopens the limit and pointer audits.

Desk-return / hold triggers to eliminate

Anti-patterns

• Treating the Reporting Summary and data/code statements as afterthoughts
• Submitting a regional study with no broad-interest argument (editorial reject)
• Over-length discovered only at the upload screen
• Deposit-on-request data instead of a repository DOI
• SI items uncited or the main text silently depending on them
• Forgetting to disclose a preprint the editor will find

Output format

【Scope + length】gate cleared; main text ≤~3,000 / abstract ≤~200 / title ≤~90?  yes / fix
【Content type】Article / Brief Communication correct?  yes / fix
【Methods】online Methods with subheadings present?  yes / fix
【Compliance】data DOI / code / Reporting Summary / ethics — all present?
【Files】manuscript / figures / SI / Reporting Summary / cover letter — present?
【Editorial Manager metadata】ORCID / referees / disclosures / double-blind?
【Stands alone】yes / fix
【Next】await reports → ngeo-revision; plan referees → ngeo-referee-strategy

Attached resources

• templates/checklist.md — full pre-submission self-check across scope / length / format / compliance / files / metadata / self-consistency
• templates/manuscript_template.md — Article skeleton (title, "Here we show" abstract, main text, online Methods, availability statements, SI outline, cover letter)
• ../../resources/external_tools.md — reanalysis/satellite/proxy data sources, repositories, and the geospatial software stack

Portal, content types, word/display-item limits, Reporting Summary, and required statements are volatile — verify all on the official Nature Geoscience author pages before submitting (Checked: 2026-07-16).