All the hard work has finally paid off. You are ready to submit your research article to your target journal. It is a good idea before you hit “submit” to double check that you have met all the journals requirements and included all relevant information.

You do not want to wait a couple of weeks just to receive rejection from the editor for having a title that is too long, or for failing to include line numbers. In this post, we provide an easy to follow research article submission checklist, ensuring that you can catch anything you may have missed.

General

  • Length of text within word count
  • Lines are double-spaced
  • 12 pt font
  • Continuous line numbering
  • Grammar and spelling checked
  • Rechecked

Cover Letter

  • Corresponding author information
  • Statement of originality of manuscript
  • Statement of importance of manuscript to the journal
  • Declaration that authors contributed to manuscript

Title Page

  • Title length appropriate
  • Word count
  • Table count
  • Figure count
  • All authors, including:
  • First name
  • Last name
  • Highest academic degree(s)
  • Institutional affiliation
  • Corresponding author:
  • Full name
  • Address
  • Email
  • Telephone Number
  • Fax Number
  • Financial Support
  • Conflicts of interest
  • Clinical trial registration information

Abstract

  • Under word count
  • Structured or Unstructured
  • Keywords included

Body

  • Abbreviations defined first use
  • Ethics
  • Humans – institutional review board / declaration of Helsinki
  • Non-humans – statement on adherence to guidelines on the use of animals/non-humans

References

  • Cited both in text and in the reference section
  • Follows journal format exactly
  • All references are checked for completeness
  • Rechecked

Tables and Figures

  • Referenced in text
  • Each numbered consecutively
  • Tables have appropriate headings and sub-headings
  • Tables after references or included as a separate file
  • Tables created in MS Word
  • Figures after references or included as a separate file
  • Figure legends included after the references
  • Figure format: TIFF or other acceptable format
  • Figures are 300 dpi or greater
  • Sufficient permissions for sourced images

Signatures and Forms

  • Coauthor signatures on all required forms

Summary

There is a lot to remember when submitting manuscripts, especially to ensure that your research article conforms with the journals expectations. By following our research article submission checklist, you can simplify the submission process and feel confident that your manuscript will pass initial editorial review.

Make the Best Choice for your Research

Sengi helps small and medium-sized businesses get brilliant ocular health discoveries into the hands of your ideal customer. You don’t need to have a specialized writer in-house to turn your research into reality.

contact sengi data for reporting testing

Contact Sengi

Please let us know your name.

Please let us know your email address.

Please write a subject for your message.

Please let us know your message.

Invalid Input

sengi footer logo

The Sengi team is led by Dr. Brad Hall, a vision scientist and expert medical writer. A regular peer reviewer for several medical and ophthalmology journals, Dr. Hall has authored a multitude of articles personally, is a successful grant writer, medical writer, and master of the art of simplifying data and statistical analysis. Since launching in 2015, Sengi has provided medical writing and biostatistics analysis expertise to SMBs and researchers around the world that lacked the necessary means to share their scientific breakthroughs outside of the lab. Sengi’s work has enabled these companies to put advanced technology into the hands of those who need them most.