JAMA Manuscript Submission Requirements
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JAMA submission requirements
JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) is one of the world's most influential general medical journals, published weekly by the American Medical Association. JAMA has among the most demanding submission requirements of any medical journal: a distinctive structured abstract format (including an 'Importance' section), ICMJE authorship criteria verified for all authors, mandatory trial registration, strict statistical reporting standards requiring exact p-values and confidence intervals, and complete ethics and consent declarations. Word count and reference limits are strictly enforced.
JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) publishes weekly across clinical medicine, biomedical research, and global health. With an acceptance rate below 5% and a reputation for rigorous editorial standards, JAMA's pre-review screening is thorough. Manuscripts that don't meet JAMA's distinctive formatting requirements — particularly the Importance section in the abstract and exact p-value reporting — are returned before peer review begins.
The JAMA Abstract: Importance Comes First
JAMA's structured abstract format is one of the most distinctive in medical publishing. Unlike most journals that begin with Objective or Background, JAMA requires abstracts to open with an Importance section. This one-to-three sentence section should explain in plain language why this study was conducted and why the findings matter to clinical practice or medical science.
The full JAMA Original Research abstract structure: Importance → Objective → Design, Setting, and Participants → Interventions → Main Outcomes and Measures → Results → Conclusions and Relevance. Note: "Main Outcomes and Measures" is not "Outcomes" — the full phrase is required. Missing or improperly labeled sections trigger administrative revision requests before editorial screening.
Statistical Reporting: Exact Values Required
JAMA applies particularly rigorous statistical reporting standards:
- P-values: Must be reported as exact values (P=.023), not threshold statements (P<.05). "P<.001" is acceptable when the exact value is very small, but "P<.0001" should be avoided — report the more precise value
- Confidence intervals: 95% CIs must be reported for all primary and key secondary outcomes
- Effect sizes: Absolute risk differences should be presented alongside relative measures (relative risk, odds ratio)
- Pre-specified analyses: Any deviation from the pre-specified analysis plan must be clearly labeled as post-hoc or exploratory
These requirements reflect JAMA's commitment to reporting precision that allows readers to independently assess clinical significance. Statistical results that rely only on relative risk without absolute risk difference are flagged for revision.
Authorship and ICMJE Criteria
JAMA enforces all four ICMJE authorship criteria for every listed author. Each author must have: (1) made substantial contributions to conception/design or acquisition/analysis/interpretation of data; (2) drafted the work or revised it critically for important intellectual content; (3) provided final approval of the version to be published; and (4) agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work. Authors who contributed only to data collection, only to funding acquisition, or only to administrative roles do not meet ICMJE criteria and should be listed in acknowledgements.
JAMA requires all authors to disclose their specific contributions using a standardized contributions section. This must appear in the published paper.
Reference Limits and Manuscript Length
JAMA enforces strict length limits that differ by article type. Original Research: ≤3,000 words, ≤350-word structured abstract, ≤5 combined tables and figures, ≤30 references. These reference limits are some of the lowest in major medical journals — forcing authors to prioritize foundational citations over comprehensive review of the literature. Carefully curating your reference list to ≤30 high-quality, directly relevant citations is a core part of preparing a JAMA submission.
Also see: The Lancet submission checker | BMJ submission checker | JAMA Network checker
JAMA-specific checks
Structured abstract (Importance first)
JAMA's unique abstract format begins with 'Importance' — explain why this research matters before the Objective.
Exact p-values required
JAMA requires exact p-values (P=.023), not threshold statements (P<.05), for all statistical tests.
95% confidence intervals
JAMA requires 95% CIs for all primary outcomes and key results.
Trial registration in abstract
All clinical trials must list the registration number within the abstract.
ICMJE authorship
All authors must meet all four ICMJE criteria — not just one.
Reference count limits
JAMA Original Research allows ≤30 references; Systematic Reviews ≤100.
Checks relevant to this topic
Part of our 80+ automated checks
Abstract: Importance section
JAMA abstract opens with 'Importance' section explaining study significance.
Exact p-values
All p-values reported as exact numbers, not threshold comparisons.
Confidence intervals
95% CIs reported for all primary outcomes.
Trial registration
Registration number in abstract for all clinical trials.
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Postdoc Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
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Oleg
Professor, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
I use it to review my students' papers. It instantly highlights typos, missing references, and unclear sections, helping me focus my feedback on the quality of the research instead of surface errors.
Ilyass
Professor in Mechanical Engineering, ÉTS Montréal
I relied on it throughout my thesis to strengthen my writing. It suggested clearer phrasing, improved flow between sections, and ensured my references were complete before the final deadline.
Manon
Master's Student in Speech Therapy
I write research in both Portuguese and English, and it adapts perfectly to either language. It provided precise feedback in Portuguese, helping me maintain academic tone and consistency across my drafts.
Afonso
PhD Candidate, UFPE
It gave excellent advice on how to rephrase and present ideas more clearly and concisely. The suggestions helped me refine my arguments and make my research more impactful.
Félix
Postdoc Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
A round of suggestions helped to generally refine the text of my paper and, moreover, to present some of its key points in a more focused form.
Oleg
Professor, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
Frequently asked questions
JAMA's structured abstract for Original Research includes these sections in order: Importance (why this study matters — unique to JAMA), Objective, Design, Setting and Participants, Interventions (for trials), Main Outcomes and Measures, Results, and Conclusions and Relevance. The Importance section is JAMA-specific and is not used by most other journals.
JAMA requires exact p-values (e.g., P=.023) rather than threshold statements (P<.05) because exact values communicate the strength of statistical evidence more precisely. JAMA also prohibits the use of 'P<.0001' — even for very small p-values, the exact value should be reported if possible. The convention follows updated statistical reporting guidelines to reduce misinterpretation.
JAMA follows ICMJE authorship criteria strictly: all four criteria must be met by each author (substantial contribution to conception/design or data, drafting or critical revision, final approval, accountability for the work). 'Honorary' or 'gift' authorship violates ICMJE criteria and JAMA's policy. Contributions not meeting all four criteria should be acknowledged, not listed as authors.
JAMA Original Research is limited to 3,000 words (excluding abstract and references), a structured abstract of ≤350 words, ≤5 tables and figures combined, and ≤30 references. Systematic Reviews allow ≤5,000 words and ≤100 references. These limits are among the strictest of major medical journals.
JAMA requires pre-registration for all clinical trials before enrollment of the first participant, in an ICMJE-approved registry. JAMA also encourages pre-registration of observational studies and systematic reviews. The registration number must appear in the abstract and methods section.