The delights, discomforts, and downright furies of the manuscript submission process

Abstract

Instructions to authors about submitting papers for publication vary hugely – from none at all to whole handbooks. Online submission systems have not reduced the complexity of submission and may have increased the work of authors. Electronic submission processes do not appear to have been adequately ‘road tested’ with authors. Some publishers are introducing more flexible submission rules that may help authors.

A Practical Approach to Negotiating Authorship and Preparing Manuscripts for Publication

“…The purpose of this research note was to overview key information that authors may want to consider as well as decisions they will need to make when negotiating authorship, identifying target journals, and submitting a manuscript to a journal for consideration. While we used the JTPE as an example throughout the discussion in this research note, many of the recommendations are applicable across journals with the caveat that there is wide variance in guidelines and expectations (Hartley & Cabanac, 2017). This again reinforces the need to research and familiarize oneself with the journal at the beginning of the writing process rather than reserving such discussions until submission (Kirk et al, 2014).…”

“…Furthermore, many of the norms involved in academic publishing, such as determining authorship, the peer review process, and preparing manuscripts for journal submission, include tacit knowledge that is communicated discreetly and discriminatorily as it is not explicitly taught (Lorenz, 2018). Articles and research notes providing guidance on how to approach elements of academic publishing are also few and far between (Richards et al, 2021), and official guidelines from journals vary widely (Hartley & Cabanac, 2017). Together, these obscurities can leave doctoral students, early career scholars, and other unfamiliar with the norms of academic publishing within a scholarly community feeling confused as they navigate the complexities of journal identification and manuscript submission (Lorenz, 2018).…”

A Blockchain Cloud Computing Middleware for Academic Manuscript Submission

“…In recent years, manuscript submission systems have been intensely studied in various scientific fields to explain and understand different existing processes and publication procedures [5]. Specifically, current research trends focus on explaining the properties of the used platforms as well as providing all the necessary author/article affiliation information during an article submission [6].…”

What does better peer review look like? Underlying principles and recommendations for better practice

“…One common complaint from authors is that the submission process is too complicated, with too many requirements and with frustrating systems (Hartley & Cabanac, 2017). This is not symptomatic of a useful process.…”