paper submission proofreading

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What is the main purpose of proofreading a paper?

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It’s commonplace to feel nervous about submitting your scientific work. Whether you’re concerned about meeting research reviewers’ high expectations and/or the target journals’ guidelines. Proofreading is the final stage before a manuscript leaves your hands and enters the expanding universe of appraisal for publication. So, it makes sense that you want to deliver a perfectly written document, and avoid embarrassing mistakes.

Most of us simply have either friends or colleagues proofread our work, but they may have their own limitations regarding proficiency in text writing. Instead, it’s highly advised that you look for professional help at this important stage.

The main purpose of proofreading is to improve the quality of the paper, ensuring there are no lingering mistakes, and correcting generalized discourse errors or writing inconsistencies. Essentially, you want to make sure you have a well-defined communication goal. Analyzing whether the content is properly conveyed, and the sentences are syntactically and grammatically well-written, are just two of the basic tasks to achieve publication-ready work. Specifically, a perfect manuscript, ready to be published in the most recognized scientific journals.

What is proofreading

Proofreading is the last writing process before the author submits the article for publication. It is the stage of verification, by the author him or herself, or by another person. Thus, it is not only important to check grammar and spelling, it is also highly advised to ensure that the idea of the writer/author is in agreement with what he or she wants to communicate with the audience. In other words, that the article/work is clearly written for its intended target audience.

Proofreading Vs. Editing

Paper proofreader.

How often have you conducted high-quality research, but the article about that research didn’t match the quality of the research itself? How many times have you regretted missing a mistake that ultimately led to a failed submission?

Proofreading ensures flawless content for publication, increasing your chances of success. An excellent paper proofreader checks all digital sources related to the document, including websites, email addresses, etc.

A good paper proofreader is someone who will take care of your work as if it were his or her own and, in addition to correcting grammar errors, also detects the possibility of scientific plagiarism. Proofreading your scientific article using scientific editing will save you from the humiliation of having your article rejected by scientific journals due to grammatical errors or inadequate language.

Why is proofreading important?

Effective proofreading is absolutely essential for producing high-quality documents, whether academic or professional. When done clearly, correctly and thoroughly, proofreading can be the difference between writing something that communicates as it is supposed to or a huge misunderstanding. It can also be the difference between acceptance and rejection in a distinguished journal. No author creates an excellent text without reviewing, reflecting, and revising – or trusting someone to do so – before the final version of their manuscript is complete and submitted.

Language and text reviewing are important to detect:

• Grammar mistakes and numbering errors – e.g. forms of numbers, short and scientific forms, degrees of comparison, etc.
• Spelling mistakes – simple misspellings, or incorrect use of a homonym (words that sound alike, but have different meanings, e.g. “read,” for “red”), typographical error, etc.
• Inconsistency in the document format – this can be simple font, spacing and justification rules, or standard format for the applicable research sub-type (e.g. research review versus experiment)
• Punctuation errors – missing or extra commas, periods, and/or quotation marks used incorrectly
• Misplaced words – correct word choice improves the quality of your content
• Poorly structured paragraphs
• Errors in sentence structure

Whatever the nature of your research, Elsevier will be glad to give you a hand in reviewing and amending your manuscript. Professional editors can proofread your document so the final product is well-written, precise, and easy to read. With Elsevier’s medical editing and proofreading services team, we can help you with grammar, syntax, spelling, and punctuation; maximizing impact, and increasing your chances of publication.

Language Editing Services by Elsevier Author Services:

Find more about our  Language Editing Standard : completion within 7 business days; editing by native speakers in (scientific) American or British English; PhD or PhD candidates selection according to your field of study and an exclusive guarantee: free re-edit or your money back.

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If you’ve put in the hard work to research and write an academic paper, you won’t want typos or grammatical errors to undermine your arguments. As such, you may want to let the professionals take care of the small details for you. And with our paper proofreading service, you can be sure of submitting well written work.

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11 Best Editing and Proofreading Services in 2024

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Written by  Scribendi

As a writer, it's not always easy to find typos or spelling errors in your own work. 

However, online editing services make error-free writing easy so you can focus on writing, not editing.

Below, we've listed the top 11 best editing and proofreading services for 2024 while considering years of experience, turnaround times, pricing, and quality. 

What Is the Difference Between Editing and Proofreading? 

Many people will hire a proofreader when they are really looking for an editor, and vice versa. However, editing and proofreading have different functions, and you will need one or the other depending on the requirements of your document. 

With editing services , your editor will: 

• Focus on improving the flow of language
• Check the overall readability
• Verify the accuracy of language
• Ensure the content follows a logical order
• Make sure your transitions are clear
• Verify that every paragraph is relevant to the overall argument
• Determine whether the tone fits the audience
• Ensure gendered language is used properly

With proofreading services , your proofreader will: 

• Check for grammatical errors
• Point out mechanical mistakes, such as misspelled words
• Correct missing or incorrect punctuation
• Verify correct and consistent capitalization 
• Fix sentence structure errors, such as run-on sentences or fragments

If you want in-depth feedback and revisions to improve your writing, editing is what you need.

If you need a final check to ensure your document is error free, proofreading is what you need.

What to Look for When Hiring an Editing or Proofreading Service

When hiring an editing or proofreading service, there are a few things to keep in mind!

Editor Qualifications

Experience and education play a large role in selecting the right editor or proofreader. You want to work with someone who is qualified, who has expertise doing the type of editing you're looking for, and who has had satisfied customers in the past. 

Check each service's ratings on review sites to ensure their customer satisfaction levels match what the service promises.

An editing or proofreading sample can give you an excellent idea of what to expect from your editor. Samples may be free or paid and allow you to evaluate the quality of an editing or proofreading service.

Communication

Good communication is also crucial. Will you be able to ask your editor questions during or after the process? 

The goal of any editor is to help you develop your best work, so clear communication throughout the process is key.

You might be wondering what is a fair price to pay for proofreading. Professional proofreading rates vary, and so does quality. To get the best-value proofreading, you will need to find a reputable proofreading company.

Read More: How Much Does Proofreading Cost?

11 Best Editing and Proofreading Services for 2024

1. scribendi.

Since 1997, Scribendi has been providing high-quality editing and proofreading services to students, academics, and authors from around the world. 

An ISO-certified industry leader in editing and proofreading services, Scribendi has a global team of hand-picked editors, many of whom hold master's degrees and PhDs. The onboarding process for new editors at Scribendi is intentionally rigorous so that only the highest-quality editors are selected—around 5% of all applicants. 

With Scribendi, you can expect affordable services and turnarounds in as little as 2 hours. The type of content Scribendi edits ranges from websites and blogs to essays and personal documents, with many other document types in between. Scribendi offers extensive feedback to its clients to help them develop their best work.

On the Scribendi website, you can also find case studies and reviews , along with a breakdown of how Scribendi customizes each service to specific clients. 

