Preparing a submission for The American Naturalist
The American Naturalist sets its own submission rules: length and word limits, the required citation and reference style, figure and table formatting, and editorial policies. Scraiber tracks 24 requirements for The American Naturalist and rewrites your manuscript to meet each one.
Instead of checking each rule by hand, import your draft into Scraiber, select The American Naturalist, and let it rewrite your text to match: the exact word limits, reference style and structure, so your paper is submission-ready.
If the paper was rejected elsewhere, most of the work in retargeting The American Naturalist is mechanical: the reference style changes, headings and sections move, word and abstract limits differ, and the declarations have to follow The American Naturalist's own template. Scraiber applies those changes to the draft you already have instead of you rebuilding the manuscript by hand.
Manuscript types at The American Naturalist
The American Naturalist documents its author requirements per manuscript type: Inspiring Perspectives, Major Articles, Natural History Miscellany Notes, Notes, Syntheses. The rules differ between them, so Scraiber applies the set that matches the type you are submitting.
What The American Naturalist specifies
These are the areas The American Naturalist writes rules for. Scraiber holds the exact value behind each one and applies it to your draft.
- Length & word limits 3 rules: abstract word limit, short title character limit, word limit.
- Figures 1 rule: display item limit.
- Policies & ethics 1 rule: line numbering.
- Formatting & submission 10 rules: author contributions, citation style, competing interests, contributor roles, cover letter, data availability, ethics statement, line spacing, manuscript format, units.
What Scraiber changes in your manuscript
Scraiber rewrites the parts of your draft that The American Naturalist constrains: it brings sections within the required lengths, converts in-text citations and the bibliography to the required style, adjusts headings and structure, and flags the declarations The American Naturalist expects. Your argument, results and voice stay yours — only what the journal dictates changes.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the submission requirements for The American Naturalist?
- The American Naturalist has 24 documented author requirements covering length limits, citation style, figures, tables and submission policies. Sign in to Scraiber to see each exact value and rewrite your manuscript to match.
- Which citation style does The American Naturalist use?
- Scraiber tracks The American Naturalist's required reference style and reformats your citations to it automatically. Open the journal in Scraiber to apply it to your document.
- Can I automatically format my paper for The American Naturalist?
- Yes. Paste or import your draft into Scraiber, pick The American Naturalist, and it rewrites your text to meet the journal's requirements: length, references, structure and more.
- How do I reformat a paper rejected by another journal for The American Naturalist?
- Import the manuscript you already submitted elsewhere, select The American Naturalist, and Scraiber rewrites it against The American Naturalist's requirements: reference style, length limits, structure and declarations. You never start from a blank page.
- How long does it take to prepare a manuscript for The American Naturalist?
- Minutes rather than an evening. The rewrite runs on your existing draft, so what disappears is the manual pass over every formatting rule.
- Does The American Naturalist have different requirements per manuscript type?
- Yes. The American Naturalist documents separate requirements per manuscript type. Pick your type in Scraiber and it applies that set to your document.
- Do I have to redo my references for The American Naturalist?
- No. Scraiber converts your existing citations and bibliography to the reference style The American Naturalist requires, including the in-text citation format.
Official author guidelines: journals.uchicago.edu