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It can be argued that the easiest thing about scientific research is writing your manuscript. The scientific publication process can often be much more frustrating. Fortunately, we have streamlined the process to make it easier. Even so, it’s important, as the author, to know the process, including the legalities and guidelines that are involved.
Submit Paper to Journal
You’ve conducted the research, and written your manuscript. Once you’ve reviewed everything, and re-checked all the information in your manuscript, you’re ready to submit your work to a journal.
Typically, every journal will have a link on their website where you can submit your manuscript. Depending on which journal you’re sending your manuscript to, you’ll use a particular system (for example, EM or Editorial Manager). It can be helpful to become familiar with the different systems prior to actually submitting your article.
Check Status of Paper
Gone are the days where you wait for something in the mail to find out if your paper has been accepted by the journal. Today you can check the status of your submission by using a reference number you receive, either from the journal directly, or from an article transfer service. Elsevier article transfer service is an electronic submission system that includes a “track your article” function, allowing you to follow your manuscript throughout the publication process.
The Value of an Article Transfer Service
Besides being able to track your article, an article transfer service streamlines the process, especially since it’s common to submit your manuscript to a variety of journals before it’s accepted. For example, in Elsevier’s journal ecosystem, our editors can recommend which journals you should submit your manuscript to. This gets your work to the best fitting journal, more quickly. Since you also wouldn’t need to reformat your article for each journal, as Elsevier article transfer service does that for you, you’ll save time and headaches.
Publishing License and Publishing Agreement
When you publish with Elsevier, or another service, you are entering into a binding legal agreement. You as an author, and we agree to certain guidelines and responsibilities, and both parties commit to acting in best-faith in accordance to the publishing agreement.
For instance, your rights as an author are protected via copyright law. Elsevier is absolutely committed to defending its authors’ reputations and work. We take any challenges of plagiarism, ethics disputes, fraud and infringement very seriously.
For us to publish and distribute your manuscript, we need to have certain publishing permissions from you, the author. That can include a journal publishing agreement or license from the time that your article is submitted to the time it is accepted and published in its final version.
Choosing an End User License
As an author, you also need to decide how your readers can use and share your article, without having to request express permission from you directly. Elsevier offers a variety of end user licenses, including non-commercial and commercial, so you can choose which one suits your manuscript best.
Things to consider before selecting which end user license you want to use includes:
- Understanding what each end user license allows, and the rights it grants your readers for using the article.
- Checking if the funding body and/or institution has a policy that requires a specific end user license.
- Reading the journal’s guide for authors to make sure it offers the end user license you want to utilize.
More information on this topic is available here.
What is the license process?
Once you’ve selected the end user license, you’ll sign a publishing agreement to retain your copyright, but grant publishing rights to the journal. The publisher will then make your article available online, based on your end user license. However you define your end user license will dictate how your readers can share and use your article.
Language Editing Plus
Take advantage of our Language Editing Plus service, which ensures that your manuscript is ready for submission, including unlimited rounds of language review, a focus on the logic and flow of your article and reference checks. The Plus service also includes a customized cover letter. Check the final price on our Language Editing Simulator:
