For authors
Submission guidelines
A short guide to preparing a clean, professional preprint that readers and moderators can navigate with ease. Following these will help your submission get published quickly.
Before you submit
One single PDF file
Combine your manuscript, figures, tables, and references into one PDF (max 30 MB). We accept PDF only, so export from Word, LaTeX, or Google Docs before uploading.
You hold the rights to share it
Submit only work you authored or have permission to post, and choose a license that reflects how others may reuse it.
It is a complete, scholarly manuscript
Posters, slide decks, and incomplete drafts are not a good fit. Include enough detail for a reader to understand and evaluate the work.
Author names and order are final at submission
List every author in the order they should appear, separated by commas. Make sure all co-authors agree to the posting.
The abstract is plain text
Paste your abstract as plain text (no equations as images). It is what readers see first in search results and on your preprint page.
How your manuscript should be structured
Inside your PDF, a typical Earth-science preprint follows this order. Use it as a starting template and adapt it to your study.
Title
Clear and specific, describing what was studied. Avoid abbreviations where possible.
Authors and affiliations
Full names, each with an institution. Mark the corresponding author and include an email. ORCID iDs are encouraged.
Abstract
150 to 300 words summarising the question, methods, key results, and significance. No citations or undefined abbreviations.
Keywords
Three to six terms that help readers find your work.
Introduction
Background, the gap or question you address, and your objectives.
Data and methods
Study area, datasets, instruments, and analysis steps, described so the work could be reproduced.
Results
Findings presented with figures and tables, each numbered and captioned.
Discussion
Interpretation, comparison with prior work, limitations, and implications.
Conclusions
The main takeaways in a few sentences.
Declarations
Funding, conflicts of interest, author contributions, and a data availability statement.
References
A consistent citation style throughout (for example APA or a journal style). Include DOIs where available.
Formatting tips
- Use a standard page size (A4 or US Letter) with readable margins.
- Number every page, figure, and table.
- Embed fonts when exporting to PDF so equations and symbols display correctly.
- Keep figures legible at 100% zoom; place captions directly below each figure.
- Write a descriptive file name, for example smith-2026-glacier-retreat.pdf.
- Spell-check and proofread; a clean manuscript is reviewed faster.
What happens after you submit
Your submission is saved to your dashboard with the status Under moderation. A moderator checks that it fits TerraNova and then publishes it, at which point it becomes public and citable. If anything needs changing, the moderator will share a short note and you can revise and resubmit.