Q: Question about submission via email

The short answer is this: enquire after about 8 weeks following submission. However, as is common with all such short and simple answers, this one too needs to be qualified.

Do background checks on the journal. Submission through email is no more common, and usually associated with independent journals published by small publishers or professional societies and with journals publishing only 2–4 issues a year. However, this method of submission is also commonly used by predatory journals. It is therefore important to find out more about the journal before submitting a manuscript.

Here are a few things to look out for.

• The journal’s editor and members of its editorial board, especially their affiliations
• Names and affiliations of authors who have published in the journal
• Citations to papers published in the journal (whether limited to only a few journals)
• Turnaround times if mentioned
• Impact Factor (awarded by Clarivate Analytics)

Email the editor before submitting the manuscript. You could send a pre-submission query to ascertain whether your proposed manuscript is suitable for the journal and then wait to see how promptly you get a response. This may give you some indication of how well the journal functions.

Ask your peers or request info through social media. If the journal does not have a website, see if you can get some information through informal channels. If you are a member of a relevant Listserv or even a WhatsApp group, post a query and ask if any member has submitted papers to that journal or has published in it.

Conclusion

Requesting submissions through email is sufficiently uncommon to warrant caution. Therefore, do not submit your precious manuscript through email—and never in response to an email soliciting such submissions. Remember that once you submit a manuscript to a journal, you cannot submit it to another journal unless the manuscript is either rejected by the first journal or you formally withdraw it.