Understanding Journal Submission Systems: How to Submit an Article for Publication in a Journal

Electronic manuscript submission and peer-review systems

Electronic manuscript submission and peer-review systems have become indispensable in the modern era of academic research. A majority of scholarly journal publishers employ these systems to facilitate rapid and seamless communication between editors, authors, and reviewers. These manuscript submission systems are secure and are designed to save time and resources of all involved parties. By simply logging into these software, authors can track the status of their submitted manuscript. Reviewers can enter their comments and recommendations as per their convenience. Moreover, editors can also oversee the entire process and add their comments to the article.

Using these manuscript submission systems is rather uncomplicated. The instructions can be found on the journal's website, usually in the ‘author information' page or on a different section pertaining to submission guidelines. The process of submission on all such software, be it ScholarOne or Editorial Manager, is similar, with minor differences in the checklists or required information.

Preprints and In Review

It is well-known among academics that the journey from manuscript preparation and submission to publication is a long and tedious one. To overcome this challenge, authors now resort to preprints, which are the newest integrations within these submission systems.

A preprint is the final version of a research manuscript that authors publicly share on preprint platforms, prior to peer-review and publication in the journal of their choice. Most preprints have a digital object identifier (DOI) number and therefore can be cited in other papers. This saves a substantial amount of time and leads to increased visibility of the research and author.

Since the manuscript is public and is not locked-in with a particular journal, preprints offer authors the advantage of having their work reviewed and commented on by experienced peers in their field from around the globe. If a preprint is weak and is critiqued publicly, it provides the opportunity for the author(s) to make changes prior to peer review and journal submission.

Research Square and Springer Nature have partnered to provide a free preprint service, called In Review, that integrates with over 700 Springer Nature journals. Through In Review, an author can publish their paper as a preprint when submitted to an integrated journal, receive feedback from researchers around the globe, track the status of the peer-review, and have their manuscript cited before it's published to the target journal. There are many benefits to posting your research as a preprint. A few other preprint servers are:

1. Advance: a SAGE preprint server for humanities and social sciences research

2. SSRN: an open-access online preprint community owned by Elsevier

3. Preprints: a multidisciplinary preprint platform owned by MDPI

4. Zenodo: an open-source, general-purpose preprint repository

5. MedRxiv: a preprint server for the medical sciences co-founded by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Yale, and BMJ

Finding the right journal

Although writing a perfect research manuscript is an important factor in the process of publication, choosing the correct journal tops every element in the list. The journal in which your research gets published is your portfolio; it influences almost everything in your career, from collaborations to job prospects and fundings. The top five factors to consider while choosing the perfect journal are:

(1) Shortlist a few target journals, if not one, while drafting your manuscript

(2) Ensure that the aims and scope of the journal align with your research question

(3) Ensure that the journal publishes peer-reviewed research

(4) Check the novelty of your research by reviewing the publication history of the journal

(5) Check the average time the journal takes to publish and whether you can opt for open-access publication

If you're still not sure of the perfect journal for your research, check out JournalGuide, our free tool developed solely to help researchers make the best-informed decision and choose the correct journal for their manuscript.

Tips for polishing your manuscript before submission

Writing a research paper can be an overwhelming task, especially because after hours of writing, things may simply stop making sense. However, most journals are strict about the text being clear and non-redundant and meeting the journal guidelines; your manuscript could be rejected on this basis. If you tend to struggle with polishing your manuscript, here are a few quick tips that will help:

1. Read as your reader: Firstly, after finishing your draft, take a break and get back to it. Next, look at your paper from a reader's perspective. This will give you a fresh pair of eyes. By keeping your target audience in mind, you will be able to check the accuracy of scientific terminology, cut down jargon, and write for someone who does not know the research topic as well as you do.
2. Declutter: This is a crucial step! As you follow step 1, keep an eye out for deviation from the main topic and delete any unnecessary words or redundant statements.
3. Grammar and punctuation: As you proofread your manuscript, thoroughly check whether you have used the correct punctuation marks. Check your periods, commas, colons, semi-colons, en dashes, and em dashes. It's important to keep grammar in mind while proofreading, particularly, ensuring that the verb tense is proper for a smooth flow. Use the past tense in the methods and results to report what you did and found. Use the present tense while stating information that has already been proven to be true.
4. Follow journal guidelines: Adhere to the formatting requirements of the target journal, which can be found in the ‘author guidelines' page on the website. As you draft your paper, ensure the word count is within limits, all information needed in the title page and/or cover letter is included, the figures and/or tables follow the guidelines, and the references are formatted appropriately, along with other general requirements. Most importantly, check whether your journal follows a single- or double-blinded peer review process.
5. Hire a professional editor: It's always a great idea to hire a professional editor in your field of study to communicate your research clearly and accurately, and ensure all the above steps are followed. An editor will provide top-notch language and scientific editing, i.e., they will polish your manuscript and correct grammatical errors, along with improving scientific terminology. If you're unsure of where to look, check out our editing services!

General steps to online journal submission

After you have chosen your target journal, written your research manuscript, and formatted the paper as per the journal's guidelines, it's now time to begin the process of submitting your paper to the journal. Here are a few points to remember:

1. Be prepared: The submission system might require some information regarding your paper; therefore, it is helpful to have this handy. Ensure that you have the names, affiliations, and email addresses of all co-authors; the title, abstract, and cover letter; along with the conflict-of-interest statement, funding statement, and other general declarations, before you begin the submission process.
2. Register or log-in: If you are using an online system for the first time, you will need to register into the system and remember your log-in details for use later.
3. Uploading the files: At this stage, you will be asked to upload your manuscript, along with any additional files, such as supplementary material, figures, and/or tables. The guidelines provided for authors specifies the type of file you need to upload. Additionally, you might need to upload forms or statements of declaration. Please check the guidelines for more information.
4. Check the reviewer's comments: After manuscript submission, if the reviewer(s) and editor require changes in your paper, you must provide a point-by-point response to each of their questions/suggestions. It would also be helpful to highlight all changes made in the manuscript for a swift decision on your revised manuscript.
5. Track your manuscript: By logging-in, you can track the status of your submitted manuscript through the reference number provided at the time of submission. Once your paper is accepted, you can share it on different platforms and promote it to increase visibility and make way for future collaborations.

General mistakes to avoid during manuscript submission

Lastly, I have compiled a checklist to follow while submitting your manuscript.

1. Manuscript text: Ensure the text is clear, concise, and within the scope of the journal.
2. Journal formatting: Take some extra time to adhere to the journal guidelines.
3. Blinded manuscript: Ensure your manuscript follows the single- or double-blinded criteria
4. Statements of declaration: All authors must submit all required statements of declaration.
5. File types: It is important to submit files of the required type, especially for figures and tables.
6. Response to reviewers: Provide a point-by-point response to the reviewers, even when you disagree with the comment or suggestion. Ensure professionalism and be less emotive in your responses.

Final thoughts

Writing and submitting your research manuscript may seem like a daunting task, but if taken one step at a time, it can be straightforward. Preprints offer immense benefits to an author and are worth considering. I hope you make use of the information provided in this article while submitting your next manuscript. Good luck!