How many words should a journal article be

How Many Words Should a Journal Article Be?

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Table of Contents

Introduction

The question of how long a journal article should be has long haunted graduate students, early-career researchers, and seasoned academics alike. Is 3,000 words enough? Is 10,000 too much? The answer, as always in academia, is: it depends. Word count is not just a matter of verbosity or brevity. It’s about discipline norms, journal expectations, and the type of article being submitted.

This write-up explores typical journal article lengths across disciplines, the factors that influence length, how to interpret journal guidelines, and what truly matters when it comes to writing a successful, publishable paper.

What Most Journals Say

Most peer-reviewed journals do not leave word count to chance. Instead, they provide explicit guidelines that authors are expected to follow. These often include limits for the main text, excluding references, tables, figures, and supplementary material.

In general:

  • Humanities and social science journal articles usually range between 6,000 and 10,000 words.
  • Science, technology, engineering, and medicine (STEM) papers are often shorter, with 3,000 to 7,000 words being typical.
  • Brief communications or rapid reports may be limited to 1,500 to 3,000 words.
  • Review articles can be significantly longer, especially in high-impact journals, sometimes exceeding 12,000 words.

But the word count alone doesn’t tell the whole story. What matters more is how those words are used.

Disciplinary Norms Matter

Different academic disciplines have distinct traditions regarding how knowledge is communicated. A theoretical article in philosophy will often require long, sustained argumentation. In contrast, a molecular biology paper might rely more heavily on figures and data tables, accompanied by a relatively concise textual explanation.

For example:

  • A literary analysis in a cultural studies journal may exceed the 10,000-word limit, often accompanied by lengthy footnotes and extensive references.
  • A neuroscience paper published in Nature Neuroscience might be limited to 3,000 words, with key results shown in figures and supplementary online materials.

Thus, understanding what’s standard in your discipline is as important as reading any one journal’s submission guidelines.

What Counts Toward Word Count?

It’s not just how many words you write, but which ones count. Some journals have strict limits for the “main text,” which typically includes the abstract, introduction, methods, results, and discussion. Others exclude the references, figure captions, and tables.

Common exclusions:

  • References: Usually excluded.
  • Tables and Figures: Sometimes excluded, but not always.
  • Appendices/supplementary material: Often excluded and submitted separately.

Always check the journal’s Guidelines for Authors to be sure. Assuming your bibliography “doesn’t count” can land you in trouble during submission.

Article Types and Their Length Expectations

Not all journal articles are created equal. Some of the most common types include:

Original Research Articles

These are the standard scholarly articles that present new data, findings, or insights. For these, most journals expect 4,000 to 8,000 words. High-impact journals may impose stricter limits to encourage more concise writing.

Review Articles

These summaries provide an overview of the current state of research on a particular topic. They can be very long—up to 12,000 or even 15,000 words—especially if they aim to be comprehensive. Journals like the Annual Review of Psychology regularly publish lengthy review articles that are deeply cited.

Short Communications

These are concise reports of novel findings that don’t require a full article treatment. They typically range between 1,500 and 3,000 words. Their brevity is ideal for fast peer review and rapid publication.

Opinion, Commentary, and Perspective Pieces

These are usually shorter, ranging from 1,000 to 2,500 words. They’re less formal but still scholarly, providing analysis or interpretation rather than new data.

Journal Examples Across Fields

Let’s look at a few actual journal guidelines:

  • PLOS ONE (multidisciplinary science): No strict word limit, but clarity and conciseness are encouraged. Most articles are between 3,000 and 5,000 words.
  • Modern Language Quarterly (literary studies): Word limit is about 9,000 words including footnotes.
  • IEEE Transactions (engineering): Main body should not exceed 8,500 words.
  • The Lancet (medical research): Original research articles are capped at 3,000 words, excluding abstract, tables, and references.

This diversity shows that there’s no universal rule, but every journal has its own house style.

The Real Question: What is “Enough”?

Instead of aiming for a certain number, aim for clarity, rigor, and coherence. A 6,000-word article full of fluff will fare worse than a tight, elegant 3,500-word one. The best advice? Write the paper you need to write, then edit ruthlessly. Get rid of redundancies. Condense literature reviews. Streamline your methods. Say more with fewer words.

And once it’s polished, make sure your manuscript fits the journal’s limits. Editors care about substance, but they also care about format.

Tips for Staying Within (or Close to) the Limit

  1. Start with an outline: This helps prevent word bloat.
  2. Use tables and figures wisely: They can convey data more efficiently than long paragraphs.
  3. Avoid repeating content in multiple sections.
  4. Revise with a sharp eye: Each paragraph should earn its place.
  5. Use supplementary files strategically: Offload lengthy data or methods if allowed.

Conclusion

So, how many words should a journal article be? There’s no single answer. It depends on your discipline, your article type, and your target journal’s preferences. But in general, expect to write between 4,000 and 8,000 words for a typical research article, give or take a few thousand depending on context.

Word count is a tool, not a cage. Use it to guide your writing, but don’t let it limit your clarity or your voice. Academia has enough constraints already. Your word count shouldn’t be one of them.

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