What these submission guidelines cover
AAAI accepts online submissions and expects authors to submit a complete, review-ready package. The legacy “Guide for Contributors” and “Contributor Guide” pages outline core expectations: submit online; include the standard manuscript sections; provide figures as image files and tables as editable tables; and ensure writing is clear and suitable for reviewers.
These modernized guidelines translate those expectations into a practical workflow, including (1) preparing your manuscript file, (2) preparing figures/tables and supplementary content, (3) ensuring authorship and ethics compliance, and (4) submitting the files in a way that makes peer review fast and frictionless.
Key idea
Your manuscript should be “review-ready” the moment you submit: clear structure, all required statements included, and files that open correctly on standard systems.
Eligibility and submission responsibility
AAAI expects submissions to be made by an author listed on the manuscript. The submitting author is responsible for complete and accurate information and for responding to editorial queries. The legacy “Guide for Contributors” explicitly states that manuscripts must be submitted by one of the authors and not by a non-author, and that the submitting author should submit in standard English (US or UK, but not mixed).
What the submitting author should confirm
- Authorship is accurate: all authors meet authorship criteria and approve submission.
- One corresponding author is designated: with an email that is monitored regularly.
- No duplicate submission: the manuscript is not under review elsewhere (unless clearly disclosed and permitted by policy).
- Ethics and consent are ready: approvals, consent forms (where applicable), and de-identification are complete.
Accepted file formats and technical requirements
AAAI’s legacy contributor instructions list common text formats that can be used for submission, including Microsoft Word (.doc / .docx), Rich Text Format (.rtf), Portable Document Format (.pdf), and Open Document Format (.odf).
| Main manuscript file | Preferred: DOC/DOCX (easiest for editing and production). Acceptable: RTF, PDF, ODF. |
|---|---|
| Figures | Submit as image files (not embedded only inside Word). Use common formats (e.g., JPG/PNG/TIFF). Ensure text is readable at 100% zoom. |
| Tables | Submit as editable tables (not images). If in the manuscript, also include as editable tables when possible. |
| Supplementary files | Acceptable formats include PDF, CSV/XLSX for datasets, and image/video formats where relevant (see “Supplementary and media”). |
| Archive uploads | If you prefer, you may upload a single archive file containing all components, or upload files individually. |
Practical compatibility tips
Before submitting, open every file on a different device (or send it to a co-author to open). If a figure appears blurry or a file requires a special plugin, reviewers may not be able to evaluate it efficiently.
Required manuscript order and core components
AAAI expects standard scientific components. The legacy guide specifies for Research/Review articles: title, author names and affiliations (and degrees), corresponding author details, and sections such as abstract, keywords, introduction/background, list of abbreviations, materials and methods, results, discussion/conclusion, acknowledgements, references, and separate figure/table attachments with captions.
Recommended file organization (what to include)
1) Main manuscript file (DOC/DOCX): title page + abstract + main text + references + figure legends + tables (editable).
2) Figures: each figure as a separate image file; name files clearly (e.g., Figure_1.png).
3) Supplementary files: datasets, protocols, checklists, extra figures/tables, videos (if applicable).
4) Cover letter: a brief note to editors (see below).
Title page (minimum required fields)
- Full title (avoid unexplained abbreviations)
- All author names (consistent spelling across files and submission form)
- Affiliations (department, institution, city, country) and mapping of authors to affiliations
- Corresponding author name, email, and full postal address
- Optional but recommended: ORCID IDs for authors
Abstract and keywords
Keep your abstract factual and complete. AAAI’s legacy contributor guide indicates an abstract summary of not more than 250 words and advises not to include references in the abstract.
Keywords should help discovery and indexing. Include both clinical and mechanistic terms (e.g., “asthma exacerbation,” “allergic rhinitis,” “IgE,” “eosinophils,” “allergen immunotherapy,” “spirometry,” “Th2 inflammation”) depending on your paper.
Cover letter: what to say (and what not to say)
A cover letter is your chance to make the editor’s job easier. Keep it short and practical: confirm the article type, what is new, ethics approvals, and any important context (prior dissemination such as preprints; related papers; special issue information). Avoid marketing language.
Cover letter checklist (recommended)
- Manuscript title and article type
- One-paragraph summary of novelty and clinical/scientific contribution
- Ethics approval/consent confirmation (if applicable)
- Conflict of interest statement (or that it is included in the manuscript)
- Funding statement
- Optional: suggested reviewers (with institutional emails) and justified exclusions (conflicts)
Submitting to a Special Issue?
If your paper is for a Special Issue, identify the Special Issue title and guest editor(s) in your cover letter so the editorial office can route your manuscript correctly.
Language, clarity, and formatting that helps reviewers
The legacy contributor guidance emphasizes readability: writing should be comprehensible to editors and reviewers, and ideally concise and accessible. {index=10} In practice, reviewers are more likely to focus on scientific merit when the manuscript is cleanly structured and easy to navigate.
