Long work on a scientific article, and finally the material is ready. The next important step is to write a cover letter to the chosen scientific journal. But how to write it correctly?
Most authors of papers focus on writing the material in the scientific article, and rightly so. Next, you need to write a cover letter, which is a prerequisite for submitting an article to a journal. A cover letter may not seem to be such an important thing, but it plays an important role in the process of submitting an article and its subsequent review by the journal's editorial board.
What is a cover letter?
A cover letter is an important document and tool that is attached to a manuscript when submitting it for further publication in a journal. The cover letter for the journal editor will become a business card of your manuscript and will make it clear why your article is relevant and worthy of publication. A correctly, competently, and well-written cover letter can be one of the reasons for a quick review and possible further publication of your article.
The main role that a cover letter plays in the process of submitting a scientific article to a journal is to ‘sell’ your research. It is to acquaint the editor with the significance of your research, its relevance, interest to the scientific community, and why it is important to publish your research. The websites of journals provide information for authors on how to write this letter correctly. It is very important to comply with all the requirements set out in this help, because the editor will immediately see inconsistencies, errors, or the fact that the author may not have even read it.
What should you write in your cover letter?
First of all, it should be noted that you must adhere to the requirements set out in the instructions for authors on the journal's website. Today we will highlight the main elements that should be included in a cover letter.
- Editor's name and date of submission
In your cover letter, you should address the editor of the journal; if you know the editor's name, please use it (usually the editor's name can be found on the journal's website). You should also indicate the name of the journal, the address of the editorial office, and the date of submission of the manuscript and cover letter. You should use only up-to-date information at the time of writing the cover letter, so use the data from the journal's website.
- Introductory statement/greeting
In this paragraph, you should address the addressee, indicating the position, academic degrees, and academic titles held by the addressee. The address should be written in a polite and professional manner. If you do not know the name of the addressee, please use the form below: ‘Dear editor-in-chief/editor’.
- Purpose of the letter and information
Next, indicate the purpose of your letter, the title of the manuscript, the names of the authors and co-authors (if any), and the type of article (e.g., research, review, etc.). After that, briefly describe the background of your research. Indicate the questions that you tried to solve and to which you tried to find answers, and also indicate why.
- Brief description of the results
In this paragraph, you should state the main purpose of your research and briefly describe the results. Indicate why your findings are important and interesting to the scientific community. Here you have the opportunity to communicate the value of your work. You can also mention the impact of your research on the audience. It is recommended that you keep this information brief and concise.
- Journal requirements
If this item is included in the instructions for the cover letter of the journal to which you are submitting your manuscript, write the information required by the journal (for example, ethical standards).
- Contact details of the author(s)
At the end of your cover letter, include a greeting and/or a thank you to the editor for considering your article. The following are commonly used: ‘Sincerely, ...’, ‘Thank you for your time and attention!’, etc., but make sure that the greeting/thank you corresponds to the tone of the letter. The authors' contact details, such as phone number and e-mail, should be included here.
What should be included in a cover letter?
Each cover letter attached to the materials for further publication in the journal should contain additional mandatory information in addition to the already mentioned.
You should indicate that your manuscript has not been previously published in other journals, and that at the time of writing your cover letter, your research is not under consideration by other journals for further publication.
If the article was written by several authors, it should be noted that all authors have agreed to submit the manuscript for publication in the journal (the name of the journal should also be indicated here).
Tips for writing a cover letter
- Before sending the letter, review it again and critically evaluate it. You may need to correct or add something.
- If you have positive feedback on your manuscript from your colleagues or other researchers, you can also add this information to your cover letter.
- Check that the letter follows the instructions provided by the journal for authors. Pay attention to grammatical errors, spelling, extension, format and size.
- The length of the cover letter should not be too long. The recommended length is half or one A4 page.
- It will also be useful to add information if you have already had previous contacts with the publication (publication of papers, participation in conferences, etc.). This information can improve your chances of getting your manuscript accepted by establishing a connection with the editor.
- In case of a conflict of interest, it is necessary to inform about it.
- Do not use expressions such as "For the first time it was studied...", "The first study on..." and similar, as this is an indicator of bias in the evaluation of the study.
- Read examples of cover letters that have been submitted to the journal of your choice. You can find such examples on the Internet, or you can ask colleagues who have published their research in this journal for help. When reviewing the examples, pay attention to the style of speech and presentation, the level of detail, and the overall structure of the letter.
Writing a cover letter is an important point, as it presents the author's work to the journal editors. If the letter is written well and meets all the requirements of the journal, the editors will take it positively. Such a letter will help to draw the editorial board's attention to the submitted manuscript as a whole, as not all authors include a cover letter with their research. The time spent on writing a high-quality cover letter can pay off with the editor's interest in reviewing your work.
To successfully publish your research, contact Scientific Publications. We will accompany you at all stages of writing an article - from choosing a topic to publishing it in a relevant journal.
