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PRX Life

Publishing Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in PRX Life, a highly selective, fully open access journal that aims to showcase the most important findings in the physics of life sciences to a broad audience of quantitative life scientists.

This page guides you through all the steps in the peer-review process, from submission to publication.

Before you submit, be sure to:

To check the status of your paper at any time, visit the APS Manuscript Status page. You will need your manuscript’s 7-digit Accession Code and the last name of one of the first three authors on your paper.

If you need help with any aspect of the publishing process, please including those published in APS Open Science. APS Help.

Prepare Your Manuscript

The guidelines listed here for preparing your paper for submission are similar across all Physical Review journals. For your convenience, these links take you to specific submission guidelines for PRX Life:

Article Types and Length Limits

Research Articles (no length limit)

Research Articles present original research that:

  • Significantly advances biological physics and/or pushes the physics of living systems in a new direction.
  • Establishes a substantial connection between different area(s) within the biological physics communities or between the field and other disciplines.
  • Introduces new experimental tools, computational approaches, theoretical frameworks, and/or other methodologies of exceptional importance to the topical area(s) of the journal.
  • Addresses a timely topic of high interest and impact across the communities at the interface of physics, biology, and, more broadly quantitative life science.

Perspectives (length limit: 2500 words)

PRX Life Perspectives are forward-looking, opinionated articles that highlight recent developments and outline future directions of a subfield. They should appeal to a broad, multidisciplinary audience at the intersection of biology with physics, computer science, mathematics, and engineering. Authors are encouraged to include insights from their own work, while maintaining a balanced discussion that acknowledges historical context without allowing it to overshadow the scientific content. Typical requirements: approximately 2500 words, a 100–150-word abstract, no more than 50 references, and 1–4 figures, tables, or boxes.

Reviews (length limit: 6000 words)

PRX Life Reviews should focus on the current state of the art, highlighting key results from recent years, with at least 20-30% of citations published in the last five years. The articles should provide a brief historical background, and should not be dominated by the work of a single research group. Reviews are not comprehensive textbooks but targeted around a specific, timely theme. The text should be of interest to and understandable by a broad community at the intersection of biology with physics, computer science, mathematics, and engineering. Typical requirements: approximately 6000 words, a 100–150-word abstract, and up to 150 references.

Tutorials (length limit: 6000 words)

PRX Life Tutorials are practical, hands-on guides designed to accelerate the training of new experts. They serve as ‘cookbooks’ to help scholars transition into new fields, and bridge knowledge gaps across different areas of the community. Tutorials focus on explaining foundational milestone concepts and their connections to recent research rather than providing exhaustive field overviews. The text should be understandable by a broad community at the intersection of biology with physics, computer science, mathematics, and engineering. Typical requirements: Approximately 6000 words and organized in chapters with summaries at the end of each, a 150–200-word abstract and at least 4 figures and 2–3 zoom/box sections.

Roadmaps (no length limit)

PRX Life Roadmaps aim to accelerate research and technological achievements by providing concrete guidance in the field of biological physics. They represent community consensus pieces that serve as blueprints for the future of a subfield—collaborative, strategic, and actionable. Roadmaps should outline current challenges, propose strategies to address them, define expected milestones, and include calls to action for students, funding agencies, and the broader research community. The text should be forward-looking, inclusive, and strategic, rather than purely descriptive. Typical requirements: Approximately 3000 words and contributions are expected to be multi-author and community-based.

Comments and Replies (length limit: 1500 words)

Comments critique or correct papers by other authors that were previously published in PRX Life. Each Comment should contain an abstract and should state clearly the paper to which it refers. See more details about Comments.

Erratum

An Erratum notifies readers about errors or omissions in previously published papers. See more details about Errata in the Policies and Practices.

Visit this Length Guide for information about length limits for all articles published in the Physical Review journals.

Writing the Paper

Audience

PRX Life aims to reach a broad range of scientists in quantitative life sciences. Please consider this diverse audience when writing your paper.

Relevant context

The key results of the paper should be properly contextualized with regards to related literature.

Article Templates

A PDF version of your paper is all that’s needed for it to be sent for peer review. However, submitting properly formatted source files in LaTeX (preferred) or Microsoft Word simplifies peer-review because information from your paper can be more easily extracted. These source files also allow your paper to be rapidly prepared for publication if accepted. Source files will be converted to a PDF on submission.

Templates Available in Overleaf

Authors who use the online LaTeX editor Overleaf can use APS-approved templates for authoring and submitting their manuscripts. Search for “Physical Review” under Templates. When you’re done authoring, click on “Submit to APS” on the top of the page and choose from the options to export your paper.

