# rticles for R Markdown: LaTeX Journal Templates > rticles is an R package that supplies R Markdown and LaTeX templates for journal articles, including formats for ACM, ACS, AEA, IEEE Transaction, Elsevier, and other publications. It is useful for R users who want a journal-oriented starting point while retaining the R Markdown document workflow. **rstudio/rticles** — LaTeX Journal Article Templates for R Markdown - Repository: https://github.com/rstudio/rticles - Website: https://pkgs.rstudio.com/rticles/ - Stars: 1,538 · Forks: 515 - Language: TeX - License: not declared - Published: 2026-10-16 · Updated: 2026-10-16 · Language: en - Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/rstudio-rticles ## rticles for journal-focused R Markdown authors rticles addresses the gap between writing an analysis in R Markdown and preparing an article with journal-specific document conventions. An author who starts from a plain R Markdown file may need to assemble LaTeX settings, document structure, figures, references, and publisher formatting separately. rticles packages these resources as R Markdown and LaTeX formats, with named output functions such as `acm_article()`, `acs_article()`, `aea_articles()`, `ieee_article()`, and `elsevier_article()`. The intended audience is R users preparing journal articles, especially those who already use RStudio, `rmarkdown`, or related document tooling. The README says most templates are provided and maintained by the community, and that anyone can contribute a new template. That makes rticles a collection of reusable community templates rather than a general LaTeX editor or a complete publishing system. The catalogue covers journals and publication groups associated with ACM, ACS, AEA, AGU, Austrian Journal of Statistics, American Meteorological Society, American Statistical Association, arXiv, Bioinformatics, Biometrics, Copernicus Publications, Elsevier, Frontiers, Glossa, IEEE Transaction, IMS, INFORMS, and ISBA. The package therefore helps authors who know their target venue and want a format-specific starting point. It does not describe itself as a universal replacement for publisher instructions, so the generated document still requires review. ## How rticles fits the R Markdown template system rticles works through R Markdown's template discovery and draft-generation mechanism. In RStudio, the README directs users to `File -> New File -> R Markdown`. The template dialog exposes formats supplied by rticles. Selecting one creates an article source file associated with the selected output format. Outside RStudio, `rmarkdown::draft()` accepts a destination file, a template name, and the package name. The README uses `jss` and `rjournal` as examples. According to the documentation, this creates a folder containing an Rmd file and the assets required by that format. The package supplies the journal-oriented format and supporting files, while R Markdown handles document creation and the usual rendering workflow. This distinction matters when comparing rticles with a raw publisher template. A publisher-provided `.tex` file may give direct control over a submission format, but it does not by itself provide the same R Markdown draft workflow. rticles instead favors the R document and output-format model. The repository layout supports that interpretation: the package includes R code, templates under `inst/`, tests, vignettes, package documentation, and supporting files. The README does not explain the internal implementation of every format. It also does not document a single conversion command for moving an existing manuscript between templates. Users should treat a template as the starting document and inspect the generated result before submission. ## Installing rticles from CRAN or GitHub The README documents a CRAN installation path. Run this in R: ```r install.packages("rticles") ``` This installs the released package available through CRAN. The README also documents a GitHub installation path through `pak`, which can contain newer article formats: ```r # install.packages("pak") pak::pak("rstudio/rticles") ``` The commented `install.packages("pak")` line prepares `pak` if it is not already installed. The second line installs the development version from the GitHub repository. Users working outside RStudio also need Pandoc. The README points to Pandoc installation instructions before showing the `rmarkdown::draft()` workflow. The package is centered on LaTeX output, but the README excerpt does not provide a complete system-specific list of LaTeX packages. Installation of the R package alone should therefore not be treated as confirmation that every rendering dependency is present. After installation, a first practical check is whether the expected template appears in the R Markdown template dialog. If it does not, the README's next documented route is to invoke `rmarkdown::draft()` with the template name and `package = "rticles"`. ## Creating a first article with rmarkdown::draft() The README gives two concrete draft examples. The first creates `MyJSSArticle.Rmd` with the `jss` template, and the second creates `MyRJournalArticle` with the `rjournal` template: ```r rmarkdown::draft( "MyJSSArticle.Rmd", template = "jss", package = "rticles" ) rmarkdown::draft( "MyRJournalArticle", template = "rjournal", package = "rticles" ) ``` The expected result is a folder containing the Rmd source and assets for the selected format. This is a useful first use because it exercises the package through the same template lookup mechanism described for R Markdown, without requiring the user to assemble a format directory manually. For another listed journal, use its documented output-format name as the template selection value when the local template discovery recognizes that format. The README names `acm_article()` for ACM, `acs_article()` for ACS, `aea_articles()` for AEA, `ieee_article()` for IEEE Transaction, and `elsevier_article()` for Elsevier, among others. The README does not show a rendering command for a newly created article, so this tutorial stops at the documented draft-generation step. It also does not document automatic submission. The next engineering step is to inspect the created Rmd file and its format-specific assets before using the article for a submission. ## Journal output formats and template selection rticles exposes journal choices through distinct output formats rather than one shared style. The README identifies `acm_article()` for ACM, `acs_article()` for ACS, `aea_articles()` for