SCI 投稿全过程信件模板
SCI 投稿全过程信件模板一览
一、最初投稿Cover letter
Dear Editors:
We would like to submit the enclosed manuscript entitled “Paper Title”, which we wish to be considered for publication in “Journal Name”. No conflict of interest exits in the submission of this manuscript, and manuscript is approved by all authors for publication. I would like to declare on behalf of my co-authors that the work described was original research that has not been published previously, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part. All the authors listed have approved the manuscript that is enclosed.
In this work, we evaluated …… (简要介绍一下论文的创新性). I hope this paper is suitable for “Journal Name”.
The following is a list of possible reviewers for your consideration:
1) Name A   E-mail: ××××@××××
2) Name B   E-mail: ××××@××××
We deeply appreciate your consideration of our manuscript, and we look forward to receiving comments from the reviewers. If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact me at the address below.
Thank you and best regards.
Yours sincerely,
××××××
Corresponding author:
Name: ×××
E-mail: ××××@××××
二、催稿信
Dear Prof. ×××:
Sorry for disturbing you. I am not sure if it is the right time to contact you to inquire about the status of my submitted manuscript titled “Paper Title”. (ID: 文章稿号), although the status of “With Editor” has been lasting for more than two months, since submitted to journal three months ago. I am just wondering that my manuscript has been sent to reviewers or not?
I would be greatly appreciated if you could spend some of your time check the status for us. I am very pleased to hear from you on the reviewer’s comments.
Thank you very much for your consideration.
Best regards!
Yours sincerely,
××××××
Corresponding author:
Name: ×××
E-mail: ××××@××××
三、修改稿Cover letter
Dear Dr/ Prof..（写上负责你文章编辑的姓名，显得尊重，因为第一次的投稿不知道具体负责的编辑，只能用通用的Editors）:
On behalf of my co-authors, we thank you very much for giving us an opportunity to revise our manuscript, we appreciate editor and reviewers very much for their positive and constructive comments and suggestions on our manuscript entitled “Paper Title”. (ID: 文章稿号).
We have studied reviewer’s comments carefully and have made revision which marked in red in the paper. We have tried our best to revise our manuscript according to the comments. Attached please find the revised version, which we would like to submit for your kind consideration.
We would like to express our great appreciation to you and reviewers for comments on our paper. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you and best regards.
Yours sincerely,
××××××
Corresponding author:
Name: ×××
E-mail: ××××@××××
四、修改稿回答审稿人的意见（最重要的部分）
List of Responses
Dear Editors and Reviewers:
Thank you for your letter and for the reviewers’ comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Paper Title” (ID: 文章稿号). Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our researches. We have studied comments carefully and have made correction which we hope meet with approval. Revised portion are marked in red in the paper. The main corrections in the paper and the responds to the reviewer’s comments are as flowing:
Responds to the reviewer’s comments:
Reviewer #1:
1. Response to comment: (……简要列出意见……)
Response: ××××××
2. Response to comment: (……简要列出意见……)
Response: ××××××
。。。。。。
逐条意见回答，切忌一定不能有遗漏
针对不同的问题有下列几个礼貌术语可适当用用：
We are very sorry for our negligence of ……...
We are very sorry for our incorrect writing ……...
It is really true as Reviewer suggested that……
We have made correction according to the Reviewer’s comments.
We have re-written this part according to the Reviewer’s suggestion
As Reviewer suggested that……
Considering the Reviewer’s suggestion, we have ……
最后特意感谢一下这个审稿人的意见：
Special thanks to you for your good comments.
Reviewer #2:
同上述
Reviewer #3:
    ××××××
Other changes:
1. Line 60-61, the statements of “……” were corrected as “…………”
2. Line 107, “……” was added
3. Line 129, “……” was deleted
    ××××××
    We tried our best to improve the manuscript and made some changes in the manuscript.  These changes will not influence the content and framework of the paper. And here we did not list the changes but marked in red in revised paper.
We appreciate for Editors/Reviewers’ warm work earnestly, and hope that the correction will meet with approval.
Once again, thank you very much for your comments and suggestions.
五、文章接受后可以考虑感谢一下负责你文章的编辑或主编（根据需要）
Dear Prof. ××××××:
Thanks very much for your kind work and consideration on publication of our paper. On behalf of my co-authors, we would like to express our great appreciation to editor and reviewers.
Thank you and best regards.
Yours sincerely,
××××××
Corresponding author:
Name: ×××
E-mail: ××××@××××
六、询问校稿信件（如果文章接受后时间较长）
Dear ×××:
Sorry for disturbing you. I am not sure if it is the right time to contact you to inquire about the status of our accepted manuscript titled “Paper Title” (ID: 文章稿号), since the copyright agreement for publication has been sent to you two months ago. I am just wondering that how long I can receive the proof of our manuscript from you?
I would be greatly appreciated if you could spend some of your time for a reply. I am very pleased to hear from you.
Thank you very much for your consideration.
Yours sincerely,
××××××
Corresponding author:
Name: ×××
E-mail: ××××@××××
七、文章校稿信件
Dear Mr. ×××:
Thanks very much for your kind letter about the proof of our paper titled “Paper Title” (ID: 文章稿号) for publication in “Journal Name”. We have finished the proof reading and checking carefully, and some corrections about the proof and the answers to the queries are provided below.
Corrections:
1. In ****** should be **** (Page ***, Right column, line***)
2. In **** the “*****” should be “****” (Page ****, Right column, line****)
Answers for “author queries”:
1. *********************.
2. **********************
3. **********************
We greatly appreciate the efficient, professional and rapid processing of our paper by your team. If there is anything else we should do, please do not hesitate to let us know.
Thank you and best regards.
Yours sincerely,
××××××
Corresponding author:
Name: ×××
E-mail: ××××@××××

