Preparing Your Manuscript: Formatting, References, and Metadata

Abstract

A well-prepared manuscript moves through peer review faster and reads better in print. This article covers the essentials of manuscript preparation: logical structure and appropriate length, clear section headings, and consistent formatting that assists both reviewers and copyeditors. We discuss preparing figures and tables, choosing a citation style and including DOIs, and writing an informative abstract. Particular attention is paid to metadata—titles, keywords, author names, and ORCID identifiers—because accurate, complete metadata is one of the highest-leverage things an author can get right for long-term discoverability. We also cover anonymising files for double-anonymous review and declaring funding and competing interests.