Use this checklist before sending your manuscript to a journal, conference, or thesis examiner.
Checking these items early reduces desk rejections, major revisions, and ethics‑related delays.
1. Manuscript Structure and Content
| Status |
Check Item |
Details / Action Required |
| ☐ |
Completeness of draft |
Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion are fully written and internally consistent. |
| ☐ |
Alignment with scope |
The manuscript clearly addresses the research question(s) or hypotheses defined in your original plan. |
| ☐ |
Data integrity & verification |
All reported data, tables, and statistics have been double-checked against raw files; no transcription errors remain. |
| ☐ |
Figure / table accuracy |
Figures and tables are correctly labeled, captioned, and consistent with the text and underlying data. |
| ☐ |
Logical flow & argument |
Each section flows logically, with clear topic sentences and a coherent narrative from introduction to conclusion. |
| ☐ |
Conclusion clarity |
The conclusion summarises main findings, limitations, and the novel contribution or implication of your work. |
2. Ethics, Plagiarism, and Reporting
| ☐ |
Plagiarism check |
The manuscript has been checked using a similarity tool (e.g., Turnitin, iThenticate) and all overlaps are properly quoted or paraphrased and cited. |
| ☐ |
Self-plagiarism control |
Any reuse of your own published text or figures is minimal, necessary, and appropriately cited as self-citation. |
| ☐ |
Ethics approval & consent |
Where applicable, ethics approvals and informed consent statements are clearly described in the Methods section. |
| ☐ |
Conflicts of interest |
All financial and non-financial conflicts of interest are disclosed according to the target journal’s policy. |
For detailed discussion of plagiarism and misconduct, see
How to Avoid Plagiarism and
The Hidden Cost of Unethical Research Practices.
3. Journal Formatting and References
| ☐ |
Target format adherence |
Manuscript follows the target journal’s instructions for authors (font, line spacing, headings, word limits). |
| ☐ |
Citation style consistency |
In-text citations and reference list follow one consistent style (e.g., APA, Vancouver, IEEE). |
| ☐ |
Reference list accuracy |
Every in-text citation has a matching reference entry, and there are no unused entries in the list. |
| ☐ |
Figures / tables placement |
Figures and tables are positioned or referenced according to the journal’s guidelines (embedded or at the end). |
| ☐ |
Page numbering & file naming |
Pages are numbered correctly and the file name is professional (e.g., AuthorName_Manuscript_v1.2.docx). |
4. Language, Clarity, and Supervisor Feedback
| ☐ |
Spell check & grammar |
The document has been checked with a grammar tool and a manual proofread for typos, repeated or missing words. |
| ☐ |
Clarity and conciseness |
Unnecessary jargon and overly long sentences have been reduced; key points are clear and direct. |
| ☐ |
Terminology consistency |
Technical terms, abbreviations, and symbols are used consistently throughout the text, tables, and figures. |
| ☐ |
Supervisor / co-author feedback |
All co-authors and (where applicable) supervisors have reviewed the current version and agreed on authorship order. |
5. Cover Letter and Submission Package
| ☐ |
Cover letter |
A concise cover letter is prepared, explaining novelty, fit with journal scope, and confirming originality and ethics compliance. |
| ☐ |
Specific questions to editor |
You have listed any specific points you want the editor or reviewers to consider (e.g., methodology choices, limitations). |
| ☐ |
Required attachments |
All supplementary files (data, code, checklists, reporting guidelines) are included and properly labelled. |
You can bookmark this page or print it as a one-page checklist before every submission.
For context and examples, read the full article version at
Researcher’s Pre-Submission Checklist (article).