# Target Journal Research

Use this before writing for any named journal or conference.

## Purpose

Prevent venue-blind writing. A manuscript cannot be "high quality" for a target venue until the skill has learned the venue's official rules and recent article behaviour.

## Save the research in the current task

Use the saved target, conference year where applicable, article type and requested
reading/submission formats. Keep the findings in the existing venue/layout notes;
`paper_rewriting_output/target_journal_research.md` is a historical filename that
may be reused, not a required new directory. The outline below is a useful way to
organize substantive observations, not a form to complete before writing.

Historical Runner compatibility only: when an invoked publication-cycle tool
actually consumes `publication_target_profile.json`, follow
`publication-target-profile.md` and `publication-cycle-contracts.md` for that
tool's input. Its `profile-check` checks a data contract; it does not establish
source reading, template application or venue fit and is not an approval gate
for the current host workflow.

```markdown
# Target Journal Research: [Venue]

## Official Requirements

| Dimension | Requirement | Source URL | Implication for Our Paper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Article type | | | |
| Length/page limit | | | |
| Required sections | | | |
| Abstract headings | | | |
| Data availability | | | |
| Software/code availability | | | |
| Figure requirements | | | |
| AI-use disclosure | | | |
| LaTeX/template | | | |

## Recent Relevant Venue Papers

| Paper | Year | Topic Match | Why Relevant | Writing Feature to Learn |
|---|---:|---|---|---|

## Venue Logic Patterns

| Section | Typical Move Sequence | Reader Expectation | Transfer Rule for Our Paper |
|---|---|---|---|

## Five-Part Narrative Preferences

| Part | Preferred Moves | Evidence Expectations | Avoid | Source IDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front matter | | | | |
| Introduction | | | | |
| Methods or approach | | | | |
| Results or analysis | | | | |
| Discussion and conclusion | | | | |

## Venue Writing Contract

- What the venue rewards:
- What the venue filters out:
- Expected novelty threshold:
- Expected evidence standard:
- Typical reader:
- Typical claim strength:

## Fit Assessment

| Criterion | Fit | Risk | Required Action |
|---|---|---|---|
```

## Search Requirements

For a named venue:

1. Open the official author guidelines.
2. Record article type, page/word limit, section sequence, abstract requirements, data/software availability, AI policy, anonymity, file/attachment requirements, and template requirements.
3. Search enough relevant current venue papers to select the saved number of scientifically suitable target-venue exemplars, expanding the pool when needed for fit or coverage.
4. Read and learn from the saved `literature.target_venue_papers` count (three by default), following [journal-learning.md](journal-learning.md) for distinct papers and original local PDFs. Apply [manuscript-format.md](manuscript-format.md)'s page comparison: each PDF supplies specific page observations that visibly inform the reading manuscript, with current output-page locators.
5. State why each selected paper is a useful model.
6. Separate official requirements from published-corpus preferences: the former
   governs compliance; the latter teaches the five-part narrative.
7. List every required and conditional delivery item, including manuscript,
   title/blinded files, figures/tables, supplement, source archive, reporting
   checklist, declarations, authorship/CRediT, ethics/consent, and cover letter
   when applicable. Unknown conditions remain unresolved, not guessed.

Use current official web sources when available. Local prior notes may support the analysis but do not replace current venue research.

For templates, execute manuscript-format.md's discovery → actual package reading
→ applicability decision → integration → demo/current-page comparison. Follow the
requested conference year's kit and article-type instructions, including review
versus camera-ready mode; older proceedings are design references, not current
submission authority. Distinguish raw LaTeX samples/classes, Pandoc templates and
Word reference DOCX assets before choosing the conversion route. A downloaded file
or a read guideline does not establish use. Record the searched official sources
and a justified fallback when no applicable package is obtainable; continue local
work without repeating failed searches or requesting a new template approval.

## Venue-Specific Deep Checklist

For the named venue, verify current official requirements rather than relying on memory. Usually check:

- Article-type page limit and approximate word count.
- Structured abstract headings.
- Required or expected sections.
- Data availability statement.
- Software/source-code availability for computational methods.
- Cover-letter suitability argument.
- LaTeX template requirements.
- AI-use disclosure requirements.
- Whether the manuscript fits the selected article type.

Then inspect recent venue papers in the user's topic area and learn:

- how the opening states the scientific question,
- how Results summarizes advance and impact,
- how Introduction moves from field context to specific gap,
- how Methods justify design choices,
- how Results sections order benchmark, comparison, generalization, interpretation, and domain analysis,
- how Discussion resolves the motivation and acknowledges limitations.

Apply these observations in the actual prose and layout, retaining their source
locators in existing venue notes. Historical paragraph/function, result/narrative
and section-blueprint files are optional examples, not three additional required
documents. Reuse valid local research and templates when their applicability is
unchanged; recheck only changed venue rules, article type or unresolved details.