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How to publish in Top Journals
Kwan Choi, Editor, RIE

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Revised, March 7, 2002
Since February 1, 1998
 
    In response to popular demands, this brief note is provided for the benefit of all academic authors. The original intent was to produce a book of advice, but time is a scarce commodity and you may have to wait indefinitely for a book-length summary.
    This brief manual provides useful suggestions for today's authors. The goal is to "foster the greatest good to the greatest number of people."1 If this note is useful to you, please tell your friends about it. If you follow most of these rules, the probability of achieving tenure or promotion may increase significantly. If most authors acquired the basic skills mentioned here, they would then be competing in terms of the beauty of their ideas, not in terms of cosmetic skills.
Disclaimer
    Please note that the advice contained here may not necessarily improve the chances your esearch papers will be published. By downloading or acquiring a copy of this guide, you agree that:
In no event shall the author be liable for any indirect, incidental, collateral, exemplary, consequential, or special damages or losses arising out of your use of rules suggested in this guide.
 

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Contents
Subjects Options* Remark
Introduction PDF HTML Purpose, acceptance rates, references
General Publication Strategies PDF HTML This section covers 28 long-term, general suggestions.
Writing Strategies PDF HTML This section explains 39 helpful recommendations about writing papers.
Preparation and Submission PDF HTML It covers 18 dos and don'ts when submitting a paper to a journal.
Rejection and Revision PDF HTML This section includes 12 ways to deal with rejection and how to revise manuscripts when you receive an invitation to revise.
Being a Good Referee PDF HTML Of course, you have to be a good referee to become a successful writer. 11 rules to guide good reviewing are offered here.
Qustions and Answers PDF HTML Here are some questions raised by readers.

*Internet Explorer displays these pages more accurately than Netscape. For printing, download PDF files.
 

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Comments or Questions
If you have comments or questions, please contact me.

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Acknowledgment
I thank all those who made helpful comments and suggestions. The usual caveats apply.
Note
1. Urantia Book (p. 1488)
 

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Rejected
The editorial process is impersonal; do not take rejection personally. Keep trying.
Will the next submission be affected by previous rejections?
No. Your past history of success or failure has no bearing on your next submission. No causality, period. Editorial decisions are based on the contents or the ideas contained in that particular paper.
Some papers are rejected because the ideas are not well developed in your paper. In this case, you may further refine the paper. If, as a result, the paper is different in substance, it can be submitted as a new paper.
" 'The stupid referee' did not understand my paper."
This is usually an expositional problem on your part.
You may request a reconsideration of your paper if the negative decision was based on
incompetence of referees, or
alleged factual or mathematical errors, when in fact the referee made a mistake.
Both of these can be verified, in principle, by others. We will try to get another opinion.
However, do not claim this too frequently, or you may lose credibility in the future.
 

