SAGE Publications created a checklist to ask yourself before submitting your manuscript.
- Have you used the right citation style, eg. Harvard, APA, Chicago?
- Have you stayed within the word limit?
- Is it single/double blind peer review? If so, ensure there are no identifying features in your manuscript?
- Have you conformed to the conventions of academic writing?
- Title, abstract and keywords
- Introduction with a clear, compelling statement of purpose
- Conceptual grounding/literature review
- hypothesis/research questions that are clear, meaningful, answerable and flow logically from the introduction
- methodology, appropriate sample. do the procedures/measures offer enough information for replicability/trust
- analysis/discussion: this should be systematic, sensible analysis
- tables/figures that speed comprehension
- conclusion: don't merely repeat results
- Has permission been obtained for use of copyrighted material from other sources (including the web)?
- Have you proofread it before submitting?
- Have you provided a cover letter? Keep it short and highlight the salient features in the letter.
When you think the manuscript is ready and you have ticked off the above checklist, you may submit your article.