Formatting recommendations
- Use clear headings and consistent terminology (don’t switch between synonyms without reason)
- Define abbreviations at first use and include a list of abbreviations if relevant
- Number references in the order they appear (legacy guidance notes numeric citation order)
- Ensure all units, cutoffs, and clinical criteria are clearly stated (especially in asthma phenotype/diagnosis)
- Report negative results clearly and avoid “spin” in the discussion
Clinical clarity matters
In asthma and allergy manuscripts, reviewers often look first for: case definitions, outcome measurement (e.g., FEV1 and exacerbation definitions), medication exposure, and comorbidity documentation. Make these easy to find.
Figures, tables, captions, and image ethics
AAAI’s legacy guide requests that figures, tables, and captions be sent as separate attachments, that figures be provided as image files, and that tables be provided in table form (not image format).
Captions and legends
- Provide a caption for every figure and table
- Define all abbreviations in the legend
- For graphs: state units, sample sizes, and what error bars represent
- For microscopy/clinical imaging: include scale bars and relevant acquisition parameters when needed
Image integrity and patient privacy
Do not manipulate images in a way that changes meaning. If you adjust brightness/contrast, apply the same adjustments across the entire image and describe it if it could affect interpretation. For clinical images, remove identifiers and confirm patient consent for publication.
Do not submit tables as images
Image-based tables slow peer review, harm accessibility, and increase production errors. Provide tables as editable text-based tables.
Plagiarism screening, originality, and ethical declarations
AAAI’s legacy guidance states that the editorial office uses plagiarism detection (iThenticate) and that by submitting a manuscript you agree it may be screened.
To avoid delays, ensure that:
- Text is original or properly quoted/cited where necessary
- Reuse of methods text is transparent and appropriately cited
- Any prior posting (e.g., preprint) is disclosed to the editorial office
- Permissions are obtained for reused figures/tables
Required declarations (include in manuscript)
| Conflict of interest | Disclose financial and non-financial conflicts for all authors (or state “none”). |
|---|---|
| Funding | List all funding sources and grant numbers; if none, state explicitly. |
| Ethics approval and consent | Human/clinical studies: ethics committee approval and consent procedures; case images require publication consent. |
| Author contributions | Briefly describe who did what (concept/design, data, analysis, drafting, supervision). |
| Data availability | State where data/code can be accessed or why sharing is restricted (privacy, legal, contract). |
Online submission process: step-by-step
AAAI accepts online submissions and the legacy guide notes the process is suitable across web browsers and operating systems, and that if submission is interrupted you can continue where you left off; files can be submitted as an archive or individually.
1) Start submission: open the AAAI submission page and begin a new submission.
2) Enter metadata carefully: title, abstract, keywords, author details and affiliations.
3) Upload files: main manuscript, figures, supplementary materials, cover letter.
4) Confirm declarations: originality, plagiarism screening consent, conflicts, ethics statements.
5) Final review: verify files open correctly; confirm author order; submit.
After submission: what to expect
- Acknowledgment email: your manuscript ID and basic status information.
- Initial editorial checks: scope fit, completeness, ethics, and file quality.
- Peer review assignment: reviewers evaluate scientific merit and integrity.
- Decision and revision: you may be asked to revise; submit a point-by-point response.
Revision file set (recommended)
When revising, submit: (1) clean revised manuscript, (2) tracked-changes version (if possible), and (3) point-by-point rebuttal letter referencing where changes were made.
Common submission errors that cause returns
Many papers are returned before review due to preventable issues. Use this list as a final “quality gate”:
- Missing corresponding author email or unclear author-affiliation mapping
- Abstract exceeds limits or includes references (legacy guidance advises no references in abstract)
- Methods are too vague to evaluate (no study design, no outcomes, no statistics)
- Tables submitted as images (legacy guidance asks tables in table form, not image format)
- Figures embedded only in Word without separate files, or low-resolution images
- No ethics approval/consent statement for human/clinical content
- References not numbered in appearance order (legacy guidance)
- Mixed US/UK spelling and inconsistent terminology (legacy guidance advises consistent standard English)
The fastest fix
Ensure the submission form metadata matches your manuscript exactly (title, author order, affiliations). Most “administrative” delays come from mismatches.
Frequently asked questions
Can I submit a PDF only?
PDF may be accepted, but a Word file is usually preferred because it supports efficient editorial checks and production preparation. AAAI’s legacy guidance lists both PDF and Word as acceptable formats.
Can I upload everything in a single ZIP/archive file?
Yes. The legacy guide indicates files can be submitted as an archive file or individually. Use clear file names so the editorial office can identify components quickly.
Do you accept video submissions?
The legacy guide notes the journal may consider exceptional research videos and advises contacting the editor before submitting a video project to confirm scope fit.
Do you screen for plagiarism?
Yes. The legacy guidance states the editorial office uses iThenticate and submissions may be screened.
What is the best way to submit tables and figures?
Submit figures as image files and tables as editable tables (not images). Provide captions/legends and ensure file names match the numbering in your manuscript.