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To Request a Reconsideration
When you request a second or third opinion, send a message via e-mail, fax, or snail mail, specifying the reasons: (i) incompetent referee, or (ii) mathematical/factual errors.
If the rejection was based on other reasons (subjective opinions), do not attempt to question the decision. It is difficult to change the subjective opinions of referees.
If it is deemed that your paper deserves a second or third opinion, you will be informed so. Then proceed with the next step. Otherwise, the process ends here.
Include (i) 2 copies of the latest version, (ii) an additional submission fee, and (iii)a letter, stating the same reason above (e-mail messages do not contain signatures and hence cannot be treated as official). Remember, when you request a reconsideration, the paper should not be submitted elsewhere simultaneously for publication consideration. The editorial office intends to provide a fair refereeing process to all authors. However, additional referees must be persuaded to review the paper. (The editorial office awards a one-year subscription to reviewers.)
Your letter should specify the manuscript number. In addition, it should contain complete correspondence information about the author: (i)address, (ii) telephone and fax numbers, and (iii) e-mail address. This enables the editorial office to contact you quickly should the need arise.
http://www.sci-e.com

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Know About the Two Variants of World English—American and British

Although American and British English are both variants of World English, the vast cultural differences between the two have led to the creation of two distinct styles of spoken and written English.

American English is spoken in the US, Canada, and many Pacific Rim countries where America has exerted an influence. British English, on the other hand, is spoken throughout the British Commonwealth of 54 countries (for instance, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa) with Canada being the exception. Although part of the Commonwealth, Canadians tend to spell the British way but speak a mixture of British and American English due to their proximity to the US.

American English acquired international significance after World War II when the United States assumed a more global role and political, economic, and technological developments promoted US influence worldwide. The dominance of American English can be attributed to the following:
Population
Wealth
Magnitude of higher education
Magnitude of the publishing industry
Magnitude of global mass media and technology
Influence and appeal of American popular culture on language and habits
International Influence
 
Given the popularity of American English, several new words and terms have been adopted in British English (for example, in the field of computing). Interestingly, due to the influx of nonnative speakers, the American vocabulary is also expanding to include words that are uncommon or unheard of in British English. For example, tycoon is from the Japanese word taikun meaning successful businessperson or title of a Chinese shogun, macho and patio of Spanish origin or the Italian bologna.

Authors need to be well versed with both these styles because some journals publish their papers in American English and others in British English. To conform to a journal's language specification while writing a manuscript, authors should be aware of how punctuations and spellings are represented in the two styles. Further, with the increasing popularity of American English among journals, some British journals have started using a blend of these styles. For instance, the British Medical Journal specifies that British spellings and American punctuations should be used. Authors need to read journal guidelines very carefully to increase their awareness about such mixed styles

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Honesty in Research
Honesty is defined by Merriam-Webster's online dictionary as "fairness and straightforwardness of conduct" and as "adherence to the facts" (http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/honesty). These definitions of honesty sum up what is required for scientific integrity in research as well.

Honesty in research, and in the communication of that research, is crucial. When a research paper is read, the reader assumes that the experiments described were actually performed and the results mentioned were actually obtained. Research that has had its experiments fabricated, its results falsified or created, and research based on ideas stolen from another researcher damages the future credibility of the concerned researcher.

Examples of dishonest research
The scientific community has numerous anecdotal examples of scientists who were not honest in reporting their research. One of the well-known early cases is that of Piltdown Man in 1912. It was reported by Charles Dawson and others that fragments of a skull and jawbone from an early human had been found in a place called Piltdown in England. This discovery was proclaimed as the fossilized remains of an unknown, early form of human and it caused much excitement in archeological circles. It was only some 40 years later that it was revealed to be a complete hoax, consisting of a modern human skull and modified jawbone from an orangutan.

In the physical sciences, there is the well-known Ninov case. In 1999, Victor Ninov and his colleagues working at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in USA published a report that they had found Element 118. Later on, Ninov's colleagues retracted the paper when an investigation revealed that the data had been altered, and it was found that the described experiment could not be replicated.

In 2002, Lucent Technologies' Bell Labs fired Jan Hendrik Schon after an investigation committee discovered that his research claims were fraudulent. Schon was an award winning scientist who, in 2001, published a paper in Nature, claiming to have produced a transistor by using organic dye molecules. This was path-breaking research, but discrepancies in the published graphs, etc., drew the attention of other scientists. An investigation later pointed out that Schon alone was responsible for the fraud.

A very recent case from the field of biomedical research is that of Hwang Woo-Suk, a biomedical scientist from South Korea. He was considered a brilliant scientist doing pioneering stem cell research. However, in articles published in Science in 2004 and 2005 he described the first-ever cloning of a human embryonic cell, using the somatic cell nuclear transfer method. This claim was later shown to be fraudulent and he was dismissed from Seoul National University in March 2006 after the university probe confirmed the allegations against him.

The examples above are just a few from the large number of known instances where researchers have not been honest in their research. The question that naturally arises is "Why do they do this?"

