When you have put in your best to write an academic thesis, getting the manuscript published is a matter of great pride.
However, manuscript submission cannot guarantee publishing. While your idea may be unique and your research and writing impeccable, your chosen journal can still reject the manuscript. The reasons could be lack of organization, poor writing, plagiarism, etc. Hence, it is extremely crucial to follow certain processes before submitting your manuscript. Here is a complete checklist that you should keep in mind before submitting your manuscript to an academic journal.
Formatting
It is important to format your manuscript as per the requirements of the journal. This includes:
- Making sure layout, font type, font size, heading style, numbering, spacing, page margins, etc. are as per the journal requirements.
- It is not only important to include in-text citations and reference list but also ensure that they are styled and formatted correctly.
- The manuscript should be in adherence to the style guide (APA, Harvard, Oxford, etc.) followed by the journal.
Structure
The structure of the manuscript is another crucial aspect. Every section of the manuscript should be checked.
- Your title should be attractive and relevant, while your abstract should be to-the-point and give a gist of your study.
- Formatting of internal headlines should be identical throughout the manuscript.
- Meanings of symbols, abbreviations and measurement units should be clearly defined.
- Sources of references and quotations should be listed correctly.
- If your manuscript has graphs, tables and figures, make sure they are accurate, clear and complete.
- In case your manuscript contains footnotes, they should have relevant additional information and should be numbered correctly.
Language
Apart from providing a novel or unusual idea, your manuscript should also focus on presenting this idea properly.
- The ideas in your manuscript should flow smoothly.
- Opt for simple sentences and refrain from long and complex sentences. They should be easily understood.
- Make sure there are no grammatical or spelling errors.
- It would be best to get your content reviewed by a third party like a friend or an editing or proofreading service.
Facts and Details
Checking facts and other important details is necessary to ensure that your manuscript is authentic and relevant. All facts and details like symbols, data, equations and calculations, numerical consistency, units of measurement should be checked and double-checked. The same applies to the numerical consistency between your reference list and in-text citations.
Attribution and Acknowledgment
One cannot write an academic thesis without taking any material from another study. Hence, it is extremely important to attribute and acknowledge the relevant source of information.
- Always use quotation marks while copying or reproducing material.
- Provide proof of written permission if you have used either published or non-published content or material.
- Copyrighted material should not be used without gaining permission in writing.
Cover Letter
The cover letter is a way of making the journal publishing company notice your manuscript, and hence it should not be ignored.
- It should include complete details of the author, including name, email and postal addresses, and telephone number.
- You should explain about the manuscript briefly and why the journal should publish it.
- It is important to mention whether it has been submitted for publication to any other journal.
- Commercial or financial relationship of any kind should be revealed, especially if it can give rise to conflict of interest in the future.
Following this checklist would ensure that your academic manuscript does not face outright rejection. If you think you cannot be critical about your own work, it would be best to approach a professional company who could do the work for you. Siliconchips Services Ltd. is a premium publishing company offers this service to ensure your manuscript achieves the high standards expected by academic journals.
