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2. Prepare your paper for submission

Preparing your paper

Read the guide for authors, which you can find on the journal’s homepage(opens in new tab/window). It contains specific requirements related to ethics, open access options, copyright and funding body agreements. It also provides guidelines for preparing your paper, covering:

  • Article structure

  • Abstract

  • Highlights and keywords

  • Accepted formats for artwork, data sources and video

Don’t let your language get you rejected

Poor English is one of the most common reasons for rejection. You can avoid this by having your manuscript proofread or edited. Reach the highest standards with Elsevier's Author Services(opens in new tab/window):

Adding research data

As a researcher, you are increasingly encouraged, and sometimes even required, to make your research data available, accessible, discoverable and usable.

As an Elsevier author, when submitting your article, you can choose to store your data in a repository like Mendeley Data(opens in new tab/window), in order to make your dataset independently citable, and link it with your article.

You can also choose to submit a brief, peer-reviewed data article. Your data article will be published in the dedicated, open access journal Data in Brief(opens in new tab/window) and will be indexed, as well as linked, with your original research article.

Be sure to cite your research data in your article. This ensures you receive credit for your work, while making your research data accessible, giving your readers deeper insights and supporting their work. Find out more.

Data visualizations

You can enrich your article with interactive visualizations and provide context by adding references to (external) information sources, such as high-resolution imagery viewers, geospatial maps and 3D models. This enhances your research data and makes your key findings easily comprehensible for your readers. Find out more.

Data statement

Elsevier journals and many others provide guidelines on data sharing. There can be reasons why you are not able to share your research data, for example, due to confidentiality. In this case, you are encouraged to submit a data statement which will appear next to your article and state the reason why your dataset is not linked to your article.

Find out more about Elsevier’s author resources.

Postdoc free access program

For scholars who recently received their PhDs and currently do not have a research position, we are pleased to offer unlimited complimentary access to all our journals and books on ScienceDirect(opens in new tab/window), for up to 12 months*. This program allows those who qualify to have access to scientific journals and books in their field. Read more about the program