# Jacs Submission > Use when running the final pre-submission preflight for a Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) manuscript via ACS Paragon Plus — files, TOC graphic, SI, CIFs/CCDC, disclosures, and format. Runs the submission checklist — it does not improve the science or prose. - Skill: `thedixitjain/jacs-submission` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add thedixitjain/jacs-submission` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/thedixitjain/jacs-submission/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Research & Search - Author: thedixitjain (https://skillmd.com/u/thedixitjain) - Updated: 2026-09-08 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/thedixitjain/jacs-submission --- # Pre-Submission Preflight (jacs-submission) ## When to trigger - "We're submitting today" — last check before the Paragon Plus upload - You are unsure which files Paragon Plus expects - You need a final, mechanical gate on format, SI, and disclosures ## Pre-submission checklist ### Files and system - [ ] Manuscript in ACS Word or LaTeX template format - [ ] Separate **Supporting Information** PDF - [ ] **CIF** files for all crystal structures; CCDC numbers obtained and cited - [ ] **TOC / abstract graphic** prepared per ACS size/content rules - [ ] Figures at ACS-specified resolution/format; embedded or uploaded as required - [ ] Submitting via **ACS Paragon Plus** with a registered account ### Format - [ ] Title, author list, affiliations, corresponding author(s) correct - [ ] ORCID linked for authors as required - [ ] Abstract within format norms; TOC graphic matches the abstract's message - [ ] Citations in **ACS numbered style**, in order, with abbreviated journal titles - [ ] Compound numbering consistent across text, schemes, and SI - [ ] Article type (Article / Communication) selected to match the manuscript ### Characterization and data (rigor gate) - [ ] Every new compound: full characterization + purity evidence in SI - [ ] Copies of key spectra (¹H, ¹³C, diagnostic others) in SI, legible - [ ] Chiral/HPLC traces for stereochemistry/purity claims - [ ] checkCIF/PLATON addressed; CCDC numbers correct - [ ] Mechanism/catalysis claims supported by controls/kinetics/labeling as stated - [ ] Computational coordinates and details in SI if computation is used ### Disclosures and integrity - [ ] Cover letter included (advance + fit) - [ ] Conflict-of-interest statement per ACS policy - [ ] Funding/acknowledgments handled (kept out of double-blind text if applicable) - [ ] Data availability statement present - [ ] Preprint / prior / companion-paper disclosure if applicable - [ ] Safety hazards disclosed for dangerous reagents/procedures - [ ] No image manipulation beyond uniform, disclosed adjustments ### Reviewers - [ ] Suggested reviewers entered (independent, no conflicts) - [ ] Excluded reviewers entered with brief justification, if any > Confirm the **current** required files, limits, and policies on the JACS author > page in Paragon Plus before submitting; specifics change over time. ## Paragon Plus operation notes - Upload main text, SI, CIFs, and graphics in the slots Paragon Plus designates. - Verify the assembled proof PDF renders all figures, schemes, and Greek/math correctly. - Enter ORCID, conflicts, funders, and reviewer suggestions in the system fields. - Keep file sizes within the portal limits; check the generated PDF before approving. ## Assembled-proof audit (the last human read) The merged PDF that Paragon Plus builds is what the editor first sees. Read it end-to-end once, hunting only for assembly damage: - [ ] Superscripts/subscripts survived conversion (¹³C, m/z, R1/wR2, °C, Å, δ) - [ ] ChemDraw schemes rasterized sharply; wedge/hash bonds still distinguishable - [ ] Bold compound numbers stayed bold in captions and tables - [ ] Cross-references resolve — no "Scheme ??", no SI pointer to a section that moved - [ ] TOC graphic sits in its slot, uncropped, text legible at printed size - [ ] SI page numbering continuous; SI table of contents matches actual sections - [ ] CCDC numbers in text match the deposited CIF filenames one-to-one ## Timeline discipline (avoid same-day chaos) - **Days before:** deposit CIFs with the CCDC and obtain numbers; run checkCIF; collect every co-author's ORCID and conflict statement; confirm the reviewer list with the corresponding author. - **Day before:** freeze compound numbering; regenerate the SI PDF from the frozen text so spectra order matches; verify HRMS calcd/found pairs against the final structures one last time. - **Submission day:** only mechanical steps remain — uploads, metadata, proof audit, approve. If a chemistry-content edit surfaces on submission day, stop and loop back to `jacs-methods` or `jacs-writing-style`; do not patch in the portal. ## What triggers a bounce-back before review - Abstract/TOC graphic mismatch — the graphic shows chemistry the abstract never claims - A CIF that fails checkCIF with unexplained A-level alerts - SI referenced in the text ("see Figure S12") but the figure absent from the uploaded SI - Corresponding-author email that differs between the manuscript and the portal record ## Anti-patterns - Submitting with CIFs undeposited or CCDC numbers as placeholders - SI missing spectra copies for some compounds - "Data available on request" instead of a real availability statement - TOC graphic that violates ACS size rules or doesn't show the chemistry - Non-ACS reference formatting left from a reference manager - Forgetting the cover letter or the conflict/funding disclosures ## Output format ``` 【Files】manuscript / SI / CIFs / TOC graphic — present? [...] 【Format】ACS template, citations, numbering — OK / fix: [...] 【Rigor gate】characterization + CCDC + mechanism support — OK / gaps: [...] 【Disclosures】COI / funding / data / preprint / safety — OK / missing: [...] 【Reviewers】suggested / excluded — entered? Y/N 【Verdict】ready to submit / blockers: [...] 【Next】await decision → jacs-revision ``` ## Related resources - [`templates/checklist.md`](templates/checklist.md) — full pre-submission self-check by section - [`templates/manuscript_template.md`](templates/manuscript_template.md) — JACS-style manuscript skeleton (Article/Communication, SI structure) - [`../../resources/external_tools.md`](../../resources/external_tools.md) — Paragon Plus, CCDC deposition, ACS templates and styles --- **Source:** [`brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills`](https://github.com/brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills) → `Journal-of-the-American-Chemical-Society-Skills/skills/jacs-submission/SKILL.md`