Manuscript Submission Checklist: The Essential Cover Letter

All manuscript submissions must be accompanied by a formal Cover Letter. This letter serves a critical function, ensuring compliance with ethical standards and facilitating an efficient review process.

The Cover Letter must explicitly address the following six key areas. Note that if any of this information is already clearly provided within the manuscript body (e.g., Conflict of Interest statement), the letter should confirm this:

1. Ethical Disclosure and Redundant Publication

Provide a complete statement to the Editor addressing any potential overlap or redundancy with previous work. This includes:

  • A detailed report on all related submissions or previous publications that might be considered the same or very similar research.
  • Specific references to this related work within the current manuscript.
  • Crucially, copies of all relevant unpublished or similar material must be included with the submission package to assist the Editor in evaluation.

2. Conflicts of Interest (COI) Statement

A statement must disclose all financial, personal, or other relationships and activities that could be construed as a Conflict of Interest regarding the submitted work.

3. Authorship Confirmation and Integrity

The letter must include a binding statement confirming that:

  • The manuscript has been read and approved by every listed author.
  • All authors meet the journal’s defined criteria for authorship.
  • Each author affirms that the submission represents original and honest scientific work.

4. Author Contact and Correspondence Designation

Provide the current, complete contact information for all authors, including:

  • Email addresses and full institutional affiliations.
  • ORCID identifiers (where applicable).

Clearly designate the Corresponding Author. This individual will take primary responsibility for all communication with the journal, including managing revisions, responding to queries, and finalizing proof approval.

5. History of Research Conduct

The letter serves as the mechanism for immediate transparency regarding the research process. Inform the editors immediately if:

  • Concerns have been raised (e.g., by institutional review boards or regulatory bodies) regarding the ethical conduct of the study.
  • Corrective action has been mandated or recommended concerning the research methodology or results.

6. Expediting the Review Process

To accelerate evaluation, especially if the manuscript has been previously submitted to another journal, authors are strongly encouraged to include:

  • The previous journal editors’ and reviewers’ comments.
  • A point-by-point response detailing how those comments were addressed in the revised manuscript. (Sharing this information promotes transparency and may significantly expedite the current review.)

Permissions and Copyright Clearance

Beyond the cover letter, the core manuscript package must include proof of clearance for any copyrighted or sensitive material:

  • Copyrighted Material: Written permission must be obtained from copyright holders (authors/publishers) before submission for the reproduction of all previously published figures, tables, or text excerpts. This is mandatory.
  • Identifiable Information: Permission must be secured from any identifiable person(s) whose information is reported in the paper (e.g., patient data, clinical images).
  • Acknowledgments: Consent must be obtained from all individuals acknowledged for their contributions to the work.

Final Compliance

By proceeding with submission, authors confirm that their manuscript package complies with all regulations outlined above. Submissions that fail to meet these essential requirements will be immediately returned for mandatory revision.