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 2 hours

Number of years in business: 25+

Free sample: Yes, 1,000-word free sample for editing or proofreading

ISO certified: Yes

Account deposit feature: Yes

Competitive Advantages

When it comes to fast turnaround times, affordable services, and professional, high-quality revisions, Scribendi has a competitive advantage over many other editing services.

With 25+ years' experience, their 480+ editors are available to proofread academic essays, novels, business materials, personal documents, or student essays 24/7, 365 days a year. 

Polish Your Writing with Our Book Proofreading Service

2. proof-reading-service.com.

Proof-Reading-Service.com offers high-quality English editing and proofreading services exclusively for professionals in science and academia. 

An England-based company, the proofreaders at Proof-Reading-Service.com are native English speakers with experience in various academic disciplines. Each proofreader on their team is personally selected and holds at least a master's degree, so their academic clients are fully supported.

The types of editing they help with range from journal and scientific editing to PhD thesis and manuscript editing. Since their specialty is in science and academia, this service would be most helpful to professors, lecturers, post-doctoral researchers, and research students.

Proof-Reading-Service.com offers a flat rate per 1,000 words. This rate does not change based on the type of content, so you always know how much proofreading will cost you.  

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: No instant quote

Number of years in business: 16

Free sample: No

ISO certified: No

An affordable option for academics and scientists, Proof-Reading-Services.com offers highly educated editors with expertise in many fields. 

Fiverr is a marketplace for digital services that allows buyers and sellers to work with each other through Fiverr's transactional platform. 

Through Fiverr, many freelance proofreaders offer their services at different rates and turnaround times. Within the platform, editing services can be filtered by budget, delivery time, and content type.

You can also sift through the profiles of freelance editors, read their reviews, and learn about their history with editing and with Fiverr itself. Each editor offers different rates depending on their experience and turnaround time.

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: N/A

Number of years in business: 12

Account deposit feature: Yes (for Fiverr Business users)

With Fiverr, you have the flexibility to choose a specific editor, and many niche options are available. The process is simple and easy, and each transaction is made through the Fiverr platform.

4. True Editors

True Editors offers professional editing services for academics, business owners, authors, and job applicants.

Their editing team is composed of engineers, research scholars, postgraduates, physicians, and even journal peer reviewers. Each editor on the True Editors team receives specialized training in academic editing and must take a language proficiency exam to qualify for their editing team.

To use True Editors' services, you can upload a file or enter your word count and choose your turnaround time. Their pricing varies by word count, and their website provides editing samples so you can get a feel for their editing style. If you're ever unhappy with their work, they also offer a free revision of your document.   

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 4 hours

Number of years in business: 10+

Free sample: 300 words or less for editing

True Editors has editors with specific subject-matter expertise.

5. ProofreadingPal

Operating out of Iowa City, IA, ProofreadingPal is an editing service that utilizes a two-proofreader model. This means that two proofreaders work on every piece of content ordered through their service.

ProofreadingPal offers editing services for students, professionals, and authors, including academic editing for writing styles such as APA, Chicago, MLA, or CSE. Their services are available 24/7, 365 days per year, with turnaround times ranging from 30 minutes to 7 days.

What also makes this service unique is that they accept orders both online and by phone, and their customer service team is available every day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT. They offer free sample edits of up to 400 words, and they don't have a minimum word requirement if you'd like to submit a small document for review.  

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 1.5 hours

Free sample: 400 words or less for editing

With ProofreadingPal, you get two proofreaders reviewing every submission instead of one and quick turnaround times. 

6. PaperTrue

PaperTrue started in 2014 as an editing service but has since expanded its services to include essay writing, formatting, and plagiarism checking for students, as well as cover design, typesetting, and online distribution for authors.

Operating with the belief that language shouldn't be a barrier to success, PaperTrue helps a global audience of businesses, authors, and researchers edit their writing so they're able to reach their full potential. To date, they've served over 52,000 clients and have 4.5+ stars on review sites, including Google Reviews and Sitejabber. 

PaperTrue also offers a three-step quality checking process and hand-picked, qualified editors for each document reviewed. With locations in the US, Singapore, the UK, and India, they offer round-the-clock editing services with a turnaround time of 12 hours for documents up to 6,000 words. 

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 12 hours

Number of years in business: 8

With PaperTrue, you get not only editing and proofreading services but publication services as well, including typesetting, cover design, and online distribution.

Proofed is an editing and formatting service that helps students, businesses, authors, academics, researchers, and other professionals communicate effectively. Its mission is to provide the highest quality proofreading and editing services in the world.

With a diverse group of editors, the team at Proofed offers extensive knowledge on nearly every subject. All editors have undergone Proofreading Academy training, a course developed by Proofed, to ensure the highest standard of editing possible. 

Proofed offers speedy delivery (up to 10,000 edited words within 24 hours), with express and rapid turnaround times that range from 2 to 12 hours for select word counts. Their system supports over 15 different document formats, which makes the submission process easy, and their team offers 24-hour support.

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 2 hours  

Free sample: 500 words for proofreading only

ISO certified: Yes 

Account deposit feature: No

Proofed offers proofreading expertise in many fields, as well as formatting services.

Enago provides 24/7 editing services for the global research community. More than just a team of editors, Enago works with researchers in over 125 countries to help them publish their work in international journals. 

With end-to-end publication support services, such as pre-submission peer review, journal selection, and post-submission review, Enago also offers competitive quality assurance with unlimited edits and a money-back guarantee for manuscripts that are rejected due to language issues.  

Enago's editors all hold a PhD or master's degree, and they have an average of 19.4 years of academic editing experience. Each manuscript is assigned to an editor with similar subject area expertise, assuring high-level accuracy. 

Like ProofreadingPal, Enago also operates on a two-editor model, where all manuscripts are reviewed by no fewer than two native English-speaking editors. 

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 24 hours

Number of years in business: 17

Enago offers highly educated editors in the fields of science, academia, and business, along with help and support during the academic publication process. 

American Journal Experts (AJE) offers in-depth scientific and academic editing services, in addition to translation and manuscript formatting services, to help researchers publish their best work. Its mission is to improve the exchange of discoveries in the international research community by identifying opportunities to improve the research, publishing, and discovery cycle.  

In addition to providing quality editing services, their team of PhDs supports researchers when they have questions regarding manuscript submission and publishing. AJE also matches each manuscript with an editor who is a subject-matter expert. 

Prices and turnaround times, as well as more in-depth information regarding the details of each type of editing offered (standard, advanced, or premium), can be found on the AJE website. 

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 48 hours  

Number of years in business: 18

Free sample: Editing of up to 500 words for an abstract

AJE's editors have subject-matter expertise, and the service also offers translation and formatting services. 

10. Editage

Editage partners with researchers to offer advanced and premium editing as well as publication support and translation services. Their goal is to assure the publication success of hopeful researchers, scholars, and students. 

Each document submitted to Editage is assigned to an editor who best matches the content subject matter. Editage even offers the option to select your expert, price, deadline, and style, so researchers have full control of the service they receive. Researchers can also collaborate with their editing expert to ensure the paper follows their vision. 