Why are many researchers not honest?
It is often difficult for a researcher to remain honest while conducting or reporting research. Like human beings in other settings, sometimes researchers perform actions that are less than noble. Here are some of the common reasons why

"Publish or perish": Competition for funds, tenured positions, and institutional support is very intense. As a result, there is tremendous pressure on researchers to publish. Funding agencies, universities, and review boards like to know that the researcher has a steady output of research that has been published, preferably in high impact journals. To show, at least in terms of numbers, that this high output of papers is occurring, a researcher may be tempted to publish one large piece of work as a number of smaller papers (colloquially termed salami-slicing). Even worse, the researcher may fabricate or alter data obtained in an experiment to make the paper more attractive to a journal for publication.

Pride and personal ambition: An ambitious researcher who is eager to reach the top of the ladder quickly, a researcher who has published one high-impact paper and is keen to show the world that (s)he can do it again, a senior researcher who would like the world to think (s)he is still doing cutting edge research, or a researcher who is willing to bend the rules in order to get the funding needed for research might present dishonest research. All these examples show you that researchers are, after all, only human. They suffer from the emotions of pride and personal ambition just like human beings in other situations. However, it is important for researchers to remember that the results they publish serve as a basis for future research on the topic and, in the biomedical sciences, for treatment modalities. It is not just the researcher's career and reputation that will suffer, but also the well-being of others.

Too confident of knowing the right answer: It may happen that researchers have a preconceived notion about the results of their research. They are sure that what they think or feel should be the result, actually is the correct result. So, when their data does not deliver the preconceived result, they see nothing wrong in manipulating their data a little bit or in falsifying just a few numbers to achieve the result they are sure is the right one.

It is important for researchers to remember that the results of a research project may throw up surprises. The results may prove the initial hypothesis wrong and may point to an entirely new direction for future research. Researchers must remember that there are no right and wrong results—there are only results. These have to be intelligently interpreted to advance our understanding of a particular topic. Manipulating the data to achieve desired results may actually misguide future workers on the topic, sometimes with serious consequences in fields like biomedical research.

Assuming that no one will ever find out: Some researchers who fabricate or alter data often feel that if the statistical analysis or math looks logical or if the paper is very technically complicated and obscure, the average reader will accept the result at face value and not try to verify it. They will then be able to get away with their fraud. This is another human failing—of thinking that Abraham Lincoln was wrong and that it is possible to fool "all of the people, all of the time"!

Types of scientific misconduct
When a researcher is not honest in performing or communicating research, it is termed scientific misconduct. There are 6 main types of scientific misconduct.
1.        Fabrication
2.       Falsification
3.       Plagiarism
4.       Conflict of interest
5.       Unethical treatment of research subjects
6.       Gift authorship
Fabrication
Fabrication is the deliberate inclusion of false or misleading data in a research paper. Read more about one such instance where a researcher named Jon Sudbo based his submission to the Lancet on fabricated data.

Falsification
Falsification means altering research data in a research paper or omitting relevant data from the paper or manipulating experimental procedures to achieve a desired result. Read more about Sir Cyril Burt, who is accused of fabricating data in his studies on behavior genetics using twins as subjects for the study.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism has been defined by Wikipedia as "the practice of dishonestly claiming or implying original authorship of material which one has not actually created." The term plagiarism includes self-plagiarism, i.e., publishing the same material in different journals or with different titles, and citation plagiarism, i.e., not giving due credit to earlier work on the subject.
Read more about plagiarism in the Center for Research Writing Resources' article on this subject.

Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest is a situation where a researcher has competing personal and professional interests. For example, a researcher working on a particular drug may be provided an all expenses paid vacation by the drug company. The correct thing to do would be to refuse the vacation, but unfortunately there are many researchers who do not feel that by accepting a gift of stock options or paid vacations they are compromising on the integrity of their research in any way. For a well-written article on this topic, you may wish to read Shannon Brownlee's article Doctors Without Borders in the Washington Monthly.

Unethical treatment of research subjects
This is a very serious form of scientific misconduct. It can be considered to occur when researchers
do not provide adequate information about the experiments and any side effects to the human subjects or to people who will be indirectly affected by the research,
do not provide for humane care of animal subjects,
knowingly undertake studies that will cause problems for the subjects (read about the Tuskegee study—an unethical study that was conducted in USA and led to many of the rules now framed for patient protection), and
do not disclose all the details of the experiments that will be conducted along with their potential side effects to the human subjects participating in the study.