AEA, `agu_article()` for AGU, `ajs_article()` for the Austrian Journal of Statistics, `ams_article()` for the American Meteorological Society, and `asa_article()` for the American Statistical Association. It also lists `arxiv_article()` for arXiv preprints based on George Kour's template, plus `bioinformatics_article()`, `biometrics_article()`, and `amq_article()`. For publishers and societies, the list includes `copernicus_article()`, `elsevier_article()`, `frontiers_article()`, `glossa_article()`, `ieee_article()`, `ims_article()`, `informs_article()`, and `isba_article()`. The README also lists `ctex()` as a template. These names matter because output formats, template identifiers, and display labels do not always use identical wording. Template selection should therefore start with the target journal rather than with a preferred visual style. An author who has selected Elsevier should locate the `elsevier_article()` format, while an author targeting IEEE Transaction should look for `ieee_article()`. If a target journal is absent, the package does not document a generic builder for adding an unsupported venue through the installation or drafting commands. A raw publisher template is a more direct alternative when exact publisher files, manual TeX control, or submission requirements matter more than R Markdown integration. rticles makes a different choice by connecting journal structure to the R Markdown workflow, but the author still needs to compare the generated document with current publisher instructions. ## Maintenance, releases, and upgrade costs The repository is not archived, and its last push was on 2026-10-01. Recent release entries list v0.27 on 2024-04-07, v0.26 on 2023-12-20, and v0.25 on 2023-05-15. These records show versioned releases, but they do not establish that each individual journal template is synchronized with its publisher's latest instructions. The README states that templates are community provided and maintained and includes contribution guidance for adding a template. That distribution model can spread template ownership across contributors, while also making it important for users to check the provenance and history of the specific format they use. The repository contains `NEWS.md`, tests, vignettes, and package infrastructure. Those are concrete places to consult when assessing changes, although the README does not define an upgrade procedure for existing manuscripts. Installing the GitHub version may expose newer article formats, according to the README, but that does not mean it automatically upgrades an existing Rmd file. The documentation does not state that a template migration preserves custom edits or publisher metadata. Users may need to compare old and new drafts manually. The available project information lists the license as unknown, and the README excerpt does not state a specific license identifier. Before redistributing modified templates or incorporating package code into a publishing workflow, check the repository's licensing file. This is a project-specific compliance check rather than a conclusion about permissible use. ## Limits when a journal is unsupported or non-LaTeX The clearest limitation is that rticles cannot guarantee compliance with every journal's changing submission rules. The README lists many templates, but it does not state that the package continuously monitors publisher specifications. A template can encode document structure and format settings while still needing review against the target journal's current author instructions. The package is specific to the LaTeX-oriented R Markdown workflow. It is a poor fit if the target venue requires Word, HTML, or another submission format that is not represented by an rticles output format. The README gives no general conversion path between an existing manuscript and an unsupported publisher template. Installation outside RStudio adds a separate dependency on Pandoc. The README calls this out explicitly and links to Pandoc installation instructions. LaTeX toolchain requirements are also implicit in the package's purpose, although the README does not enumerate a complete system dependency list. An installation that succeeds in R can therefore leave a user needing additional rendering components. The examples create drafts, not submissions. The README does not document automatic journal submission, automated metadata validation, rollback from a generated template, or a guarantee that all assets remain valid after publisher changes. rticles is useful as a drafting layer, not as a replacement for checking the final article. ## Conclusion rticles suits R users who have identified a supported journal template and want to create an article through R Markdown. It does not suit authors who need an undocumented publisher format, a non-LaTeX workflow, or an automatic guarantee of compliance with current journal instructions. Before adoption, verify that the required output format exists, install Pandoc when working outside RStudio, and compare the generated template with the target journal's current author instructions. ## FAQ ### How do I install rticles? Install the CRAN version with `install.packages("rticles")`. The README also documents the development-version command `pak::pak("rstudio/rticles")`, which may include newer article formats. ### How do I create a journal article with rticles outside RStudio? Install Pandoc, then use `rmarkdown::draft()` with the desired `template` and `package = "rticles"`. The README says this creates a folder containing the Rmd file and the assets required by that format. ### Which output formats are available in rticles? The README lists formats including `acm_article()`, `acs_article()`, `aea_articles()`, `ieee_article()`, `elsevier_article()`, `frontiers_article()`, and others. It associates each named format with a particular journal, society, or publication template. ### Does rticles submit articles automatically to journals? The README describes template selection and draft creation, not automatic journal submission. It also does not document a guarantee that a generated template will satisfy a publisher's latest requirements. ## Sources - [Issues](https://github.com/rstudio/rticles/issues) - [Project website](https://pkgs.rstudio.com/rticles/) - [README](https://github.com/rstudio/rticles/blob/main/README.md) - [Releases](https://github.com/rstudio/rticles/releases) - [rstudio/rticles on GitHub](https://github.com/rstudio/rticles) --- Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/rstudio-rticles