Style and Formatting

General

Detailed information on style and formatting is available at APS Journals Style Guide. These Style Basics offer essential tips on formatting and styling the following sections of your paper:

PRX Life-Specific Style and Formatting

Titles in references

PRX Life requires authors to include titles in all references as an aid to the reader and to improve the accuracy of online searches. Titles must be provided when the paper is accepted for publication. If an author does not include titles in the reference list, they will be added in the production process.

Language Editing Services

All articles in the Physical Review journals are published in American English. APS has partnered with Editage to offer the following Language Editing Author Services:

  • English language editing
  • Translation services
  • Plain language summaries

Author Names

Authors with Chinese, Japanese, or Korean names may choose to have their names published in their native language alongside the English versions of their names in the author list of their publications. See Information About Author Names for details on how to prepare your manuscript.

Accessibility Requirements

APS complies with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, which make online content accessible to the broadest readership possible. Articles published online should meet the following guidelines:

  • Clear and easy-to-read figures in accessible color palettes
  • Use of words or symbols (instead of color) to provide meaning
  • Descriptive links

Supplemental Material

Supplemental Material is useful information that is not essential to understanding an article’s main results, such as

  • Multimedia files
  • Parameters used in or produced by calculations
  • Details of sample preparation
  • Derivations of equations

Refer to the following guidelines when preparing Supplemental Material:

Content

A paper must stand on its own and be understandable and convincing without Supplemental Material. Editors may ask you to incorporate Supplemental Material into a paper as main text or Appendices. Editors may also ask you to convert a Letter into a longer Article to allow for this extra information.

Referencing Supplemental Material

APS stores all Supplemental Material files for a published paper as a single deposit with a dedicated URL. Authors should cite the Supplemental Material in the paper’s reference list and explain its content as follows:

See Supplemental Material at [URL will be inserted by publisher] for [give brief description of material].

Incorporating references in Supplemental Material

All references cited in the Supplemental Material should be listed in the reference section of the main text.

For editorial policies and more details about preparing and depositing Supplemental Material, see Supplemental Material Instructions.

Cover Letter

The cover letter is an opportunity to explain why the manuscript is appropriate for the journal. It should include the following:

  • Context of the results
  • Summary of key findings
  • Relevant submission history at Physical Review, including another paper that is part of a joint submission
  • Any recommended or excluded referees

Additional Materials

PRX Life does not require additional materials beyond what is mentioned above.

Data Availability Statements

All published articles must include a Data Availability Statement (DAS) that explains whether and how authors are sharing their data. Authors are asked to enter a complete data availability statement during the submission process, including relevant citations.

See Guidelines for Data Availability Statements in Physical Review.

Appropriate Use of AI Tools

AI tools may be used to assist with aspects of research and manuscript preparation, but AI tools cannot replace authors’ expertise, judgment, or accountability. An AI program cannot be held accountable and cannot be listed as an author. Authors are fully responsible for accuracy and must review and refine all AI-generated content. Moreover, they must disclose in the paper any substantive uses of AI. Prior to submitting a manuscript, authors should review the APS Journals policies on the Appropriate Use of AI Tools, and authors must ensure they comply with the guidelines on use, disclosure, and rights protection.

Peer Review

All APS journals follow the single-anonymized peer review procedures outlined in the Editorial Policies and Practices.

Comments and Replies

PRX Life follows standard Policy and Practice in handling Comments and Replies.

Collaborative Review Process

The collaborative review process is designed to foster collaboration among referees and improve the quality and thoroughness of feedback for authors. During the first round of review, referees are given a short time window (max 2 days) to share feedback on each other’s reports with the editor. Referees are asked to comment on the major points made by other referees and evaluate how relevant those points are in assessing the overall quality, originality, and impact of the manuscript. This process ensures consistency in feedback and can lead to a more comprehensive and insightful review. Additionally, referees are allowed to revise their own reports based on the reports from others, which can lead to more consistent and well-rounded feedback for the author. By working together, referees can provide a more holistic and nuanced evaluation of the manuscript, ultimately improving its quality to fit the standards of the journal.

Responding to Referee Reports

These standard tips will help you respond effectively to a referee report.

When resubmitting your paper in response to a positive editorial invitation, check the following to ensure your paper can be quickly prepared for publication if it’s accepted.

