When I was a professor, I published several articles in peer-reviewed journals, and I was routinely overwhelmed by the minutiae of these submission requirements. Now, as Managing Editor of American Imago and Copy Editor for the Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, the requirements make a lot more sense. Just like typos and grammatical errors, formatting inconsistencies are distracting. Furthermore, once your article is in print, you want it to look good! Without applying a consistent style, the copy editor and typesetter may not be sure which is a first-level heading vs. second-level heading, what is your writing and what is extracted/quoted text, or where exactly you’d like your table or figure to be placed. That is to say, the submission guidelines help us editors help you.
In this article, I explain several common submission guidelines and highlight which style points are the most important to follow. By understanding and adhering to these requirements, you demonstrate professionalism and respect for the editorial process and make it easier for the journal editor and reviewers to read and understand your work, thereby enhancing your chances of acceptance and publication.
Common Elements of Journal Submission Guidelines
When you prepare to submit your paper, it’s essential to pay close attention to the requirements on formatting and structure. The first question you should answer is: Is there a template? Some journals, like the Frontiers journals, have a specific template into which you must import your text. This is as detailed as it gets. Other journals, like some published by Taylor & Francis, have a template from which you can copy their styles and apply them to your file.
At the other end of the spectrum, some outlets are now using “format-free submission.” Basically, they give you a max word count and maybe some guidelines on the title page, but beyond that, you can do whatever you want . . . as long as it’s consistent and makes sense.
The final big-picture item is, of course, the max word (or page) count of the article. This may (or may not) include only the text, the references list, the title page and abstract, figures and tables, or supplementary materials. It all depends on the journal. But don’t take the maximum lightly; respect the guidelines and cut down your text (or have an editor do it!).
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The Title Page
The first component of your file is your title page. Some journals ask that you submit a title page that includes your title, abstract, and keywords, but no author information, at the start of your manuscript file. Others prefer that you submit a title page with author information as a separate file of its own. The difference simply depends on how the journal’s editorial team structures the submission process. But you absolutely must get it right or risk rejection. Accidentally including your name on a title page that’s supposed to be anonymized is a big no-no!
Furthermore, you’ll want to be sure that your title is attention-grabbing and that the keywords you select will help readers find your article (called “discoverability”). Everyone wants to be cited, and the keywords help your work get discovered.
Another important element of the title page is the abstract. Pay close attention to the maximum word count the journal allows and whether or not the abstract must be “structured.” Either way, the abstract should present (generally in this order): your research question or thesis statement, the gap in the literature that your paper fills, the methods you use, your results, and why we should care (why are your findings and work important?). Think about what information you look for when you’re skimming papers by reading the abstracts, and then make sure that yours is exceptional.
The Body of the Paper
Font style, margins, and headings, oh my! Page numbers, line numbers, blocked quotes, and figures and tables. It’s enough to make you go cross-eyed. This is yet another area where there’s wide variation in what journals expect. Here’s a quick run-down of the most common formatting requirements that I see (but always check your journal’s requirements!):
Font style: 12 pt Times New Roman (TNR), double spaced, indent each paragraph a half-inch
Margins: 1 inch all around
Page numbers are typically required; line numbers are not usually requested
Headings: usually placed in bold, in title case (capitalize each major word), and sometimes required to be numbered, but there’s a lot of variation across journals — read carefully!
Blocked quotes: typically (and in APA style), quotes longer than 40 words are set apart from the main text:
beginning on their own line, indented a half inch, and without using quotation marks around the full quote (you can use quotes within the quote if that’s what the original/quoted text shows). (p. 45) [Note that the page number is placed after the final period.]
Please do not italicize quotes. So many authors do this, and it’s almost never acceptable. If the original text uses italics (or you add them) for emphasis, then simply state that in the parentheses after the page number.
Footnotes vs. endnotes: be sure to find out which is preferred
Figures and Tables: Depending on the journal, these should be placed in the main text, at the end of the file (with something like TABLE 1 HERE used to indicate where the item should appear), or in a separate file. Figures and tables should appear following the paragraph in which they are first mentioned, and the text should always include a call out or reference to the item in the text, like this (Figure 1).
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In-Text Citations and the References List
Each journal requires the use of a specific citation style, such as APA, MLA, Chicago, and others. The journal submission guidelines will indicate which style you should use (although some say you can use any style, as long as you’re consistent). Be sure to pay attention to not only the style but also the edition of the style guide: for example, the latest edition of APA is the 7th edition (APA7), but some journals still apply APA6 (the difference matters!).
It’s tempting to rely on references software to take care of this for you, but the software is only as accurate as the information it’s given: if you enter the reference info incorrectly, that’s how it’s going to appear in your paper. I’m not a fan of these tools because they are so prone to error, and they also cause problems when you send your paper to an editor or collaborator because the changes that are made don’t always stick when you reopen the file. I created a Word template for APA7 that you can grab here, or shoot me a message and I’d be happy to send you a copy for free.
Finally, be sure to anonymize the text! This is trickier than it sounds. Sometimes repeatedly redacting self-citations reveals more than it hides. If you’re citing your own work but it isn’t obvious that it’s your own work, then just leave it as-is. Otherwise, replace the citation (in the text and in the references list!) with something like [deleted for anonymity].
Ethics, Funding, Data, and Supplementary Materials
Ethical considerations encompass topics like informed consent, IRB or IACUC approval, conflicts of interest, and funding sources. Journals are increasingly requiring authors to include such statements in their submissions, often at the end of the document. Also becoming more common in quantitative fields is requiring authors to provide access to their data set. Don’t skip the fine print on these issues; you can usually find their explanations at the bottom of the submission guidelines.
In closing, the process of submitting research manuscripts to scholarly journals is a crucial step in contributing to your field and advancing your career. Yet it’s surprising how frequently even seasoned researchers overlook the importance of meticulously following journal submission guidelines. This oversight can have significant consequences, from immediate rejection due to non-compliance to unnecessary delays in the publication of your work. I hope that this guide helps clarify these requirements and their importance, but please contact me if you have questions or would like me to help you prepare your paper for submission.
Happy writing!
P.S. If you need help deciding where to submit your article, we also offer a journal recommendation report. In this document, we identify three journals based on criteria you provide that are great options for your paper. We inform you about the audience, impact factor and indexing, and submission requirements so you can make a smart decision about where to submit. Contact us today to learn more.
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