 
Gift authorship
Gift authorship is the term used to describe the practice of making the laboratory director/senior professor one of the coauthors of a paper, even if the director/ professor did no actual work on the project. The project, however, was supported by funds obtained by the director/professor from funding agencies as the principal investigator of the laboratory. A classic case is that of Professor Eugene Braunwald and John Darsee at Harvard. Read more about the Darsee case and learn how this practice of gift authorship must have embarrassed a senior and respected Professor like Eugene Braunwald, because John Darsee had fabricated data in papers in which Eugene Braunwald was also a coauthor based on the practice of gift authorship.

Conclusion
Honesty in research is vital across all aspects of research—from designing a study to collecting and analyzing data and publishing the results in a paper. It is equally important to give credit where it is due and also to not take credit if no contribution was made to a study (i.e., gift authorship). It is very important to maintain proper records of the work done and the data collected. All research proposals that involve human or animal subjects must be cleared by an Ethics committee.

Honesty in performing and reporting research is crucial both for maintenance of good scientific practice and to avoid adverse effects on health or environment for others. Honesty in research is the foundation on which academic knowledge in all subjects stands.

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Submit an Error-Free Manuscript: 5 Proofreading Tips for Researchers

Proofreading errors leave a negative impression with the editor and the referee. Small mistakes and oversights in a manuscript often lead to misinterpretation or confuse the reader.

In this article, we illustrate the common language and formatting errors that authors are likely to spot when they proofread a manuscript. The list of errors is followed by 5 simple tips on how authors can avoid such errors in future.

This article will help you identify errors in your writing and submit an error-free copy to the journal.

What does proofreading mean?
To proof means to examine text carefully to find and correct typographical errors and errors in punctuation and spelling. Thus, proofreading is the process of checking text to ensure that it reads correct and is ready for publication

Why is proofreading important?
An instructor has quite humorously, but aptly, pointed out the effects of bad proofreading:
Turning in a paper with bad proofreading is like going to a party, dressed in your finest but without having brushed your teeth that morning. Basically, bad proofreading makes you look careless and dumb, which you are not.

On a more serious note, a number of manuscripts that are returned after peer review include referee comments such as
Please check the spellings in the manuscript carefully.
A number of grammatical errors are still evident in the manuscript.
English writing needs to be improved; the manuscript still contains language errors.

Besides leaving a negative impression with the editor and the referee, small mistakes and oversights often lead to misinterpretation or confuse the reader. For instance, a typographical error in the concluding sentence of a study could reduce the overall impact of the entire study. The following examples illustrate this point
 This study indicated that the autonomic nervous system is the major pathway conveying ghrelin's signals for inhibitory effects on insulin secretion from the portal vain (instead of vein) to the pancreas. Of the 36 respondents, 5 (instead of 5%) indicated that there was a positive effect.
In the above sentence, the meaning of the entire sentence will be misinterpreted. The sentence reads 5 out of 36 (14%) indicated that there was a positive effect, whereas the author intended to say that 5% (1.8 respondents) indicated that there was a positive effect.Thus, proofreading a manuscript is very important. In this article, we list the common errors that authors are likely to spot when they proofread a manuscript.

Common proofreading errors observed in manuscripts

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Language Errors
·    Incorrect spelling
·    Incorrect or missing punctuation (especially commas and hyphens/dashes)
·    Incorrect capitalization
·    Incorrect or inconsistent use of present and past tense
·    Incorrect subject-verb agreement
·    Incorrect subject-verb agreement

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Formatting Errors
·    Inconsistent format for headings and subheadings
·    Inconsistent spacing and indentation
·    Inconsistent use of acronyms, abbreviations, numbers, and units
·    Inconsistent numbering of sections, pages, and references
 
 
Some language errors such as incorrect spelling and capitalization can be quite easily avoided. It's important to know the rules of English grammar to be able to spot and correct the others errors. Formatting errors lead to poor presentation. Such errors can be easily avoided by paying more attention to the style and layout of your manuscript.

Spotting errors in text requires sharp observation skills. It also requires one to be aware of the different errors one can find. The sample passage on page 2 will help you understand these errors and spot them in your writing.

Proofread copy of manuscript
Roll over on the bold text to see the type of error.

Final copy of manuscript
Note: The corrected text has been highlighted in bold.

To proofread well you need 2 very important things: an effective process and good knowledge of grammar and punctuation rules. Grammar rules take a long time and consistent practice to master; while you continue learning these rules, these 5 easy tips will help you check and correct other minor errors in your manuscript.
5 tips to avoid proofreading errors
1.        Always proofread on a printout. Use a colored pen to mark the changes.
2.  Divide the proofreading process into 2 rounds.

In the first round, read the document and focus on language. Specifically check for spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.