Editage also has local language support, turnaround times of as little as eight hours, and a two-step revision process for quality. Their team of over 2,000 native English editors has publication expertise and covers over 1,000 subjects.  

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 8 hours

Number of years in business: 20

At Editage, two editors review every submission. They also offer client-to-editor Q&A interaction and translation services.

LetPub offers editorial services for researchers in the scholarly publishing community. In addition to editing, LetPub offers scientific illustration services, plain language summaries, and graphic and video abstracts. 

The LetPub team is composed of experts and senior editors who come from a wide range of disciplines, each one a native English speaker with experience editing both scientific and technical documents. The types of editing included in LetPub's services range from grant and language editing to response letter and scientific editing. 

Because many of LetPub's editors and staff have research backgrounds, they're familiar with the level of effort it takes to write a paper for publication, and they will reedit a paper at no cost if it is rejected for language reasons.

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 48 hours

ISO certified: Yes (for translation services)

Competitive Advantages 

LetPub offers expertise in science for scientists and academics, as well as translation and formatting services. 

Perfect Your Writing with High-Quality Academic Proofreading

There's a lot to consider when choosing an editing service. Save our table as a quick reference for your next document.

As long as you understand the important factors that go into choosing a great editing service, like experience, customer satisfaction, and quality, you'll be well equipped to choose the right one for you.

About the Author

Scribendi's in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing turn into a great one after the editing process. Scribendi's in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained nearly 20 degrees collectively. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.

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Proofreading and editing your work is an essential final step to completing your written piece. We all make mistakes, and it is impossible to get it perfect on your first go, so it is key that you make sure you proofread and edit your work once you have finished writing it. Here are some tips for you to keep in mind next time you conduct final checks on your work.

Check structure and flow

The most effective way to proofread your work is to start with making sure that the overall structure and logic of the piece is consistent. Check that everything you have written is linked with the rest of the article/chapter in a sensible manner and that the piece flows naturally. Only when that has been done should you move onto the details.

Proofread for spelling and grammar

Proofreading is your last chance to pick up on small mistakes, be they missing punctuation or trivial misspellings. Modern spellcheck software has become very sophisticated, so will likely have picked most of these up, but they are still not always entirely accurate, so make sure you also go through your work with a fine eye, picking up on the smallest mistakes . 

Some people find that it helps to mark up a hard copy , which helps to remove distractions and reduces your screen time. Working on printed drafts also makes it easier to jot down notes and thoughts, which can feel more natural to do by hand. 

Use track changes and save separate documents

When you edit, the most important thing is to be organised about it so as not to lose work. Do this by enabling the track changes option in your word processor if it has one, and saving every version separately, marking them with version numbers, dates or whatever works for you. Tracking your changes is particularly useful if you are collaborating on a document or need to have it approved by somebody else, enabling them to see the changes you made or make their own changes and suggestions without overwriting the piece itself. 

Remember you are editing, not rewriting 

Once you have proofread your work and identified areas of improvement, it’s time to edit. It’s tempting to get trigger-happy here, deleting entire sentences or even paragraphs because on reflection, they seem misplaced or superfluous. As with anything, one can easily fall into the trap of over-editing work or be tempted to rewrite substantial chunks of the paper or chapter. You may get too hung up on a particular wording, feel that you haven’t used language that’s interesting enough or add too many explanations into your text, making it clunky to read. 

The point here is to take the ‘ less is more ’ approach to editing by prioritising fixing mistakes that you have spotted to ensure readability. You are effectively done writing, so put a line under it and simply get it to a state where you’re happy to publish it.

Proofreading and editing your work is the final pass, giving you the opportunity to correct any mistakes and make sure that your piece is as readable as it can be . Just remember to take a careful last look, remain organised and not overthink it – then your final result will shine.

Read previous/third in series: From writing to submission: Simple strategies to Make Your Scientific Article (Read) Better

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Editing and Proofreading

What this handout is about.

This handout provides some tips and strategies for revising your writing. To give you a chance to practice proofreading, we have left seven errors (three spelling errors, two punctuation errors, and two grammatical errors) in the text of this handout. See if you can spot them!

Is editing the same thing as proofreading?

Not exactly. Although many people use the terms interchangeably, editing and proofreading are two different stages of the revision process. Both demand close and careful reading, but they focus on different aspects of the writing and employ different techniques.

Some tips that apply to both editing and proofreading

• Get some distance from the text! It’s hard to edit or proofread a paper that you’ve just finished writing—it’s still to familiar, and you tend to skip over a lot of errors. Put the paper aside for a few hours, days, or weeks. Go for a run. Take a trip to the beach. Clear your head of what you’ve written so you can take a fresh look at the paper and see what is really on the page. Better yet, give the paper to a friend—you can’t get much more distance than that. Someone who is reading the paper for the first time, comes to it with completely fresh eyes.
• Decide which medium lets you proofread most carefully. Some people like to work right at the computer, while others like to sit back with a printed copy that they can mark up as they read.
• Try changing the look of your document. Altering the size, spacing, color, or style of the text may trick your brain into thinking it’s seeing an unfamiliar document, and that can help you get a different perspective on what you’ve written.
• Find a quiet place to work. Don’t try to do your proofreading in front of the TV or while you’re chugging away on the treadmill. Find a place where you can concentrate and avoid distractions.
• If possible, do your editing and proofreading in several short blocks of time. Your concentration may start to wane if you try to proofread the entire text at one time.
• If you’re short on time, you may wish to prioritize. Make sure that you complete the most important editing and proofreading tasks.

Editing is what you begin doing as soon as you finish your first draft. You reread your draft to see, for example, whether the paper is well-organized, the transitions between paragraphs are smooth, and your evidence really backs up your argument. You can edit on several levels:

Have you done everything the assignment requires? Are the claims you make accurate? If it is required to do so, does your paper make an argument? Is the argument complete? Are all of your claims consistent? Have you supported each point with adequate evidence? Is all of the information in your paper relevant to the assignment and/or your overall writing goal? (For additional tips, see our handouts on understanding assignments and developing an argument .)

Overall structure

Does your paper have an appropriate introduction and conclusion? Is your thesis clearly stated in your introduction? Is it clear how each paragraph in the body of your paper is related to your thesis? Are the paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence? Have you made clear transitions between paragraphs? One way to check the structure of your paper is to make a reverse outline of the paper after you have written the first draft. (See our handouts on introductions , conclusions , thesis statements , and transitions .)

Structure within paragraphs

Does each paragraph have a clear topic sentence? Does each paragraph stick to one main idea? Are there any extraneous or missing sentences in any of your paragraphs? (See our handout on paragraph development .)

Have you defined any important terms that might be unclear to your reader? Is the meaning of each sentence clear? (One way to answer this question is to read your paper one sentence at a time, starting at the end and working backwards so that you will not unconsciously fill in content from previous sentences.) Is it clear what each pronoun (he, she, it, they, which, who, this, etc.) refers to? Have you chosen the proper words to express your ideas? Avoid using words you find in the thesaurus that aren’t part of your normal vocabulary; you may misuse them.

