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Publication and editing

You will prepare a manuscript for a well-chosen journal, with a clear abstract, a one-page cover letter and a plan for responding to reviewers.

Do this first

Find three recent articles in your target journal that are closest to your own. Note their length, section headings, abstract structure, number of references and how they frame their contribution, then compare them with your draft.

Steps

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  1. Choose the journal before final revisions

    Look at where the work you cite most is published, then check each candidate's aims and scope, readership, article types, word limits, open access charges and typical review times. Check unfamiliar journals with Think. Check. Submit. and ask your supervisor which venues count in your field.

  2. Revise to the journal's conventions

    Follow the author guidelines exactly: structure, length, reference style, figure formats, and data or code availability statements. Frame your introduction for that journal's readers by citing the conversation they are part of.

  3. Write the abstract last, as a complete story

    A typical abstract gives the problem, the gap, what you did, the main findings with key numbers, and why they matter, usually in about 150 to 300 words depending on the journal. Some journals require a structured abstract with set headings. Put the terms readers will search for in your title and abstract.

  4. Keep the cover letter to one page

    Address the editor by name, give the title and article type, and say in two or three sentences what the paper finds and why it suits this journal's readers. Include the required declarations (originality, not under review elsewhere, competing interests), and do not paste in the abstract.

  5. Respond to reviewers point by point

    Quote every comment and reply beneath it, saying what you changed and where (page and line numbers). Where you disagree, explain politely with evidence; where a reviewer misunderstood, treat it as a sign the text needs to be clearer. Wait a day before replying to a harsh review.

  6. Plan a thesis by publication early

    If your program allows a manuscript-based thesis, check your graduate school's rules on the number and status of papers, co-authored work, contribution statements, linking text and copyright permission for published articles. Write an introduction and conclusion that make the papers read as one project, and reduce repetition between the papers' literature reviews where the rules allow.

Templates

Abstract

[Context: one sentence on the problem and why it matters.] [Gap: what is not yet known.] This [article / study] [what you did], using [data, method or sources] from [setting, period or sample]. We find that [main finding with key figure] and that [second finding]. These results [contribution to the field] and suggest [implication].

Cover letter

Dear [Dr / Professor] [Editor's surname],

Please consider our manuscript, “[Title]”, for publication as a [article type] in [Journal].

[One or two sentences: the question and the main finding.] [One sentence: why this matters to the journal's readers, linked to its aims or to recent articles it has published.]

This manuscript is original, has not been published, and is not under consideration elsewhere. All authors have approved the submission. [Competing interests statement.] [Funding or data availability statement, if required.]

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
[Name, affiliation, email]

Response to reviewers

We thank the editor and reviewers for their careful reading. Their comments have improved the manuscript, and we respond to each below. Changes in the manuscript are highlighted.

Reviewer [n], comment [n]: [quote the comment in full]
Response: We have [what you changed]. See page [number], lines [numbers]: “[revised text]”.

Reviewer [n], comment [n]: [quote the comment in full]
Response: We understand the concern about [issue]. We have not [made the requested change] because [reason, with evidence or citation]. We have, however, [smaller change, such as a clarifying sentence or an added limitation] on page [number], lines [numbers].

Check your draft

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In your field

Articles are short, often multi-authored and reviewed relatively quickly, and preprints (for example on arXiv or bioRxiv) are widely accepted, though you should check each journal's policy. Author order conventions vary by field, so agree authorship and contributions early.

Read more about this stage

Desk rejection, where the editor declines a paper without sending it for review, usually comes from poor fit, an unclear contribution or failure to follow the guidelines. A clear abstract, an introduction that names the gap early and a specific cover letter address all three.

Most papers need revision, and “major revisions” is usually an invitation to resubmit. Make a table of every comment, sort them into quick fixes, substantial changes and points you will contest, and do the substantial ones first. If a paper is rejected, use the reviews to improve it before sending it elsewhere, since the same reviewers may see it again.

In a thesis by publication, the introduction, linking sections and conclusion carry the argument that connects the papers, so they deserve as much care as the articles. Examiners look for one coherent contribution, not separate projects bound together.