In the second round, check only the format and consistency of numbers and abbreviations. Highlight section headings, subheadings, and table and figure captions and check if the font size and type appears the same. Mark any doubtful text and recheck the font size and type online. Follow the same process to check the consistency of all numbers, abbreviations, and indents in the document.
3.  Use a dictionary to refer to the correct spelling and capitalization.
If you use Microsoft Word to create documents Click F7
This will run a Spelling and Grammar Check on the document

If you use any other word processor, search for any spelling and grammar feature in it and learn how to use it. If it doesn't have a built in feature, check on the vendor website to see if there is any such plug-in available that can be used to check spelling.

Note: Many word processing programs highlight spelling and grammar mistakes on screen. However, a spelling checker won't catch mistakes with homonyms (e.g., they're, their, there) or certain typographical mistakes where the mistyped word is also a word in the dictionary (e.g., heforthe). Therefore, it's preferable to check spellings in a dictionary.

The Spelling and Grammar check will also highlight any missing spaces in the text. For example, if you have typed "andthe" instead of "and the," this check will show this as an error.
1.  Look out for extra or missing spaces while reading.
1.  Click Ctrl+F
2. In the Find What box, click the spacebar key twice
3. Click OK
4. This will scan the document for any double spaces and highlight them.
5. Ctrl+F can also be used to find and highlight terms in a document.
2. Do a backward proofread to check grammar and punctuation carefully. What is a backward proofread?

Normally, we proofread a document by reading it from start to end. In a backward proofread, you need to start reading from the end. Read each sentence individually. Errors are often spotted this way because when you read backwards you remove the meaning from the text, focusing instead on the spelling of each word, word choice, the use of tense, articles, and prepositions, and punctuation.

To focus on the logical flow of the sentences, you can also try reading aloud as if you were talking to an audience. Stop when you feel that some sentence may be unclear to the listener or if you think somebody may ask you a question. Mark those areas out. You might want to add some information to clarify your point.

Use a good multipurpose grammar book for reference. If you are not familiar with the rules, you could seek help from someone who is. Below is a chart with some quick rules on grammar topics you need to know well. Punctuation is easier to learn, so start with learning some basic rules. In grammar, subject-verb agreement is simple to learn. It's also a good topic to start with since it is a common error category for nonnative speakers.
Quick rules

Tense
Use the past tense for actions that have been done in the past, e.g., methods and experimental details and discussion of other studies.
Use present tense to discuss current topics in introduction, facts, and results.

Subject-verb agreement
To discuss a singular subject, use singular verbs (e.g., is, was, shows). Experiment A shows that a combination of drugs is effective in improving response rate.
To discuss 2 or more subjects, use plural verbs (e.g., were, are, show). Experiments A and D show that that a combination of drugs is effective in improving response rate.

Pronouns
Use this and these to refer to things or events that have been mentioned recently (previous sentence).
These results show that a combination of drugs is effective in improving response rate.
Use that and those to refer things or events that have been mentioned earlier in the document (possibly another page) or are from the past.
Those studies did not include a combination of drugs.

Punctuation
All quotations marks and brackets should be in pairs, i.e., an opening and closing quote/bracket.
All complete sentences should end in a period.
If a sentence contains a list of items, each of them should be separated by a comma.
When using two or more adjectives to describe a noun, use a hyphen between the adjectives.
Two phase diodes means that the author is specifying the quantity of the diodes used.
Two-phase diodes means that the author is specifying a characteristic (or the type) of the diodes.

Good proofreading comes with experience. The tips shown in this article will help you get started with proofreading. Follow these proofreading tips on all formal documents that you prepare. Practice will make you perfect!

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The Importance of Instructions to Authors
Scientific journals today receive a large number of manuscripts for consideration for publication. To make their task of scrutinizing these manuscripts a little easier, most journals require that the manuscripts conform to a standard format which varies from journal to journal. This standard format is detailed by each journal in the Instructions to Authors.

Instructions to Authors contain the gist of the journal's expectations from the authors in terms of the types of articles accepted for publication, the required format of each type of article, specifications regarding the number and type of illustrations (photographs/tables/figures), specifications about the language, publishing charges (if any), and any other instructions specific to the journal. It is in the author's interest to read and follow these instructions carefully, as a manuscript which meets all the journal's requirements makes a favorable impression on the journal editors and peer reviewers, permitting the submitted manuscript to go through to the next stage and making the process of peer review easier.

