How to choose a LaTeX paper template: Download and apply scientific paper templates

Key points of this article

When the submission target has been determined, use the template provided by the journal or conference official website. The page parameters and reference styles are subject to the submission requirements.
After downloading the template, first compile the sample file completely, confirm that the PDF can be generated, and then start replacing your own content.
In the introduction area, try to only change the parameters given by the template, and do not delete or overwrite the existing macro package settings of the template.
Each chapter is placed in a separate .tex file and introduced with \input, making modification and collaboration more convenient.
References are unified into the .bib database, and text reference keys correspond to entries one-to-one to avoid question marks after compilation.

If you are preparing to submit a scientific paper for the first time, you will most likely search for "latex paper template" first. There are often a bunch of .cls, .sty, and .bst files in the downloaded compressed package. The text of the example is difficult to understand, and I worry about damaging the format when making changes. Many times the problem is not the LaTeX syntax itself, but which template to choose and how to fit your own content into it.

This article is written for graduate students and researchers who are preparing LaTeX papers, especially those who need to choose a template or migrate existing manuscripts to a template. After reading, you can decide whether to use a journal template, a conference template, or a general template, know what to check first after downloading, and follow the steps to put the text, abstract, and references into the template.

The following method takes the "Submission Goal Determination Template" as the main line. The specific file name and commands of the template are subject to the version you downloaded. The square brackets in the example are placeholders and need to be replaced with your own content.

Which LaTeX paper template is used for scientific papers? One sentence conclusion

Which journal or conference you are submitting to, use the template provided by that journal. When you have not decided on the submission target, first use the general article class to write the first draft, and then switch to the official template after confirming the journal.

your situation	Recommended practices	reason
Confirmed submission to journal or conference	Download the template provided by the journal or the official website of the conference	Page margins, font size, and reference style are determined by submission requirements. Manual changes may be returned.
The submission goal has not yet been determined, so I will write the first draft first.	Use the article class and add macro packages as needed	The structure is simple. When changing the template, it mainly replaces the introductory area and a few commands.
Requires double column layout	Use a two-column document from a journal or conference	Switching between single and double columns is handled by class files. Adding multi-column macro packages by yourself can easily conflict with floating bodies.
Existing Word manuscripts need to be migrated	First organize the chapters and formulas in the UniDoc web editor, and then apply the template	Ability to clarify the structure before application to reduce rework

Template structure overview

part	what to write	Space suggestion
Document class and introduction area	Document class declaration, macro package, page parameters, reference style	Usually only the parameters given by the template are changed, and no reinventing the wheel is done.
Title, author, organization	Title, author's name, affiliation, corresponding author's email address	Just fill in the template format
Abstract and keywords	Research questions, methods, results, conclusions; keywords	1 paragraph abstract, 3–5 keywords
Main article section	Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion	One file per chapter, introduced with \input
References	.bib database and template-specified styles	One-to-one correspondence between entries and text citations
Appendix and Disclaimer	Supplementary materials, acknowledgments, statements of interests, etc.	Depending on journal requirements, usually 1–2 paragraphs

How to write part by part

Introduction area: only change what needs to be changed

The introduction area is the skeleton of the template. Most journal templates will declare the document class at the beginning and set the margins and fonts; you usually just use the name it is given.

Example: \documentclass[[options given by template]]{[template class name]}. If additional macro packages are needed, place them after the existing macro packages in the template, and check for conflicts one by one when compilation fails. Do not delete the original settings of the template.

Title, author and organization

The title and author information are filled in with the commands provided by the template, and the correspondence between the author and the unit is usually handled by the markup syntax of the template.

Example: \title{[Paper title]}, \author{[Author 1]\thanks{[Corresponding author’s email address]}}. For multiple authors and units, please copy the template examples and do not adjust the format yourself.

Abstract and keywords

Abstracts are generally placed in the abstract environment, and keyword commands are also defined by templates. The upper word limit for abstracts is subject to the submission requirements.

Example: \begin{abstract} [abstract text, about 1 paragraph] \end{abstract}, the keywords are written as [keyword one], [keyword two], [keyword three].

Text: File management

Put each section in a separate .tex file, such as sections/introduction.tex, sections/method.tex, and then use \input{sections/introduction} to introduce it in the main file. In this way, when modifying a certain chapter, the entire text will not be affected, and it will also facilitate the division of labor among collaborators.

References: put them into .bib

Save bibliographic entries in .bib files and cite the text using \cite{[citation key]}. Style commands in the template determine the numbering and formatting of references.

Example: @article{[citation key], author={[author]}, title={[title]}, journal={[journal name]}, year={[year]}}. The reference keys only need to be non-duplicate and easy to identify. During compilation, run the compilation and reference processing commands sequentially according to the template requirements until no unresolved references appear.

Charts and formulas

Charts use the floating environment provided by the template. Try to use relative paths for image paths, and put the images and main files in the same project directory. The formula is written according to the environment recommended by the template, and the number is automatically generated by the template.

Layout in the editor

After downloading the template compressed package, compile the sample file completely without changing any content, and confirm that the PDF can be generated. Doing this as the first step can detect missing environments or macro package problems in advance.
Open your LaTeX source file in the UniDoc web editor (app.unidoc.top) and check that chapters, formulas, and references are complete. UniDoc supports round-trip conversion between LaTeX and Word, which is suitable for checking the structure when migrating manuscripts.
Replace the main text into the chapter file corresponding to the template, and compile each chapter once to locate problems faster.
Use the \section, \subsection and other commands of the template for chapter titles. Do not use bold or change the font size to simulate the title, otherwise the table of contents and cross-references will be invalid.
Table of contents, page numbers, and chart numbers are automatically generated by the template. Before exporting, check whether the page numbers and references are correct page by page.
When you need to view or compare two versions of PDF, you can download the desktop client at download.omnidoc.top and use the PDF comparison function to check the differences before and after modification.

Common writing problems

The main text was copied, but the sample structure of the template was deleted, causing the style and reference commands to become invalid.
In order to shorten the length, I modified the margins or font size without authorization, and was asked to rearrange according to the template when submitting.
The references are handwritten into a list and are not put into .bib. It is easy to make mistakes when adding or deleting references later.
The image uses an absolute path, and the compilation fails after changing to another computer.
The reference key spelling is inconsistent, question marks appear after compilation, but the logs are not checked in time.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Where is the safest place to download the paper LaTeX template?

Prioritize getting the template from the official website of the target journal or conference. The file is usually placed together with the submission instructions. If you are just writing a first draft, you can use the general document class that comes with LaTeX to write out the content first.

2. How to choose a free LaTeX paper template?

Look for three things: whether it comes with sample files that can be compiled directly, whether there are clear instructions for use, and whether the required style files (such as .cls, .bst) are included. The file size limit, whether it is watermarked, and whether the layout can be retained should also be checked during the trial.

3. I have already written the text. Can I change the template?

Can. First split the text into chapter files, then add the introduction area and reference styles of the new template, and compile and check chapter by chapter. After changing the template, you should focus on checking whether the formulas, chart numbers and references are still correct.

4. What is the difference between a dissertation template and a scientific paper template?

The format of a dissertation is usually specified by the school, including cover, table of contents, header and binding requirements; the template of a scientific paper is specified by a journal or conference. The writing structures of the two are similar, but the format is subject to their respective requirements and cannot replace each other.

📝 Summary

When choosing a LaTeX paper template, the key is to first determine the submission goal, and then use the corresponding official template. Do not manually change the format based on impressions. After downloading, compile it completely, then split the file according to chapters and manage the references in a unified way. There will be much less typesetting problems.

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