Have you used an appropriate tone (formal, informal, persuasive, etc.)? Is your use of gendered language (masculine and feminine pronouns like “he” or “she,” words like “fireman” that contain “man,” and words that some people incorrectly assume apply to only one gender—for example, some people assume “nurse” must refer to a woman) appropriate? Have you varied the length and structure of your sentences? Do you tends to use the passive voice too often? Does your writing contain a lot of unnecessary phrases like “there is,” “there are,” “due to the fact that,” etc.? Do you repeat a strong word (for example, a vivid main verb) unnecessarily? (For tips, see our handouts on style and gender-inclusive language .)

Have you appropriately cited quotes, paraphrases, and ideas you got from sources? Are your citations in the correct format? (See the UNC Libraries citation tutorial for more information.)

As you edit at all of these levels, you will usually make significant revisions to the content and wording of your paper. Keep an eye out for patterns of error; knowing what kinds of problems you tend to have will be helpful, especially if you are editing a large document like a thesis or dissertation. Once you have identified a pattern, you can develop techniques for spotting and correcting future instances of that pattern. For example, if you notice that you often discuss several distinct topics in each paragraph, you can go through your paper and underline the key words in each paragraph, then break the paragraphs up so that each one focuses on just one main idea.

Proofreading

Proofreading is the final stage of the editing process, focusing on surface errors such as misspellings and mistakes in grammar and punctuation. You should proofread only after you have finished all of your other editing revisions.

Why proofread? It’s the content that really matters, right?

Content is important. But like it or not, the way a paper looks affects the way others judge it. When you’ve worked hard to develop and present your ideas, you don’t want careless errors distracting your reader from what you have to say. It’s worth paying attention to the details that help you to make a good impression.

Most people devote only a few minutes to proofreading, hoping to catch any glaring errors that jump out from the page. But a quick and cursory reading, especially after you’ve been working long and hard on a paper, usually misses a lot. It’s better to work with a definite plan that helps you to search systematically for specific kinds of errors.

Sure, this takes a little extra time, but it pays off in the end. If you know that you have an effective way to catch errors when the paper is almost finished, you can worry less about editing while you are writing your first drafts. This makes the entire writing proccess more efficient.

Try to keep the editing and proofreading processes separate. When you are editing an early draft, you don’t want to be bothered with thinking about punctuation, grammar, and spelling. If your worrying about the spelling of a word or the placement of a comma, you’re not focusing on the more important task of developing and connecting ideas.

The proofreading process

You probably already use some of the strategies discussed below. Experiment with different tactics until you find a system that works well for you. The important thing is to make the process systematic and focused so that you catch as many errors as possible in the least amount of time.

• Don’t rely entirely on spelling checkers. These can be useful tools but they are far from foolproof. Spell checkers have a limited dictionary, so some words that show up as misspelled may really just not be in their memory. In addition, spell checkers will not catch misspellings that form another valid word. For example, if you type “your” instead of “you’re,” “to” instead of “too,” or “there” instead of “their,” the spell checker won’t catch the error.
• Grammar checkers can be even more problematic. These programs work with a limited number of rules, so they can’t identify every error and often make mistakes. They also fail to give thorough explanations to help you understand why a sentence should be revised. You may want to use a grammar checker to help you identify potential run-on sentences or too-frequent use of the passive voice, but you need to be able to evaluate the feedback it provides.
• Proofread for only one kind of error at a time. If you try to identify and revise too many things at once, you risk losing focus, and your proofreading will be less effective. It’s easier to catch grammar errors if you aren’t checking punctuation and spelling at the same time. In addition, some of the techniques that work well for spotting one kind of mistake won’t catch others.
• Read slow, and read every word. Try reading out loud , which forces you to say each word and also lets you hear how the words sound together. When you read silently or too quickly, you may skip over errors or make unconscious corrections.
• Separate the text into individual sentences. This is another technique to help you to read every sentence carefully. Simply press the return key after every period so that every line begins a new sentence. Then read each sentence separately, looking for grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors. If you’re working with a printed copy, try using an opaque object like a ruler or a piece of paper to isolate the line you’re working on.
• Circle every punctuation mark. This forces you to look at each one. As you circle, ask yourself if the punctuation is correct.
• Read the paper backwards. This technique is helpful for checking spelling. Start with the last word on the last page and work your way back to the beginning, reading each word separately. Because content, punctuation, and grammar won’t make any sense, your focus will be entirely on the spelling of each word. You can also read backwards sentence by sentence to check grammar; this will help you avoid becoming distracted by content issues.
• Proofreading is a learning process. You’re not just looking for errors that you recognize; you’re also learning to recognize and correct new errors. This is where handbooks and dictionaries come in. Keep the ones you find helpful close at hand as you proofread.
• Ignorance may be bliss, but it won’t make you a better proofreader. You’ll often find things that don’t seem quite right to you, but you may not be quite sure what’s wrong either. A word looks like it might be misspelled, but the spell checker didn’t catch it. You think you need a comma between two words, but you’re not sure why. Should you use “that” instead of “which”? If you’re not sure about something, look it up.
• The proofreading process becomes more efficient as you develop and practice a systematic strategy. You’ll learn to identify the specific areas of your own writing that need careful attention, and knowing that you have a sound method for finding errors will help you to focus more on developing your ideas while you are drafting the paper.

Think you’ve got it?

Then give it a try, if you haven’t already! This handout contains seven errors our proofreader should have caught: three spelling errors, two punctuation errors, and two grammatical errors. Try to find them, and then check a version of this page with the errors marked in red to see if you’re a proofreading star.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Especially for non-native speakers of English:

Ascher, Allen. 2006. Think About Editing: An ESL Guide for the Harbrace Handbooks . Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Lane, Janet, and Ellen Lange. 2012. Writing Clearly: Grammar for Editing , 3rd ed. Boston: Heinle.

For everyone:

Einsohn, Amy. 2011. The Copyeditor’s Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications , 3rd ed. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Lanham, Richard A. 2006. Revising Prose , 5th ed. New York: Pearson Longman.

Tarshis, Barry. 1998. How to Be Your Own Best Editor: The Toolkit for Everyone Who Writes . New York: Three Rivers Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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General Submit a manuscript Resubmissions File formats, figures, video (includes MSWord instructions and submission of color figures for online publication) Related information Submission of Supplemental Material Frequently asked questions about the review process

Editorial processing of an electronic submission cannot begin until at least review-quality copies of the figures are received. A resubmission may consist of no more than a response to a referee's report.

For information on publication charges and open access options, please see the Information for Authors section of the relevant journal.

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This page allows us to capture necessary information for our manuscript database. Certain information is required and you will be unable to proceed with the submission until it has been gathered. If your manuscript is formatted correctly using REVTeX or LaTeX, we are able to extract certain information and display it already so you need only verify it. However, from some files we are unable to extract any information, in this case you must complete the necessary information yourself.