This article mentions the points of information usually provided in Instructions to Authors and discusses each point in some detail:
1.        Qualifications for submission
While most journals are concerned with the subject matter and style of the submitted manuscript, there are some journals which have additional criteria for accepting an article for publication. For example, some journals accept papers only from members of a particular academic body.
2.       Types of articles acceptable to the journal
Journals which publish many different types of articles (such as JAMA) usually have very specific criteria about the content and style of each type of article (e.g., Letters to the Editor, short communications, full-length research papers, review articles, etc.). Such journals use the Instructions to Authors to explain what can be included in each type of article.
3.       Pre-submission enquiry
Some journals prefer if authors make a pre-submission enquiry to learn(a) whether the journal would be interested in the type of article and topic they have in mind and (b) whether the style in which the article has been written conforms to the journal's requirements. This saves both the author and the journal editors a lot of time. The requisite telephone number or e-mail address is provided in the Instructions.
4.       The language to be used
Most English language journals usually accept only manuscripts written in English and manuscripts written in other languages must be translated into English prior to submission. If an article accepted for publication requires some correction of the English (as suggested by the reviewers), some journals (such as JSPJ) offer an English Correction Service at an additional charge to the author.
5.       The language style to be followed
Journals may specify in the Instructions whether they want the British or American style of English used for writing the manuscript. If the language style has not been specified, it is suggested that the author scrutinize published issues of the journal to become familiar with the style required.
6.       Formatting style for the main text
Journals are usually quite particular about how the manuscript is formatted. Most journals set a limit on the number of words or specify the number of pages permitted. The journal may specify the font size (10-, 11-, or 12-point size) and line spacing (usually double-spaced). Most journals prefer the right margin to be left unjustified. Some journals specify that the manuscript must be in a single column format and if double columns are used, the publication charges will be increased.
Page numbers must be numbered consecutively, with separate pages for the title and figures as mentioned in the Instructions. Some journals such as JSPJ and Nature provide templates to be used for formatting the manuscript. You can view the template for Nature at the following URL:
http://www.nature.com/nature/authors/submissions/template/index.html.
7.       The format for the title page
Different journals differ in their requirement for the title page. Most journals specify that the title page should be typed on a separate sheet of paper and should include the title of the article, author(s) name(s), academic degrees, address(es) and affiliation, word count, and the name of the person for correspondence (when there is more than one author). Some journals (Transplantation Proceedings) specifically state that a separate title page should not be provided.
8.       The language style to be followed
Journals may specify in the Instructions whether they want the British or American style of English used for writing the manuscript. If the language style has not been specified, it is suggested that the author scrutinize published issues of the journal to become familiar with the style required.
9.       The format for the abstract
The journal specifies the number of words permitted (usually from 250?350 words), the content expected in the abstract, whether the IMRAD format needs to be followed, and whether it needs to be typed on a separate sheet of paper.
10.   The number of keywords required
Keywords are required to facilitate location of the article by search engines on the Internet. Most journals specify the number of keywords they require, ranging from 5 to 10 in number. They are usually included in the manuscript just after the abstract.
11.   The format for the references
The journal may want the references numbered consecutively as they appear in the text, or placed in alphabetical order. Some journals ask for the DOI (Digital Object Identifier to be included in the citation, even if a print version of an article is being cited). The style to be followed when writing the references will be mentioned, along with specific examples for cited papers, cited books, and cited book chapters. For instance, some journals will specify that all the authors of a cited paper should be mentioned, while others ask for the names of the first or first 3 authors only, followed by et al. Medical journals may specify whether they want the Vancouver or Harvard style of reference writing followed.
12.   The format for tables
The Instructions specify the number of tables permitted, the method to be followed for numbering, word count limit for the titles of tables, and whether a hard copy of the tables is also required. Most journals request that tables be numbered consecutively in the order in which they appear in the text and that the position of the table in the text be clearly mentioned.
13.   The format for the figures and photographs
Read this part of the Instructions very carefully. Some journals have a limit on the number of figures and photographs that can be published. Often, journals will publish a specified number of black and white photographs for free, but will charge for extra photographs exceeding the specified number or for color photographs. The size of the figures, instructions regarding legends and numbering style, file formats permissible, publication charges, and whether a hard copy of the figures and photographs is also required will be clearly mentioned. Some journals specify that figures and photographs should not be embedded in the text file but submitted as individual files, while others allow them to be embedded at the end of the text file. Journals also specify whether the photographs should be printed on glossy or matt paper.
14.   Instructions about equations, Units, and statistics
Most journals, particularly those in the Physical Sciences, provide instructions on math and equations in the text, rules for writing Units (usually SI Units are recommended), and guidelines on presenting statistics.
15.   Style guide for symbols, etc.
Most journals specify styles to be used for abbreviations and symbols, for drugs, for brand names of drugs, for microbial names, etc.
16.   Method of submission acceptable to the journal
Submission of the manuscript can be on paper (the traditional way), on a compact disc, or electronically. With the world-wide explosion in the use of computers, journals are increasingly opting for electronic submissions. Some journals such as Transplantation Proceedings or Journal of Endocrinology have informed authors that all manuscript submissions for future issues MUST be electronic. The journals will individually consider cases where electronic submissions are not possible. Other journals such as the British Journal of Sociology require both electronic and paper submission of the manuscript.
17.   Manuscript file formats
Manuscripts are commonly requested in MS Word or WordPerfect, but some journals may accept submissions in LaTex, PDF, EPS, Text, Postscript, or RTF format. If a PDF document is accepted for publication, a Word or WordPerfect document will be required. Some journals specify file sizes (individual files usually should not exceed 1 KB) and file naming conventions. These should be adhered to carefully, to avoid delays in the review process or rejection of the manuscript. For example, the British Journal of Ophthalmology requires manuscript files to be named following the convention yr_manuscript id number_author (e.g., 2007_001234_suzuki) and image files to be named as yr_manuscript id number_F# (e.g., 2007_001234_F2 for the second figure in the paper).
18.   Type of review process followed
The journal usually mentions the process followed for review of the submitted manuscript. If a double-blinded review is to be carried out, authors are requested to ensure that their identities are not revealed.
19.   Publication charges
Some journals may charge for all the pages but others may publish a fixed number of pages free and charge only for publishing any pages over this number. As explained above, color photographs are charged for, as well as illustrations/figures exceeding the permitted number.
20.   What is required in the cover letter?
Journals such as JAMA, which provide very comprehensive Instructions to Authors, even specify what is required in the cover letter accompanying the manuscript.
In conclusion, it is clear that every journal has its own specific format in which manuscripts should be written when submitted for consideration. This format is explained to authors in the section Instructions to Authors/For Authors, in both the print and online versions of all journals. It is the author's interest to read the Instructions carefully, as they detail the types of articles published in the journal, how and where to submit a manuscript, how to format the manuscript (including tables, figures, and references), and other details such as acceptable manuscript length and publication charges. While going through pages of instruction can appear to be a very tedious task to a young author in a hurry, it is worth spending sufficient time understanding them. Adhering strictly to the Instructions to Authors reduces the chances of the manuscript being rejected by the journal editors even before the process for peer review.
 

