Anatomy of a submission Compose a title page –determine who is the first author (you) vs. the senior author (last in the list of authors) Be sure to cite the source of funding for the project

Double space Each section on a separate page Use subheadings (in methods, results) Page numbers on the right (bottom..or top) Make sure font size and type consistent Format the documents 1 to 1.5 inch form the top, bottom, sides Follow instructions to authors. Consult Uniform Requirements.Follow instructions to authors

Feedback Ask your co-authors to read the manuscript critically Give the paper to informed colleagues (1or 2 max) to read A real friend will give you lots of ideas for improvement Read your own paper as if you were a reviewer, with the figures in front of you as you read it

Final Preparations for Submission Proof-read, proof-read, proof-read! Make sets of figures for submission but also keep a set of original figures for your files Make copies of the submitted manuscript, including the figures, for every author Write a cover letter, short and direct, addressed to the editor Make a list of suggested reviewers, if this is requested by the journal

Submission Letter Identify the paper Describe the paper Repetitive publication and duplicate submission Conflict of interest Corresponding author Suggest reviewers

Dr. Michael Holtzman, American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, Editorial Office American Thoracic Society 1740 Broadway, New York, NY Tel Fax Dear Dr. Holtzman, Please find enclosed an original manuscript entitled, “……………………...” by [authors]. The material presented in this paper is original and has not been submitted for publication elsewhere. No part of the research presented in this manuscript has been funded by tobacco industry sources. We verify that all the authors have read the manuscript and approve its submission. To aid the review process, may we suggest the reviewers listed on the following page. We hope that you will find our manuscript acceptable for publication in the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology. Thank you for your attention. Sincerely ……. Corresponding author

List of Potential Reviewers 4) Dr. David Mitchell Department of Pediatrics Milton S. Hershey Medical Center H085 Hospital Hershey, PA Phone: Fax: )Dr. Arnold Smith University of Missouri-Columbia Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology M616 Medical Sciences Building DC Columbia, MO Phone: Fax: ) Dr. Joe Smith Duke University Medical Center Cell Biology 438 Nanaline Duke/Box 3709 Durham, NC Phone: Fax: )Dr. Virginia Jones Vanderbilt University Pathology th Ave S. Nashville, TN Phone: X 5499 Fax: )Dr. Tony D. Soprano Southampton General Hospital Child Health Level G (803) Center Block Tremona Rd. Southampton, SO16 6YD United Kingdom Phone: Fax:

COVERING LETTER Polite Why Journal chosen Importance of paper Concessions Brief

Submitting the Paper Frequently done on-line via PDF files If required, send the number of hard copies of the manuscript and figures required by the journal Send a disk with files for the manuscript and figures, if required Get the copyright form used by the journal signed by all authors, if required Send all of this material by a reliable method, so that your precious manuscript is not lost in the mail!!

Peer review Articles submitted to peer-reviewed journals (manuscripts) are reviewed by experts who advise the editor on whether they should be published and what changes are necessary.

Editorial decision 1.Accepted as it is (rare) 2.Accepted on the condition of certain amendments (back to cycle) 3.Reconsidered if reviewers’ comments met (back to cycle) 4.Rejected

Peer Review - Functions To Protect i) The author from publishing & ii) The subscriber from reading Material of insufficient quality

Problems with peer review Slow Expensive A lottery Ineffective Biased Easily abused Can’t detect fraud Works for improving studies not selecting which to publish Can’t detect fraud

Dealing with the Journal’s Response Absolute Rejection –Don’t take it personal –Don’t write or call the editors (unless you know them well !) –Editorial rejection: send it out the next day to another journal –Reviewers comments: Fix the easy ones Fix the glaring ones Unlikely to get much better sitting on your desk Send it out the next day

Dealing with the Journal’s Response Conditional acceptance (rejection) –It is yours to lose –First cool down (24-48 hours) –Within 1-2 weeks decide on responses –Make real changes, say you have done great changes (describe, highlight,etc) –Look for clues from the editor as to the extent of the revision needed. –Avoid arguments –Thank sincerely, but avoid being obsequious

Responding to reviews Swallow your pride! You don’t have to accept all, but don’t over- reject Ask editor about conflicting comments However unreasonable the reviewers may seem: be polite! Distinguish conditional acceptance from offer to reconsider (and from rejection of course!) Appeals (for rejection)

Resubmission Letter Dr. Brian F. McCabe Editor, Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Iowa City, IA Dear Dr. McCabe, Please find enclosed a revised manuscript entitled, "Surfactant protein A in rabbit sinus and middle ear mucosa" by………. We have addressed the comments of the reviewers as detailed below: 1)We have changed the title of the paper as suggested by the reviewer. 2)We have expanded the description of the animals used in the study (page 4, paragraph 1). All the animals except the pathogen-free, were naturally infected with Pasteurella multocida. The antibiotic treated animals were chosen randomly. The infections were observed postmortem and pathogen was identified by culture by the Animal Care Unit. 3)The lengths of the micron bars in Figures 5-8 have been added to the legends. A magnification bar has been added to Figure 10. We hope that you will now find our manuscript suitable for publication in the Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology. Thank you very much for your prompt review. Sincerely,