Editor’s Corner: What are journals looking for in a manuscript submission?
Publication in a scholarly journal is an important part of the research process, allowing work to be discovered and have an impact. It also provides a valuable quality control step, allowing authors to gain feedback from journal editors and peers, via the journal’s screening and peer review process. However, the process of submitting to a journal can be a daunting one, especially when doing so for the first time, and in this blog post I would like to share some areas to be aware of that I hope will be helpful when approaching journal submission.
Of course, not all journals are alike, and each will be looking for slightly different things in the submissions it receives. Some will have a broad remit and will consider all so-called ‘sound science’ submissions (focusing on the quality and rigor of the work, rather than perceived impact), while others will seek out work that is highly novel and impactful. Others may focus on a particular phase of research, for example only covering pre-clinical research in a particular disease area. There are therefore some key areas to consider when thinking about the best place to submit your research.
Scope and impact of the journal
As mentioned, all journals will have a particular focus (some broader than others), and it is important to think about how well the topic, novelty and impact of your work aligns with the journal’s scope and audience. Most journals webpages will have an ‘About’ or ‘Aims and Scope’ section that will detail this. It is also helpful to look at other articles published most recently in the journal (bearing in mind that a journal’s scope can change over time, so looking at older content might be less helpful in this regard). Many journals will also share their metrics, with journals that have received high Impact Factors and CiteScore values favouring highly novel and potentially impactful work.
Article types considered
Similarly to the above, not all journals will consider all article types. For example, some may only carry original research and will not consider review content. Others may only consider full research papers and not short reports or case studies. Checking this in the journal’s information will ensure you don’t waste time going through the submission process only to be immediately screened out upon receipt by the journal.
Adherence to journal guidelines
Most journals will provide Author Guidelines to follow that provide information on a variety of areas, including article format (any required sections for particular article types), the reference style they would like used, and any other features needed for a submission (e.g., completion of disclosure forms). Try and follow these as closely as possible – if you have any questions, many journals will include contact information so that you can send pre-submission queries to the journal team.
Ethical conduct of research
It is of course important to consider and disclose any ethical issues related to your work, such as the study approval process; whether and how informed consent was obtained from any study participants; any conflicts of interest the authors have; or a statement on data transparency, amongst others. Often, journals will provide guidance on how they would like this reported in their Author Guidelines, including within the article itself (e.g., in the methodology section) and in any specific disclosure statements.
Methodology
Thinking more broadly about the methodology of your work, if you are conducting a particular type of study (e.g., an observational trial or a systematic review), the journal may have requirements around the following of established guidelines for this research type. And even if they don’t, these guidelines can be helpful to ensure your work is of as high a standard of reporting as possible. A good place to find relevant guidelines for different study types specifically within health research is the Equator Network website.
Originality
It goes without saying that plagiarism is unacceptable in scholarly work, and most journals make use of plagiarism-detection tools to identify this upon submission. However, it’s also important to ensure that where you are legitimately incorporating the work of others in your own article, you appropriately cite this work. It’s also worth noting that while it may be necessary to cite certain older publications, it is also important to make sure you include the most up-to-date references on a topic in your work, as this is something editors and reviewers will be keen to see.
Writing quality
Although your article will undergo various stages of revision, proofreading and copy editing as it makes its way through the publication process, it is still important that the first draft you submit is of sufficient clarity to allow the merit of work to be clearly understood – by both the Editor during the initial screening process and, should the article advance to that stage, the external peer reviewers. It can be helpful to have the paper read over by a colleague who hasn’t worked on it with you, to make sure the language and flow is clear to someone who isn’t familiar with the work.
Cover letter
A good place to address many of the points above, apart from in your manuscript itself of course, is a well-crafted cover letter. You can use your cover letter to highlight any key features of your work and why it is a good fit for the journal’s audience. Do make sure your letter is tailored to the journal you are submitting to – making sure the journal and editor(s) names are correct! Journals may detail what they would like to see in a cover letter in their Author Guidelines, and some may even provide a cover letter template.
Final takeaway for submission success
Journal submission can be a daunting process, and it’s important to persevere! The first journal you submit to may not be quite the right fit, but that doesn’t mean your work doesn’t have merit. By bearing in mind the above points when selecting a journal to submit to and preparing your work for submission, I hope you can find the best home for your article.
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