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The macros for specifying authors and their affiliations have changed significantly for REVTeX 4 (see auguide.tex). They have been improved to save labor for authors and in production. You are encouraged to use this latest version.

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This page allows us to capture necessary information for our manuscript database. Certain information is required and you will be unable to proceed with the submission until it has been gathered. If your manuscript is formatted using REVTeX or LaTeX, we are able to extract certain information and display it already so you need only verify it. However, from some files we are unable to extract any information, in this case you must complete the necessary information yourself.

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Typographical errors in references are a very common mistake. It is all too easy to mistype a number causing a volume or page number to be incorrect, or to misspell an author's name. Incorrect references in published papers are of great concern to us. We strongly encourage you to check the validity of your references. This service is not available for PostScript or PDF files.

What does the program do?

This program checks the validity of references by comparison of the input source file with the records of the American Physical Society.

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Author names, journal name, volume, page and published year for all RMP articles published after 2004 and for all other APS journal articles published after 1976.

What source files can be checked?

The program will try to resolve and check the references in any TeX-based or MSWord file. MSWord files are converted automatically to LaTeX before the references are checked. The program relies on certain standard ways to write the references in the LaTeX/REVTeX style. It has been tested on thousands of source files from many different authors. It tries hard to accommodate certain nonstandard TeX styles. The program will fail occasionally on certain freeform or nonstandard styles of references. It is usually evident from the output whether the program has successfully interpreted the reference section properly.

What should the output look like?

The onscreen output should contain only the references that the program believes to be in error. It may happen that no errors are detected. The number of references found, the number actually checked, and the number of possible errors found are listed below. Some examples of common errors with explanations are given below. Some reference errors are quite subtle, e.g., a typo of a single letter in a name, so the output requires quite close checking. Users should first examine the reference itself and the "Translated as" line to check that the program has interpreted the source style properly. Errors by the program can be detected here. Then, compare the "Your paper" and "Our record" lines to detect differences. A brief overview of the type of error is listed by the program, as well as help in certain cases to find the correct reference.

Is the program completely accurate?

No. It is not always easy to resolve the intended reference from the TeX source file. This is especially true for nonstandard TeX, for multiple references under the same number, for references with introductory words in them, for complicated author names, etc. MSWord files are more prone to reference-resolution errors. Such problems usually result in a reference being spuriously listed as an error. This is usually obvious from inspection of the output. There may also be errors in the APS records, which we would appreciate hearing about. Note, however, that there are many ways, for example, for authors to write author lists in references. Our records show the way the original authors wrote their author list, except first names are shortened to initials. References with et al . only have their first authors checked. The use of et al. is discouraged in references unless the author list is prohibitively long, e.g., more than 10-20 authors.

What should I do if the program cannot read my references properly?

If your manuscript is accepted for publication, it is helpful to our production department if you use the Physical Review style for references. However, as long as your source file can be converted into PDF and hardcopy output, then the review process will not be affected by nonstandard reference styles.

What should I do if errors are detected?

We suggest you revise your source file appropriately, upload it again, and recheck your references. The review process of your manuscript will not be delayed if reference errors exist, but it is important if your manuscript is published that the references are accurate, especially now that references are linked to the actual papers.

Should I report problems with the reference checking software?

It depends on the type of problem. Obviously, we have had access for several years now to the source files of all papers submitted to our journals and much effort has gone into looking at these files. We do know why certain source files cause problems for the software so reports of such problems are not very useful to us. We are very interested in cases where you believe the data in our records is inaccurate. Please report such cases to [email protected] .

Can I get help with interpreting the output?

We regret we will not usually have the resources to answer all routine queries regarding this program. We feel that the output is generally self-explanatory. Feel free, however, to email such queries to [email protected] . We shall respond if possible.

Examples of common, and spurious, errors that occur in references are available here.

Editorial Info

Here you have the option to provide any additional information you think may be useful to the editor. Also, for certain manuscripts, you will need to tell us why your manuscript is suitable for submission to that journal or section. Here you are encouraged to suggest the names of potential referees. Such suggestions are particularly welcome when a manuscript treats a highly specialized subject. The editors are, of course, not constrained to select a referee from those suggested. Please note: If you suggest the names of referees at any time, we will retain that information in our database. However, the names are not subsequently displayed upon resubmission (although you have the opportunity to enter more names then).

While completion of this page will result in your manuscript being submiited, it also serves as a review of your submission so far and gives you the opportunity to revisit and revise, if necessary, all steps in the submission process. If any of the information is incorrect, or you want to change it for any reason, you may do so from this page. When you have verified all the information, you must click on the "Submit Manuscript" button.

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These are possible reasons for a resubmission:

• Transfer. If you are transferring your paper from one APS journal to another, this counts as a resubmission.
• Figures only (new or revised). Sometimes, the only changes, or additions, needed to a manuscript involve a figure or figures.
• A response to an editor's or a reviewer(s)'s comments. Typically, the resubmission may consist of your response to all recommendations and criticisms, a summary of any changes to your manuscript, and the changed files (this may be only one file out of several). The resubmission may, however, be no more than a response to the recommendations and criticisms as you do not wish to change your manuscript at all.
• Redelivery (replacement files to resolve technical or processing problems). In this instance, you will have been contacted by the Editorial Offices and will have been asked to resubmit a file(s).
• Changes (changes not requested by the editor).

It is not advisable to send a corrected version of your paper before you receive an APS manuscript code number (the temporary ID number is not an APS permanent manuscript code number). However, if you find that it is necessary to do so, you should click on the temporary ID number followed by the "Update my submission" button.

In general, sending revised text files after an article has been accepted for publication will delay the publication process, since changes will have to be made to the production file used for copyediting. Revisions at this point should be separately and explicitly described, or the author may wait and indicate revisions on the page proofs through the journal's proof correction procedures.

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It is best if you complete your (re)submission in one session, but this is not always possible. While your manuscript will not be considered editorially until you have clicked on the "(Re)Submit Manuscript" button successfully, the record of your presubmission attempt can be kept at any time by means of a "Save for later" button, and you can return to it and continue at any subsequent time. This is true however small, or large, a part of the (re)submission process you have completed.

File formats

Text files should be formatted in REVTeX (preferred) or LaTeX. The file must be in ASCII containing no control codes, with line lengths of 80 characters or less. Submissions in MSWord, PostScript and PDF are also acceptable; although their use is extremely limited in either the peer review or production process.

All textual material of the paper (including tables, captions, etc.) should be in electronic form, as a single file. For MSWord and PDF submissions, all textual material and figures should be in a single file. Consult the PRL/PR Style and Notation Guide or RMP's Style Guide for detailed information on use of notations, headings, footnotes, etc.