  • Equations are accurate.
  • Author names and bylines, Acknowledgment statements, and Author Contribution statements align with Physical Review Policies and Practices.
  • The byline footnote provides the email address of the post-publication contact author (or authors), as follows: *Contact author: author@email.com.
  • All authors who want to link their ORCID iDs have provided them. When a new paper is submitted, APS provides authors with a link to verify their iDs and associate them with the paper. If you’ve misplaced this link, you can contact the journal to resend it.

Time Frame for Resubmission

Resubmitting your article as soon as possible ensures the timely sharing of your results. The recommended time frame for submission is three to four weeks, but articles requiring more extensive revisions may take longer.

Resubmit or Transfer Your Paper

The APS portfolio provides many publishing options and welcomes the transfer of a manuscript between journals. If a manuscript is not suitable for publication at a given APS journal, the editors aim to support authors by suggesting another journal or journals, provided a suitable option exists. See the APS Journals policies on Transfers Between Journals to learn how editors determine the recommended transfer journals and what your options are for transfer.

To resubmit or transfer your paper, go to the APS Submission Server.

When resubmitting or transferring your paper, please provide the following:

  • The most recent version of your manuscript without mark-ups or highlights
  • A point-by-point response to the most recent set of peer review reports, if reports were obtained
  • A list of changes you have made since the last submission
  • A PDF version of your manuscript that highlights any changes you have made since the last submission
  • A revised cover letter: If you are transferring your paper in response to an explicit invitation, please be sure to mention the offer in your cover letter.

If you are requesting to add or remove an author from the paper, please see the Editorial Policy and Practice on adding or removing authors.

After Acceptance

Proofreading and Copyediting

APS partners with external vendors to copyedit and format accepted papers according to the APS Journals Style Guide and in collaboration with the relevant journal’s Editorial Team. This service improves the quality of papers by ensuring they are clear and readable, and that they carry the signature Physical Review brand.

Proofs

Authors should expect to see proofs of their manuscript with marked changes within approximately two weeks of acceptance. Proofs are sent to the Corresponding Author, who is responsible for coordinating changes with all authors and directing them to the production vendor.

Proof corrections

The production process generally requires two rounds of proofs; more rounds may be necessary for lengthy papers or papers that deviate significantly from Physical Review style.

Production status

Authors can find the status of their paper on the APS Manuscript Status page. You’ll need your 7-digit Accession Code and the last name of one of the first three authors on the paper.

Common Proof Corrections

The Important Notice to Authors provides essential instructions on how to check your proof. Authors should check the following:

Author names

Are they all present, in the correct order, and spelled correctly?

ORCID iDs

Do the links go to the correct records? To avoid delays, APS does not add ORCIDs to papers after the first set of proofs is returned.

Funder information

Review grant numbers for accuracy.

Equations and tables

APS converts the original source file to XML, which is used to create the online version and the PDF. This conversion works well for most cases, but please check equations and tables carefully.

Post-publication contact author

Ensure there is a byline footnote giving the email address of the author to whom correspondence should be addressed (Contact author: author@email.com).

Post-Publication Corrections and Changes

The journals offer a variety of ways to correct the scientific record after publication, including Corrections and Author Name Changes. Visit the Post Publication section of the Policies and Practices for details.

Promotion and Engagement

APS helps authors promote their work to peers in the research community and to the general public.

Opportunities for Visibility

APS encourages authors to submit their published manuscripts to Pub Med through the NIH Manuscript Submission System. See more details from NIH about the submission guidelines.

Author Summaries

To ensure your paper is considered for promotion, consider sending a plain-text, nontechnical summary to explain your results and why they are of interest. See Guidelines for writing and submitting a summary. (Note that Author Summaries are for APS internal use.)

Physics Magazine

Physics Magazine provides daily news and commentary about a selection of papers from the Physical Review collection, including those published in PRX Life.

Press Office and Embargo Policy

APS issues a weekly tip sheet for reporters that highlights upcoming newsworthy research from the APS portfolio of journals. Unless otherwise noted, papers submitted to APS journals are not embargoed. Visit this information page about the APS Press Office to find out more about the tip sheet and the APS Embargo Policy.

Publication Charges and Reprints

The APS journals provide authors with an online, web-based interface, SciPris™, to pay for various author charges, including article publication charges, charges for color figures, and reprints. Upon acceptance, authors will receive a unique link to the SciPris™ platform.

Article Publication Charge Pricing

For more information about APCs in the hybrid and fully open-access Physical Review journals, see APC Pricing.

Color Figures Charges

Color figures are free for the online version of any article.

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