Publishing 5 min read

Journal Paper Submission Checklist (Pre-Submit in 20 Minutes)

Around 40% of journal submissions are rejected without peer review, and most of those rejections are for avoidable formatting or ethical omissions. Twenty minutes with this checklist saves months of resubmission.

Author guidelines compliance

Word count within limit. Reference style exactly matches the journal (down to punctuation). Section order matches (some journals require Methods before Results, some after).

Figures and tables

Every figure and table is called out by number in the text. Captions are descriptive on their own. Resolution 300 dpi minimum. File formats match journal specs (TIFF, EPS, PNG).

Ethics and disclosures

Ethics approval statement with reference number. Conflict of interest declaration for every author. Funding source statement. Author contribution statement (CRediT taxonomy).

Language and originality

Turnitin similarity report under 15% (excluding references). AI writing detection under 20% or with a written declaration if you used AI for editing.

Cover letter

Two paragraphs. One: what the paper does and why it matters to this journal specifically. Two: novelty statement, ethics, and confirmation the paper is not under review elsewhere.

FAQ

Do I need a similarity report before submission?

Most journals now request it, especially in medicine and social sciences. Getting one first avoids surprises.

How do I handle AI disclosure?

Most publishers now require a statement listing any AI tools used and their role. Be specific.

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Order a real Turnitin similarity or AI detection PDF report from $1.3. Non-repository, delivered in minutes.

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