reparation and Submission
Preparation for Submission
1.Sit on the finished version for one week
o After the paper is completed, do not immediately submit it to a journal. (It is not finished yet.)
o You invariably will find many small errors in text, notations, explanations, or missing references, etc. in your finished paper.
2.Reread the introduction, conclusion, and abstract before submission
o Reread these three parts carefully before you submit the paper to a journal and eliminate all typographical errors and other embarrassing mistakes.
o    A typographical error on the first page of introduction or abstract indicates that the author is careless.
o Such errors tend to lead referees and editors, rightly or wrongly, to conclude that the paper should be r
ejected. They conclude that the author
is likely to be sloppy in substance as well. And they might be right.
o If you don't proofread your own introduction, why expect the referees to spot and correct all the errors?
3.Use, but do not rely totally on spelling checkers
o One should always check spelling before submission. But there are no substitutes for reading the papers personally.
o Spelling checkers do not check word meanings.
4.Do not arouse envy
o Do not use fancy fonts or expensive bond paper.
o Do not cite too many of your own papers.
The referees might feel that you have published too many papers.
The referees might feel justified to recommend rejection of your paper.
Especially when he/she received one recently.
o Do not thank famous people in the acknowledgment, at least not in the first submission. The referee's contacts may not be as good as yours.
o Do not thank family members. This is understandable, but it is
unprofessional.
5.Use common sense
o It is not a good idea to send a hand-written submission letter. The submission letter contains critical information about the author (address,
telephone number, e-mail address, etc.) Your scribbling may be a
challenge to the deciphering ability of the editors or their assistants. A
small typographical error in the address might make a letter to the author
undeliberable. Here is an example:
o Use a sturdy envelope, especially, if you are sending a manuscript to a foreign country. An enclosed check might be missing from the package by the time it reaches the editorial office.
o You do not want your package to arrive at the editorial office looking like these:
6.Consider electronic submission if allowed by journals
o Journal offices increasingly are more willing to receive electronic submissions.
o Electronic submissions are faster and safer.
o Word processor files can damage the hard disk of the journal office. For this reasons, they prefer PDF files.
o When submitting to journals that adopt double-blind refereeing process, submit the cover page and the main body separately. Remove your name
in the document property (Your computer may record it automatically.)
o Experienced people report that Acrobat PDF Writer does not always produce dependable PDF files.
o Use the dependable Acrobat Distiller. For instance, after the Acrobat is installed, you can print a Word document using Acrobat Distiller and save
it at a desired drive. You can then e-mail the file.
o After a PDF file is produced, go over it to see if all symbols are properly represented. If a symbol is not properly converted by Adobe Distiller, try
retyping it using another font. Avoid using nonstandard symbols, because
Acrobat Distiller may not convert them properly.
o Visit the NSF site concerning problems you encounter when creating PDF files, www.v/a1/pdfcreat.htm.
Working Papers
7.Present an early version as a working paper
o If a paper contains enough substance of a roughly sketched idea, you may offer it as a working paper, just for the record.
o Distribute it to a dozen trusted friends in your field to get feedback.
o But do not distribute it widely.
o Working papers can attract coauthors, and a revised version may be published later. When you are up for promotion and tenure, the working
papers provide evidence that you have started the work.
8.Do not submit your working paper to an electronic journal
editorial officeo Get ready for the future of publishing. Most journals will become available electronically over the coming years. Hard copies may still be
available, but they will be expensive because of limited print runs.
o You may submit abstracts to journals on the Internet, but it is not advisable to post the actual articles.
o For legal purposes, the electronic publications may be treated as publications. But for tenure and promotion purposes, they do not count as
publications. This is a problem.
o It is easy for someone to manipulate the electronic copy (even PDF or PS files), modify it a little, and submit it to another journal under a different
title.
Acknowledgment
9.Remove negative clues from acknowledgment
o In the acknowledgment, remove any reference to when the paper was conceived or written.
o Editors of journals that adopt the double-blind review procedure are not likely to send papers to persons mentioned in the acknowledgment.