Internet Appendix (jf-internet-appendix)
When to trigger
- The main text is bloated with proofs, secondary robustness tables, or data-construction detail
- A referee will ask for more checks but the article is near the 60-page limit
- You are unsure how JF wants the Internet Appendix submitted and hosted
- The main result is buried on page 40 behind diagnostics
JF's actual Internet Appendix policy
The "Internet Appendix" is a JF convention. JF's specifics differ from generic "online appendices":
- At submission, the Internet Appendix is placed at the END of the same PDF as the manuscript — NOT uploaded as a separate file. Put the title "Internet Appendix" at the top of its first page so it is not mistaken for a regular appendix.
- The Internet Appendix does not count toward JF's 60-page manuscript limit (manuscript: ≤60 pp, ≥1.5 spacing, 12-pt font).
- The paper must be self-contained: a reader must understand the study in full without consulting the Internet Appendix.
- On acceptance, the appendix is published as the Internet Appendix with the online article on the publisher's (Wiley) site.
Source: afajof.org/submissions and the JF Submission Guidelines (Rev. March 12, 2024), accessed 2026-05-30.
What goes where
| Content |
Main text |
Internet Appendix |
| The question, design, headline result, economic magnitude |
X |
|
| The 3–6 decisive robustness checks |
X |
|
| Full proofs / derivations of propositions |
|
X |
| Secondary / exhaustive robustness tables |
|
X |
| Detailed variable construction, data filters, sample steps |
brief |
full detail |
| Alternative measures / extra subsamples / extra factor models |
|
X |
| Monte Carlo / simulation evidence |
|
X |
| Additional figures, summary-stat breakdowns |
|
X |
Structuring the Internet Appendix
- Mirror the main-text section order; label tables
IA.I, IA.II, … and figures IA.1, IA.2, ….
- Every appendix item must be referenced from the main text ("see Internet Appendix Table IA.IV") — orphan tables read as padding.
- Keep each appendix table self-contained, same note conventions as the main exhibits (
jf-tables-figures).
- Note: replication code is handled separately under JF's Data and Code Sharing Policy (Supplementary Information at acceptance), not via the Internet Appendix — see
jf-submission.
Worked vignette — sizing an Internet Appendix for an anomaly paper
Illustrative. An anomaly paper keeps four decisive exhibits in the body — the headline spread table, one factor-adjusted alpha table, the GRS test, and a placebo. The Internet Appendix absorbs the other candidate signals, alternative factor models, equal-weighted and alternative-breakpoint versions, transaction-cost nets, the data-construction appendix, and any Monte Carlo. The IA might run 30+ pages while the body stays well under 60 — exactly the flagship's intended shape: a self-contained body over a backstop a skeptical referee can drill into.
Referee-pushback patterns and the JF-specific fix
| Pushback you will hear |
JF-specific fix |
| "I can't follow the paper without the appendix" |
Make the body self-contained; the IA is optional reading |
| "Your appendix is a junk drawer of uncited tables" |
Cite every IA item from the body; cut anything orphaned |
| "You submitted the IA as a separate file" |
Re-bundle at the end of the same PDF, titled "Internet Appendix" |
Calibration anchors for the IA culture
- The Internet Appendix is a JF hallmark; an extensive one signals seriousness, while a thin IA at a top-3 finance journal reads as under-stress-tested.
- Self-containment means the question, design, headline, and magnitude land without the IA — the IA deepens, never completes, the argument.
- Bundled-in-PDF placement and the no-page-count rule are JF specifics; confirm against current author guidelines, since submission mechanics change.