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What Do Authors Want—Findings of an International Survey of Authors
April 2006
About this article

This article summarizes the main findings reported in a study published in Science Editor. Study details are provided at the end of the article. The information provided in this article will help authors to improve the quality of their manuscripts.
Authors prefer to publish in journals in which they can target a very specific group of key readers, those working on similar problems.
After target audience, they give equal importance to other aspects of the journal, such as impact factor, editorial board, e-version availability, and size of readership. Journal price is considered the least important factor.
Authors who have some experience of publishing in an open access medium lay greater emphasis on
Speed of refereeing
Pricing of the journal
Ease of acceptance
Younger authors (<35 years) are much less affected by
Impact factor
Coverage by abstracting and indexing
Availability of a hard copy
Majority (~80%) of the authors want their work to be read by fellow researchers in their field, followed by other researchers.

Only 18% of the authors think it important for the general public to read their articles.
Around 50% authors take no interest in copyright issues.

Asian and East European authors have greater interest in copyright issues.

Authors in earth and planetary science (19.8%), material science (19.5%), and computer science (18.3%) are likely to take more interest in copyright than those in economics (3.9%), agriculture (6.6%), and immunology and microbiology (7.6%).

Authors reflect a mix of indifference, ignorance, and resentment to copyright issues. Several authors expressed that the rights should be shared equally between the publisher and the author.
Access to journal literature is satisfactory.

61% of the authors said that this was currently good or excellent, meaning that they have access to all or at least most of the materials they need. Only 10% of the authors said that matters were poor or very poor.

Authors from Central America and East Europe reported much lower levels of satisfaction.
Self-publishing (make it available on the web for free) is not very popular (31%)

53% said they might consider it in the future and 12% dismissed this possibility.

Self publishing is defined as the publishing of books or other media by the author himself.
Overall, younger authors are more likely to self-publish.
The practice of depositing material in institutional repositories is low (21%).

55% might do this in the future; 15% had no such plans. Depositing material in a repository is more prevalent among authors from the fields of computer science, mathematics, and engineering.
Only 11% had published in open access journals. ~80% of the authors claim to know little or nothing about open access.

Researchers in government and commercial organizations had the least knowledge of open access compared to those from universities and medical schools.  

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