The advantage of using the REVTeX macro package is that extensive use can be made of the electronic text file during the peer review process. This helps make the process much more efficient and quick. In addition, the file will be used in the production of the copy-edited proof and final published article, via a conversion process to our production formats. The conversion process ignores most formatting instructions and instead captures the structure "tagged" by the REVTeX macros (for example the title in a \title{} macro), rendering the final manuscript in the standard style for the journal. Please use the REVTeX macros, character sets, and other LaTeX commands as outlined in the REVTeX Input Guide and the examples accompanying the macro package. Additional low-level formatting commands and macros should not be introduced, although keystroke-saving macros (for example: \def\be{\begin{equation}} ) are acceptable. Text and math fonts, line spacing, type size, headings, margins, table and equation layout, and detailed character positioning are among the items controlled by the production process, and should not be the focus of significant author effort. If exceptions to the standard style are necessary they may be introduced at the proof stage.

The REVTeX software (macros, examples, and documentation) is freely available via ftp to aps.org in the /pub/revtex directory. For further information on REVTeX, inquire by sending an email to [email protected] .

These guidelines must be followed when submitting files formatted using MSWord. The most important guideline is to keep it simple . Do not try to achieve a "typeset" look. Be aware that most of your formatting commands will be replaced during the production process. All change tracking must be accepted (by the author) before (re)submission if this feature is used.

• Any figures must be included in the MSWord file for review purposes. In the production process, it is necessary for us to have separate electronic versions of the figures. We recommend, therefore, that you (re)submit your figures as individual files in addition to your MSWord file to avoid possible delay in publication. Your MSWord file must still contain any figures.
• Do not (re)submit MSWord files with embedded objects.
• Use Design Science's MathType equation editor rather than Word's built-in equation editor when creating all items of a mathematical nature such as individual math symbols, Greek letters and other special characters not found on the keyboard.
• Also use Design Science's MathType equation editor for single variables and equations located in text as well as for stand-alone equations.
• Do not use any "Character Spacing" ("Spacing" or "Position") options.
• Do not change fonts to apply italic or boldface formatting. Instead, use the italic or boldface button on the formatting toolbar.
• Do not hide text or insert comments into text.
• Use Word's table editor to create tables. Do not create tables by typing single lines of text followed by a hard return, with spaces or tabs used to align columns.
• Place all content within the table, including column headings and sub-headings.
• Do not break large tables into smaller ones merely to accommodate page breaks.
• Place each item in a row in its own cell.
• If you use "Versions" or "Track Changes" commands, be sure that all changes have been accepted or rejected and the file contains only one version of the document.
• Always submit the entire article as a single file (any figures must be included in this one file).
• Do not submit the file in Microsoft's Rich Text Format (RTF).
• Do not submit multiple copies of the same file in different formats (unless you are (re)submitting PostScript files of your figures).

For all REVTeX, LaTeX, and MSWord (re)submissions, the preferred format for figures transmitted electronically is PostScript or Encapsulated PostScript; EPS is a subset of PostScript with some structural conventions. Photographic images should be submitted as high resolution JPEG or PNG files. All figure files pertaining to a manuscript should have the same format. Each figure should be contained in a separate file, clearly labeled either with a comment line near the top of the file, or preferably with a label on the figure itself, outside the image area. Figures with well-separated parts (a, b, c, etc.) can be sent either as separate files for each figure part, or as a single file including all parts on one page. PostScript files should print correctly when sent by themselves to our PostScript printer; EPS files should print correctly at a reasonable size when a "showpage" command is appended. Please check all files by sending them to a PostScript printer that has not had any fonts or scripts downloaded to it. PostScript or EPS figures may be referenced from within the manuscript file using the psfig, epsf or other applicable LaTeX macros. Figure captions and call-in commands, if any, should be in the last portion of the manuscript file.

For direct use in the journal production process, to avoid an intermediate bitmap or scanning step, figure files should meet the following additional requirements:

• For figures with parts (a, b, c, etc.) all parts must be included in one file containing the entire figure.
• The printed size of the figure should be as close as possible to the final size to appear in the journal - the standard is 8.5 cm maximum width for one column.
• Any resolution-dependent graphics should be drawn with at least 600 dots per inch (dpi) resolution for pure or mixed line art, and at least 264 dpi for color or halftone images.
• Figures not intended to be printed as color reproduce best when they contain only grayscale (or black and white) graphics.

Figure submission for color online only . Preferred formats are PostScript and Encapsulated PostScript. Photographic images should be submitted as high resolution JPEG or PNG files.

Only one file and one caption per figure should be submitted and must be suitable for both online and print publication. Since the figures will not appear as color in print, authors must begin figure captions with "(Color online)" as an alert to readers of the print journal. Authors also have the responsibility to be sure that the figures are sufficiently clear in both the online color and print black and white versions, and that the captions and text references to the figures are appropriate for both versions. As part of the (re)submission process, there is no need to specify which figures are to appear in color online.

Electronic figures will be re-sized by our production staff, generally to standard one- or two-column width. If you have unusual figure sizing requirements, please include the details in your initial or resubmission cover letter.

Any TeX-coded "picture" (or image included in a MSWord file) should be preprocessed to a PostScript file and labeled either as a captioned figure or an uncaptioned diagram-in-text. In cases where a special graphic symbol is used in a displayed equation, please submit the ENTIRE expression as a PostScript image.

Video : PRX, PR Applied, PRAB, PRPER, and PR Fluids support the inclusion of videos in the manuscript itself. To take advantage of this feature, please provide a single frame from each video to serve as a static display.  The videos should appear in the appropriate places in the manuscript, much like figures, with captions beginning with "Video 1", etc.  This can be accomplished by using the video environment in RevTeX:


\begin{video}  \includegraphics{} 
\caption{ 
\label{video1}
 } 
\end{video}

With this formatting no reference to the video in the bibliography is needed, nor is a citation in the text.

To check a published example, see https://journals.aps.org/prapplied/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.15.034083 Section III B.

For review purposes, MPEG seems to be the most widely viewable video format; videos in other standard formats (Quicktime, AVI) may be converted to MPEG by APS staff prior to review.

The other Physical Review journals allow publication of video files as Supplemental Material. A link to such material will be provided from the online journal article.

Related information

Submission of a manuscript implies acceptance by the authors of the established procedures for selecting manuscripts for publication.

Requests for technical assistance should be addressed to [email protected] .

Subject classification

• All Physical Review journals now use PhySH (Physics Subject Headings) to classify articles. Please see our guidelines for authors .
• Physical Review X , Physical Review Applied , and Physical Review Research use a subject area list in addition to PhySH to classify articles; up to three subject areas may be assigned for each article.

Popular Summary

Physical Review X , PRX Energy , and PRX Quantum require authors to submit a succinct, nontechnical popular Summary that conveys to nonspecialist readers, and even nonscientific readers, the context, the essential message(s) and the significance of the work. The Summary should be concise and no longer than 250 words in length. A final, editorially approved version of the Summary will appear together with the article.