Checklist
Anti-patterns
- Uploading the Internet Appendix as a separate file (JF wants it bundled in the same PDF at submission)
- Writing a body that cannot be understood without the appendix (JF requires self-containment)
- Treating the Internet Appendix as a junk drawer of uncited tables
- Padding the body past 60 pages and pushing core results into the appendix to dodge the limit
Output format
【IA bundled at end of same PDF + titled?】yes / no
【Body self-contained and ≤60 pp?】yes / no
【Proofs relocated?】yes / no
【All IA items cited from body?】yes / no
【New result hidden in appendix?】yes / no
【Next step】jf-writing-style
1---2name: jf-internet-appendix3description: Use when deciding what belongs in the Internet Appendix vs. the main text of a The Journal of Finance (JF) manuscript. Allocates content and structures the appendix per JF's actual policy; it does not generate the results.4---56# Internet Appendix (jf-internet-appendix)78## When to trigger910- The main text is bloated with proofs, secondary robustness tables, or data-construction detail11- A referee will ask for more checks but the article is near the 60-page limit12- You are unsure how JF wants the Internet Appendix submitted and hosted13- The main result is buried on page 40 behind diagnostics1415## JF's actual Internet Appendix policy1617The "Internet Appendix" is a **JF convention**. JF's specifics differ from generic "online appendices":1819- **At submission, the Internet Appendix is placed at the END of the same PDF as the manuscript — NOT uploaded as a separate file.** Put the title **"Internet Appendix"** at the top of its first page so it is not mistaken for a regular appendix.20- The Internet Appendix **does not count toward JF's 60-page manuscript limit** (manuscript: ≤60 pp, ≥1.5 spacing, 12-pt font).21- The **paper must be self-contained**: a reader must understand the study in full **without** consulting the Internet Appendix.22- **On acceptance**, the appendix is published as the **Internet Appendix with the online article on the publisher's (Wiley) site**.23> Source: afajof.org/submissions and the JF Submission Guidelines (Rev. March 12, 2024), accessed 2026-05-30.2425## What goes where2627| Content | Main text | Internet Appendix |28|----------------------------------------------------------------|:---------:|:-----------------:|29| The question, design, headline result, economic magnitude | X | |30| The 3–6 decisive robustness checks | X | |31| Full proofs / derivations of propositions | | X |32| Secondary / exhaustive robustness tables | | X |33| Detailed variable construction, data filters, sample steps | brief | full detail |34| Alternative measures / extra subsamples / extra factor models | | X |35| Monte Carlo / simulation evidence | | X |36| Additional figures, summary-stat breakdowns | | X |3738## Structuring the Internet Appendix3940- Mirror the main-text section order; label tables `IA.I`, `IA.II`, … and figures `IA.1`, `IA.2`, ….41- Every appendix item must be **referenced from the main text** ("see Internet Appendix Table IA.IV") — orphan tables read as padding.42- Keep each appendix table self-contained, same note conventions as the main exhibits (`jf-tables-figures`).43- Note: replication **code** is handled separately under JF's Data and Code Sharing Policy (Supplementary Information at acceptance), not via the Internet Appendix — see `jf-submission`.4445## Worked vignette — sizing an Internet Appendix for an anomaly paper4647*Illustrative.* An anomaly paper keeps four decisive exhibits in the body — the headline spread table, one factor-adjusted alpha table, the GRS test, and a placebo. The Internet Appendix absorbs the other candidate signals, alternative factor models, equal-weighted and alternative-breakpoint versions, transaction-cost nets, the data-construction appendix, and any Monte Carlo. The IA might run 30+ pages while the body stays well under 60 — exactly the flagship's intended shape: a self-contained body over a backstop a skeptical referee can drill into.4849### Referee-pushback patterns and the JF-specific fix50| Pushback you will hear | JF-specific fix |51|----------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|52| "I can't follow the paper without the appendix" | Make the body self-contained; the IA is optional reading |53| "Your appendix is a junk drawer of uncited tables" | Cite every IA item from the body; cut anything orphaned |54| "You submitted the IA as a separate file" | Re-bundle at the end of the same PDF, titled "Internet Appendix" |5556## Calibration anchors for the IA culture57- The Internet Appendix is a **JF hallmark**; an extensive one signals seriousness, while a thin IA at a top-3 finance journal reads as under-stress-tested.58- Self-containment means the question, design, headline, and magnitude land **without** the IA — the IA deepens, never completes, the argument.59- Bundled-in-PDF placement and the no-page-count rule are JF specifics; confirm against current author guidelines, since submission mechanics change.6061## Checklist6263- [ ] Internet Appendix is at the END of the same PDF, titled "Internet Appendix"64- [ ] Main text is self-contained and ≤60 pages on its own65- [ ] All proofs/derivations are in the Internet Appendix, not interleaved in the body66- [ ] Every Internet Appendix item is cited from the main text67- [ ] IA numbering and note conventions match the main exhibits68- [ ] No genuinely new headline finding appears only in the appendix6970## Anti-patterns7172- Uploading the Internet Appendix as a separate file (JF wants it bundled in the same PDF at submission)73- Writing a body that cannot be understood without the appendix (JF requires self-containment)74- Treating the Internet Appendix as a junk drawer of uncited tables75- Padding the body past 60 pages and pushing core results into the appendix to dodge the limit7677## Output format7879```80【IA bundled at end of same PDF + titled?】yes / no81【Body self-contained and ≤60 pp?】yes / no82【Proofs relocated?】yes / no83【All IA items cited from body?】yes / no84【New result hidden in appendix?】yes / no85【Next step】jf-writing-style86```