Manuscript Submission Checklist
Documents required for manuscript submission
Check the attached word file.
Manuscript Checklist
Work through this list prior to each submission (initial, revised, production, proof). Though tedious, doing this will catch many errors.
1. Use specific journal formatting to prepare your manuscript. If the journal is not specified, format your paper using standard double-spaced line spacing and 12-point font size.
2. Read main text in forward direction.
3. Check author names, affiliations, email addresses.
4. Check title, abstract, section titles.
5. Check figure captions, consistent fonts and bold.
6. Check figure references in text.
7. Check figure labels, scale bars and units.
8. Check citation references in text.
9. Check each reference in reference section against the journal website or PDF reprint (not Endnote file, which may have errors).
10. Check acknowledgements if you included your fellowship and the right grant numbers.
11. Check for "micro" symbol, check units.
12. Check references to section #'s in main text and supplementary.
13. Read main text in backward direction.
14. Check formulas/equations.
15. Check references to formulas/equations.
16. Do 1-14 for Supplementary.
17. Fill out the “Data Verification Form” and check all your raw data with a lab member, who was not involved in the manuscript. Have this document signed by you and the person who confirmed your data. Bring this form with your manuscript to Ali.
18. Fill out the “Author Declaration” and have everyone in the author list sign it. Bring this form with your manuscript to Ali.
19. Prepare a cover letter to the manuscript submission. Include at least 4 suggested reviewers with their contact information (affiliations, emails, phone numbers) in your cover letter. Bring this letter with your manuscript to Ali.
20. Email the word version of your manuscript for Ithenticate software check, which identifies the similarity of your paper to existing literature. We usually run 3 papers together so it may take a few days until we collect 3 papers to run the software. Make sure to do sufficient changes so that there are not significant similarities to the literature.
21. If you are writing a review paper or a book chapter, obtain the “Copyright Permissions” for the figures you used from the literature.
22. Send your paper to all of the co-authors and have them make comments and revisions.
23. Bring all the documents as requested above with your manuscript for Ali’s review.
24. It is easiest if you sit at Ali’s office as he reads your manuscript and do changes. Revise and print it again for his review.
25. When final version of the manuscript is approved by Ali, log in to the journal submission page and submit your paper.