Why is medical study appraisal important in legal research?

Appraising medical studies ensures that only valid and admissible evidence is presented in court, aligning with legal standards such as the Daubert criteria.

What legal standards are used to validate medical studies?

Legal standards like the Daubert Standard and Frye Test are used to assess the scientific validity, peer review, and acceptance of the medical evidence.

Can biased studies be challenged in court?

Yes, if a study has methodological flaws, bias, or lacks reproducibility, it can be legally challenged and deemed inadmissible.

Academic writing requires reference lists as they provide proper source attribution to build credibility in scholarly work. Reference list errors persist frequently across academic disciplines despite their significance.

How to Align Your Manuscript with Journal Requirements: A Step-by-Step Guide

Appraising Medical Studies for Legal Research: Identifying Valid and Reliable Evidence

Dr.Nancy | Clinical and Medical Research Expert

03 Apr, 2025

Dr.Nancy | Clinical and Medical Research Expert

03 Apr, 2025

Introduction

Published on April, 2025

Submitting a manuscript to a journal requires extensive formatting network guidelines, which ensure the manuscript is intended such that clarity, consistency, and editorial policies are observed. Journals observe rigorous standards for scientific content, and they also uphold rigorous standards for presentation, structure and formatting of content. A properly formatted manuscript facilitates the review processes and develops the presentation of the work from a readable and professional standpoint, and by presenting the developed work in this way, it helps develop a positive first impression with those who will make the initial judgments on the document including editors and reviewers. From the title page to references and any supplementary materials; every aspect of an academic engagement requires precise formatting.

Table of Content

Manuscript Formatting

Interesting topics

How to Align Your Manuscript with Journal Requirements: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

The academic publishing industry is competitive and multifaceted. Journals receive a significant volume of submissions, and editorial teams often make an initial decision based on how well manuscripts fit with their specific guidelines. Adhering to journal guidelines can have a substantial impact on acceptance rates. This article will present a step-by-step, research-supported method for matching a manuscript to the scope, format, and submission guidelines of a journal.

Step 1: Understand the Journal’s Scope and Aims

The first essential step is to assess the journal’s aims and scope. Every journal has a stated mission, readership, and scope of themes.

Go to the journal’s website.
Read the “Aims and Scope” section completely.
Examine published articles to understand thematic alignment and methodological practice.

Research Finding: Research has shown that a misalignment with the journal within its scope is the leading cause of editorial rejection. [1],[2] Journals prioritize content that will contribute to their specific part of the academic discourse.

Step 2: Review Author Guidelines Thoroughly

Journals will give explicit “Instructions for Authors” or “Guidelines for Submission” that will specify formatting, referencing, limits on word counts, and submission methods.

Here are some of the elements to identify:

The structure of the manuscript (IMRaD: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion)
Limits on word counts and the length of the abstract
How to format tables, figures, and references
Particular style guide (e.g., APA, MLA, Vancouver)
Ethical disclosures that include conflict of interest and IRB approval

Research Finding: Author guideline compliance significantly influences editorial perception. Noncompliance typically demonstrates a lack of professionalism or attention to detail. [3],[4]

Step 3: Use a Journal Checklist

Most journals will have a submission checklist to assist you in addressing all aspects of the submission requirements

Best Practices:

Use the journal checklist as a secondary verification before submitting.
Ensure that you saved all supplemental files (e.g., data sheets, figure legends) correctly and in proper format.

Research Finding: Studies have shown that journals with the highest impact factors reject over 60% of manuscripts at first screen editorial rejection, often due to missing or misaligned components. [1],[2],[4],[6]

Step 4: Adapt Language, Tone, and Style

Different journals have various academic tones; some require greater technical depth while others value clarity and accessibility.

Steps to Take:

Follow the tone of published, resolved articles in the journal.
Don’t use language that is too complicated or too easy.
Make sure the manuscript adheres to the journal’s voice preference – active voice vs. passive voice, first-person vs. third-person.

Step 5: Follow Referencing and Citation Norms

Following citation styles is important. An improper citation style could lead to a desk rejection before peer review.