Authors may submit the Summary when making initial submission of their article. They may also submit the Summary, or any revised version of it, at appropriate stages during the review/editorial process. However, delayed post-acceptance submission of the Summary will lead to a delay in the processing of the article toward publication. Therefore we strongly recommend that submission of the Summary be made sufficiently early in the review process.

While the Popular Summary may be subject to certain editorial revision whenever necessary, the responsibility of ensuring the readability, scientific objectiveness, and broad appeal of the Summary lies primarily with its authors.

See the Information for Authors section of the relevant journal for more information on what each journal requires.

Submission of Supplemental Material

It is appropriate to submit supplemental material at the same time as your manuscript. For example, there may be some text, tables or figures which are of value, but of too limited reader interest to warrant the number of pages required to publish in full in the journal. If the article is published, such material would be made available through links from the published article. Supplemental Material can also include material not suitable for the printed journal (e.g., movies). Supplemental Material is sent for review along with the manuscript, so any such files should be submitted as you (re)submit your manuscript - do not wait until your manuscript has been accepted for publication. Any Supplemental Material should be cited as a reference in the manuscript. More information is available here .

While every effort is made to ensure that Supplemental Material will always be available, it is not currently subject to the strict archival rules and regulations of the published article.

Sometimes, Supplemental Material files do not come into play until a manuscript is resubmitted. When you resubmit a manuscript, you will be given the opportunity to include Supplemental Material files.

Please note that direct web submissions face a limit on the size of accepted files or packages (currently 30 MB per session) - please use compression when transmitting your files.

Frequently asked questions about the review process

Peer review by independent, anonymous referees is one of the most important reasons for the existence of a scientific journal. The journal reader benefits in that at least one independent expert has judged the manuscript to be new and interesting, to contribute to the advancement of the field, and to be without apparent flaws. Of course, it is impossible for either the journal or the referee(s) to guarantee the correctness or the originality of the research. The author benefits from feedback regarding the research and style of presentation as well as from pride in a refereed publication.

Because scientific research is a human enterprise we must all rely upon one another, as authors and referees, to do our best. Below are some frequently asked questions (FAQ) concerning the review process. For more information, please consult the Editorial Policies and Practices which are available via the journal home pages and at http://journals.aps.org/authors .

What is the timeline from when I submit my manuscript until it gets published?

How are referees selected, can i suggest individuals to review my manuscript, can i exclude individuals from reviewing my manuscript, how many referees review my manuscript, are all papers reviewed by referees, how many revisions will i have to make, can i request another referee, can a referee reject my manuscript, what should i do when a referee criticizes my manuscript, why does the referee ask me to cite so many papers, what can i do to speed the acceptance and publication of my manuscript.

The timeline from receipt to publication depends on many factors. Policies and procedures vary by journal. Article type, for example, Rapid Communications, may have an effect. Availability of referees, speed of referee responses, and editorial staff workload are also significant factors. Finally, the time spent with authors, including the preparing of resubmissions, is an important variable. It is therefore not possible to estimate a timeline.

The editors choose one or more referees from a common database of thousands of potential referees. This database has no borders between different areas of physics. The editors choose referees based on many factors including a referee's area of expertise and availability (we try to avoid overburdening referees), quality of reports, and response time.

Authors are encouraged to suggest the names of potential referees. Any suggested referees can be added when you get to the Editorial Info page of your submission. Click on the “Add” button and enter the name, email, and affiliation for each suggested referee. The editorial staff will take your suggestions into consideration, but this does not mean your suggestions will necessarily be chosen. There are other factors editors consider when selecting referees -- suitability to review your topic, and availability, among many others.

Yes, you can include your request when you submit your manuscript. Your request can be added when you get to the Editorial Info page of your submission. In the text box provide the names of a few specific people (not names of research groups, collaborations, or institutions) and include a brief explanation. Such requests are generally honored, but see also the response to the next question.

This varies somewhat among journals. For most papers, the editors choose one or two referees (depending on the practice of the journal) to initially review your manuscript. However, if it comments negatively on another published manuscript, then an author of that manuscript may be asked to provide a signed advisory opinion. In some cases, the editors may choose a different number of initial referees for reasons specific to the manuscript, e.g., the need for more than one type of expertise, uncertainty about the availability of a particular expert, etc. If a referee is tardy, the editors may choose an additional referee, and if the tardy referee then responds, we may receive more anonymous reports than usual. If an impasse is reached between author and referee, then the editors may consult another referee in an effort to close the review process. This may happen at any time while the manuscript is under review.

No. The editors increasingly reject some manuscripts which they judge to be clearly unsuitable for the journal. However, no manuscripts are accepted without review by external referees. It is the editors' experience that even eminently suitable manuscripts can benefit from careful examination by an expert referee, who may help improve the clarity and impact of the manuscript.

The editors seek to reach a final decision after one or two rounds of revisions and/or rebuttal.

Yes. Generally the handling editor will grant this request if he or she feels that an impasse has been reached. Since the referees are chosen because of their familiarity with the subject matter of the manuscript, it is important to respond to their criticisms even if a different referee is to be consulted. The editors will generally not override a negative recommendation based on scientific criticisms unless an expert referee so advises.

No; only the editors can reject your manuscript.

Read the referee report carefully and dispassionately. Approach the report with an open mind. What may at first seem like a devastating blow is perhaps a request for more information or for a more detailed explanation. At other times the referee may indeed have found a fatal flaw in the research or logic. Put yourself in the position of a reader, which is exactly the position of the referee. Is the manuscript well written? Is the presentation clear, unambiguous, and logical? Respond to all referee comments, suggestions, and criticisms. Explain which changes have been made and state your position on points of disagreement. In our experience, appropriate response to some referee comments may require more research or even reconsideration of the research project.

Assign credit where credit is due. Not only is it proper and customary to cite previous work on the topic of your research, it also demonstrates your knowledge of the subject. Moreover, it helps the less knowledgeable reader understand the history of the subject and how your work contributes to the advancement of the field. Finally, since more and more papers are hyperlinked, more people can find your manuscript if you cite all relevant papers; eventually, your manuscript will be cited more often.

First and foremost, spend the time and effort to write a manuscript that is clear and grammatically correct. If English is not your native language, consider asking someone else to proofread your manuscript before submission. Triple-check the manuscript before you submit it.

Second, if you receive a referee report requesting changes, do your best to respond to all of the points raised and detail the changes made in your resubmission letter. Take the comments and criticisms of the referee(s) very seriously. The referee is most likely one of your most interested readers.

After you receive a referee report, respond to it promptly and accurately if you desire rapid acceptance.

Finally, if you are a referee, please send in your referee report on another author's manuscript as quickly as you wish another referee would review your own.

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Educational resources and simple solutions for your research journey

Submitting a Research Paper? Don’t Miss These Critical Submission Readiness Checks!

Submitting a research paper , getting it published, and disseminating your work to a varied audience is a critical part of the research journey. While researchers spend months and years on their research, over 75% authors see the process of preparing and submitting a research paper and ensuring journal article submission readiness as a big challenge. 1

It is no longer enough to write the plain facts when you submit papers for publication , your research paper should follow the author guidelines and be well-written, logically structured, clear, and engaging for both academic experts and non-academic audiences.   

