Navigating the Peer Review Process
11-5
Online Manuscript Submission
Most journals now have online manuscript submission software that enables authors to submit their manuscripts electronically. This has probably been the biggest change in the manuscript peer review process since researchers started publishing research findings. A few journals still allow, or prefer, that manuscripts be submitted by mail; that process is described in the next section. During the process of submitting a manuscript to a journal for the first time, authors will set up an account that includes a user name and password. Be sure to keep a record of this information because you cannot find out the status of your article without it. It is important to be very accurate when entering information in the manuscript submission system because any misspellings or errors will appear in every document that the system creates. The software, as most authors soon discover, will prevent authors from successfully submitting a manuscript until all requirements, even seemingly minor ones, are met. Word count limits in abstracts and articles, for example, may be strictly enforced by the software. The message here is to carefully follow all submission requirements if you want the submission process to go smoothly. Some processes may differ from those described here. If you have problems with the submission process, the journal’s editorial office staff will be glad to help or to refer you to technical support staff. The submission letter and figures are attached as separate files, but these are still essential parts of manuscript submission. Journals still prefer that the manuscript’s word -processing file be double-spaced and formatted following the instructions to authors. Reviewers customarily print the manuscript and review a hard copy, and the double spacing makes this easier for them. Figures are usually submitted in separate files, but the legends are usually included in the manuscript file. Tables may be submitted as part of the manuscript file or as separate files; the instructions will indicate the journal’s requirements. Once the submission process is complete, you should receive an e-mail message saying that your manuscript has been received. One advantage of online submission is that it enables authors to track manuscripts as the manuscripts make their way through the peer review process. That means that authors usually no longer need to call the editorial office for information about the status
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