Tips:

Use EndNote, Zotero, or Mendeley to help with citation management.
Always double-check referencing style and punctuation details.
Make sure that the sources are current, valid, and meet the journal’s referencing criteria.

Research Finding: Incorrect referencing is in the top three reasons for rejecting a paper. Accurate and consistent referencing is expected by journals and is a marker of scholarly rigor. [7]

Step 6: Align Manuscript Structure and Headings

Utilize the specific headings required or preferred by the journal. Some journals have conventional formats; others have specific structures.

Guidance:

Read article samples from the journal.
Use the same subheadings, especially in the Method and Discussion sections.
Follow the same formatting for required figures, tables, and appendices.

Step 7: Address Ethical and Compliance Requirements

The journals will require ethical disclosure for clinical, biomedical, and social research.

Requirements:

Show ethical clearance (IRB or similar).
Include informed consent statements where applicable
Declare funding and conflicts of interest.

Some Journals provide Word and LaTeX templates available for download

Talk to our Manuscript Formatting Experts Today

Step 8: Use Journal-Specific Templates or Sample Manuscripts

Some Journals provide Word and LaTeX templates available for download

Recommendation:

If there is a template, use the official template.
Follow the citation and referencing format found in the sample articles.

Research Finding: Authors who used journal-specific templates minimize the risk of formatting rejection and enhance readability. [8],[9]

Step 9: Conduct a Final Pre-Submission Audit

Before you submit, carry out a final check of your manuscript using the journal’s checklist and compliance processes

The checklist should include:

Proper format and fonts
File naming conventions
Alignment of abstract and keywords
Spelling and grammar check
Plagiarism check -using good research tools

Research Finding: A well-edited manuscript is more likely to pass initial checks by the editor. The editor will recognize the detail that demonstrates scholarly standards. [10]

Connect with us to explore how we can support you in maintaining academic integrity and enhancing the visibility of your research across the world!

Conclusion

Aligning your manuscript with the requirements of the journal you submitted your manuscript is a complicated process that improves the chance of publication. Knowing your journal’s scope, following guidelines, and clearly and ethically reporting your research will provide you with the best position for your work to be disseminated successfully into the scientific community.

Align your manuscript to journal standards with Pubrica`s expert alignment and editing services to maximize your chances of acceptance.

References

Menon, V., Varadharajan, N., Praharaj, S. K., & Ameen, S. (2022). Why Do Manuscripts Get Rejected? A Content Analysis of Rejection Reports from the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 44(1), 5–11.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0253717620965845
Dhammi, I. K., & Rehan-Ul-Haq. (2018). Rejection of Manuscripts: Problems and Solutions. Indian Journal of Orthopaedics, 52(2), 97–99. https://doi.org/10.4103/ortho.IJOrtho_68_18
Iyengar, K. P., Jain, V. K., & Vaishya, R. (2022). What do editors expect from authors in medical research? Journal of Orthopaedics, 32, 146–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jor.2022.06.004 PMC
Fuller, T., Pearson, M., Peters, J., & Anderson, R. (2015). What affects authors’ and editors’ use of reporting guidelines? Findings from an online survey and qualitative interviews. PLOS ONE, 10(4), e0121585. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121585
Andrade, C. (2011). How to write a good abstract for a scientific paper or conference presentation. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 53(2), 172–175. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3136027/
Kim, C.-J. (2019). Article format and high rejection rate. Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation, 15(6), 737. https://doi.org/10.12965/jer.1938728.364
Committee on Publication Ethics. (2019). Citation Manipulation. https://publicationethics.org/files/COPE_DD_A4_Citation_Manipulation_Jul19_SCREEN_AW2.pdf
(2022). Journal manuscript format: Author instructions. https://blog.wordvice.com/manuscript-format-journal-author-instructions/
(n.d.). Preparing a manuscript for journal submission: Key points to consider. https://www.publisso.de/en/advice/publishing-advice-faqs/preparing-a-manuscript
Piran, M. J., & Tran, N. H. (2024). Enhancing research methodology and academic publishing: A structured framework for quality and integrity. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.05683