Submission Preflight (sci-submission)

When to trigger

• The manuscript is "done" and you're about to upload.
• You want a single gate that confirms every other sci-* skill's output landed.
• A revision is going back and you need to confirm nothing regressed.

Master preflight checklist

Significance & framing

• Clears the broad-significance / general-interest bar (sci-fit rung ≥ 3).
• One-sentence advance present and demonstrated (not asserted).
• Title is declarative, specific, < ~90 characters.

Format & length

• Format chosen (Report ~2,500 w / ≤4 items, or Research Article ~4,500 w / ≤6 items).
• Main-text word count within budget; Methods in Supplementary (for Reports).
• Results ordered by argument, claim-first paragraphs.

Abstract & summary

• One-sentence summary ≤ ~125 characters, not a title paraphrase.
• Abstract ≤ ~125 words, no subheadings/citations, ≥1 quantified result.

Figures & display items

• Within item budget; sized to 5.5/12/18 cm; fonts ≥ 6 pt.
• Data shown (points + n); error bars defined; scale bars present.
• Colorblind-safe; uncropped key blots + source data retained.

Statistics & reproducibility

• Each claim: effect size + CI + n + test + assumptions.
• Biological vs technical replication clear; sample-size rationale stated.
• Randomization/blinding reported or justified; multiplicity controlled.
• Analysis code public + archived (DOI).

Data, materials, ethics

• Data deposited with accession numbers/DOIs (no "on request" for primary data).
• Data-availability statement drafted and compliant.
• Materials/reagent sharing plan; ethics approvals (IRB/IACUC/permits) as needed.

References

• Science numbered style, ordered by appearance, one continuous list (incl. SM).
• Full author lists; journal abbreviations; all in-text numbers resolve.

Required files & metadata

• Main text (with title, one-sentence summary, abstract, refs).
• Figures at required resolution + figure legends.
• Supplementary Materials (Materials and Methods, supp figs/tables, captions).
• Cover letter (significance-forward).
• Author list, affiliations, ORCIDs, corresponding author.
• Author contributions (CRediT), competing interests, funding.
• Suggested/opposed reviewers (if used).

Final integrity sweep

• No over-claiming beyond the evidence (re-read the abstract and last paragraph).
• Every figure's n, error bar, and test are defined in its legend.
• All accession numbers/DOIs are live and correct.
• Manuscript is anonymized only if double-blind is requested (Science is typically single-blind — confirm).

Templates

• templates/checklist.md — copyable preflight checklist.
• templates/cover_letter_template.md — significance-forward cover letter scaffold.

Submission pass for Science

Use this as a second-pass capability check. First lock the broad discovery claim, decisive evidence, uncertainty/limitations, and why the result belongs in a general-science weekly; then test whether the manuscript addresses general-science reviewers and editors who ask whether the result changes a broad field, is technically decisive, and can be understood outside the subdiscipline.

• Primary move: Verify article type, file package, length/display limits, reporting statements, data/code, ethics, competing interests, and current official instructions.
• Decision ledger: return claim / evidence / blocker / next edit rows so the next pass can patch the manuscript directly.
• Neighbor test: compare against Nature for similar broad-scope novelty, PNAS for academy-wide breadth, specialist journals when the claim is field-internal; if the neighboring outlet has the stronger audience claim, recommend re-routing before polishing.
• Verification floor: before submission-ready advice, re-open resources/official-source-map.md for volatile rules and name the one unresolved fact that could change the recommendation.

Output format

【Blocking gaps】 [...]  (must fix before upload)
【Warnings】 [...]       (should fix)
【Files ready】 main / figures+legends / SM / cover letter / metadata
【Verdict】 GO / NO-GO + the top 3 fixes
【Next】 submit | sci-rebuttal (after decision)

Anti-patterns

• Do not upload before accession numbers/DOIs exist.
• Do not skip the integrity sweep — over-claiming is a top rejection reason post-review.
• Do not rely on memory; run the checklist top to bottom.