Getting published in reputed journals not only increases the credibility of the research, but having a permanent, searchable, and accessible publication record also bolsters the researcher’s credibility and reputation. However, submitting a research paper for journal publication is not an easy task .

Researchers must follow certain key steps and conduct some critical manuscript submission readiness checks to meet the high-quality and publication standards set by top journals.

Here are the top five steps and checks that all researchers must do before paper submission for journal publication.  

Table of Contents

Key points and critical checks before submitting a research paper  

1. choosing the right journal.

One of the most important checks before submitting a research paper is making sure you’ve found the right home for your research. And it’s best to choose your journal early in the research journey , so you can shape your writing accordingly. But with thousands of journals and publications covering a wide range of subject areas, this is not an easy task. In fact, one of main reason for manuscript rejection is a mismatch with the journal’s aims and scope!

Some journals and publications restrict submissions based on the area of expertise or article format, others focus on specific areas or themes like medicine, political science, or gender studies, while broad-based journals invite submissions on a range of issues or interdisciplinary research. However, researchers must do their due diligence and check if their topic of research aligns with the journal’s goals before submitting a research paper . This makes it critical to understand the journal selection process , including how to identify predatory publishers, and follow the recommended guidelines to ensure submission readiness and boost the chance of journal publication.   

2. Paper structure and format

When submitting a research paper to a journal for publication, you cannot overlook the importance of manuscript structure and formatting checks. Poorly structured and formatted papers can diminish the overall quality and impact of the research paper, even if the content itself is significant. Hence, submission readiness checks for paper structure and format are essential before submitting a research paper to a journal. Make sure there is a logical flow of ideas across the introduction, methods, results, and discussion sections that allows readers to quickly understand the research’s significance.

Research manuscripts should adhere to journal guidelines on formatting, including font styles, margins, word counts, line-spacing, figures and tables, etc. to avoid potential rejection due to non-compliance. Be sure to check that all citations and references are included and formatted correctly in your paper submission for journals to avoid plagiarism.  

3. Highest-quality academic writing and language

Poor language and grammar is one of the most common reasons for desk rejection , 2 because it makes a paper hard to read and understand. Hence, researchers are not only expected to follow a logical structure and format, but they are also expected to deliver high-quality writing, devoid of any language and grammar errors, when submitting a research paper for publication. Well-constructed sentences and paragraphs, appropriate language, and flawless grammar are all critical indicators of the manuscript’s quality, the author’s credibility, and the research’s significance.

It reflects the researcher’s ability to convey their ideas clearly and concisely, which in turn increases the likelihood of acceptance. So when preparing a paper submission for journals , researchers should invest time and effort in carefully reviewing and editing their papers and even proofreading the final version before submitting a research paper to achieve the high standards expected by most top journals. Those with English as a second language may benefit from getting their papers reviewed by professional academic editors or choose online AI writing tools tailored for academic writing.   

4. Technical checks for submission readiness

Apart from language, journals often mandate other technical aspects be checked before submitting a research paper for publication. Technical checks include critical elements such as including conflicts of interest statements and ethical approvals, verifying the accuracy and validity of data, ensuring proper citation and referencing of sources, confirming adherence to journal-specific formatting and style guidelines, and providing complete and accurate author information .

Failure to comply with these basic technical checks can result in desk rejection or delays in the publication process. Therefore, it is important for researchers to be aware of and meticulously review and adhere to all the technical requirements of the target journal before submitting a research paper to increase the chances of successful publication.  

5. Submission completeness check

Once you are ready with the polished final version of your paper for journal submission , do a detailed check to verify that all the necessary components are included. Ensuring the manuscript submission package is complete with all the required elements, such as a good cover letter, mandatory approvals and declarations, supplementary materials, and other relevant documents, is crucial when submitting a research paper for publication . The cover letter serves as an introduction to the manuscript and can provide valuable context and information to the editors regarding the research.

The ethical approvals signify that the research complies with all ethical guidelines and regulations. Researchers can include supplementary materials, such as datasets, figures, and appendices, to enhance the readers’ understanding of the research and support its findings. However, make sure that these materials are properly formatted, labelled, and included as per the journal’s guidelines. Thoroughly checking and verifying the completeness of the manuscript submission package before submitting a research paper can help avoid delays or potential rejection.    

References:  

• Joy and Stress Triggers: A global survey on mental health among researchers. CACTUS Foundation, 2020. Available at  https://foundation.cactusglobal.com/mental-health-survey/index.php  
• George, E. Top 5 desk rejection reasons and how you can fix them. Researcher.Life Blog, 2020. Available at https://researcher.life/blog/article/fix-desk-rejection-problems/  

Related Posts

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NeurIPS 2024

Conference Dates: (In person) 9 December - 15 December, 2024

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Call For Papers 

Author notification: Sep 25, 2024

Camera-ready, poster, and video submission: Oct 30, 2024 AOE

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The Thirty-Eighth Annual Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS 2024) is an interdisciplinary conference that brings together researchers in machine learning, neuroscience, statistics, optimization, computer vision, natural language processing, life sciences, natural sciences, social sciences, and other adjacent fields. We invite submissions presenting new and original research on topics including but not limited to the following:

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Paper checklist: In order to improve the rigor and transparency of research submitted to and published at NeurIPS, authors are required to complete a paper checklist . The paper checklist is intended to help authors reflect on a wide variety of issues relating to responsible machine learning research, including reproducibility, transparency, research ethics, and societal impact. The checklist forms part of the paper submission, but does not count towards the page limit.

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We encourage authors to upload their code and data as part of their supplementary material in order to help reviewers assess the quality of the work. Check the policy as well as code submission guidelines and templates for further details.

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Computer Science > Machine Learning

Title: xlstm: extended long short-term memory.

Abstract: In the 1990s, the constant error carousel and gating were introduced as the central ideas of the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). Since then, LSTMs have stood the test of time and contributed to numerous deep learning success stories, in particular they constituted the first Large Language Models (LLMs). However, the advent of the Transformer technology with parallelizable self-attention at its core marked the dawn of a new era, outpacing LSTMs at scale. We now raise a simple question: How far do we get in language modeling when scaling LSTMs to billions of parameters, leveraging the latest techniques from modern LLMs, but mitigating known limitations of LSTMs? Firstly, we introduce exponential gating with appropriate normalization and stabilization techniques. Secondly, we modify the LSTM memory structure, obtaining: (i) sLSTM with a scalar memory, a scalar update, and new memory mixing, (ii) mLSTM that is fully parallelizable with a matrix memory and a covariance update rule. Integrating these LSTM extensions into residual block backbones yields xLSTM blocks that are then residually stacked into xLSTM architectures. Exponential gating and modified memory structures boost xLSTM capabilities to perform favorably when compared to state-of-the-art Transformers and State Space Models, both in performance and scaling.

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