Submission Preflight (jel-submission)

When to trigger

• "Submitting tomorrow" — last check before uploading a proposal or full survey to the AEA portal
• Unsure which route (proposal vs. full paper) and which files the portal expects
• Confirming JEL codes, disclosure statements, and style-guide compliance
• Verifying the AEA data/code policy obligations for a survey that discusses empirical work

Process facts (检索于 2026-06；以官网为准 — re-confirm on the AEA JEL pages)

• Publisher / venue. JEL is published by the American Economic Association (AEA), founded 1969; it is the AEA's survey-of-record journal, distinct from JEP and AER. Submission is via the AEA's ScholarOne Manuscripts portal. The lead editor is David H. Romer (UC Berkeley) (appointed July 2022; re-verified 2026-06-22 — re-confirm the masthead on the AEA JEL page before relying).
• Two intake routes. (1) Proposal — a sketch of ~10 pages (excluding references) stating the contents, why the topic interests readers, and the main references to be covered; this is the efficient route. (2) Full paper — the journal also considers a complete survey; mechanics are the same as for a proposal. A pre-proposal email to the editor to test interest is welcomed (editor contact volatile — see jel-proposal-and-commissioning).
• Disclosure (required). Each (co)author must prepare a separate PDF titled "Disclosure Statement" covering financial conflicts of interest and, where applicable, IRB approval. Submissions without these are treated as incomplete. AEA disclosure policy applies.
• Data & code. The AEA Data and Code Availability Policy applies; empirical work, simulations, or experimental methods that the survey itself reports must be documented for replication. (A pure survey reports no new data of its own; the obligation bites mainly on any original quantitative synthesis you contribute — see jel-tables-figures.)
• JEL codes & keywords. Assign JEL classification codes (the system JEL maintains) and keywords per the style guide — see jel-classification-system.
• Style / format. Follow the AEA / JEL Style Guide for manuscript formatting and references; AEA house style is applied at acceptance. Confirm any length, abstract, and anonymity specifics on the style-guide page (these are volatile and not assumed here).
• Fees. Any AEA submission fee is volatile — re-confirm on the AEA JEL page; do not assert an amount.
• Anonymity. Whether review is single- or double-blind for JEL surveys is not assumed here — confirm on the AEA JEL pages and prepare a title page / anonymized manuscript accordingly if required.

Preflight checklist

Route & files

• [ ] Route chosen: proposal (~10pp excl. references) or full survey
• [ ] Proposal (if used) states: contents + why readers care + main references to be covered
• [ ] Manuscript/proposal formatted per the AEA/JEL Style Guide
• [ ] Pre-proposal email considered (test interest; confirm editor contact on the AEA page)

Front matter

• [ ] JEL classification codes assigned and verified (jel-classification-system)
• [ ] Keywords and complete author affiliations present
• [ ] Abstract written in survey style (confirm length/format in the style guide)

Declarations (incomplete without these)

• [ ] Separate "Disclosure Statement" PDF per (co)author (financial COI; IRB where applicable)
• [ ] AEA data/code obligations met for any original quantitative content the survey reports
• [ ] Confirmed not under review elsewhere; AI not listed as an author

Volatile re-confirms

• [ ] Submission fee (if any), editor/contact, portal specifics, anonymity policy — re-checked on the AEA JEL pages (检索于 2026-06)

Anti-patterns

• Uploading a full draft cold when a ~10-page proposal would have de-risked the project
• Omitting the per-author Disclosure Statement (renders the submission incomplete)
• Asserting a submission fee or editor name from memory rather than the live AEA page
• Submitting a survey with no JEL codes / keywords, or codes that contradict the framework
• Treating the AEA data/code policy as irrelevant to a survey that reports its own quantitative synthesis

Output format

【Route】proposal (~10pp) / full survey
【Proposal content】contents + reader interest + main references? Y/N (if proposal)
【JEL codes + keywords】assigned, verified, on title page? Y/N
【Disclosure】separate PDF per (co)author prepared? Y/N
【Data/code】AEA policy obligations met for any original synthesis? Y/N
【Volatile re-confirms】fee / editor / portal / anonymity checked on AEA page? Y/N
【Next step】submit via AEA ScholarOne → jel-editor-strategy for what to expect

Supplementary resources

• templates/checklist.md — 8-section pre-submission self-check
• ../../resources/official-source-map.md — official AEA/JEL URLs behind every fact