Build a journal-specific checklist
Check the article category, word limit, reference style, figures, supplementary files and reporting checklist. For anonymized review, identify where names and affiliations must be removed while preserving a separate title page if required.
Reconcile authors and declarations
Confirm author order, affiliations, ORCID identifiers where requested, contribution statements, funding, conflicts of interest and data availability. Ethics and consent information must come from the actual study documentation. Editorial assistance must not invent approvals or make declarations on an author’s behalf.
Check the generated submission proof
Portals can reorder figures, alter characters or omit files. Review the compiled proof, title, abstract and author metadata before final approval. Keep a copy of the submitted files and the acknowledgement so that later revisions use the correct version.
Track correspondence and next steps
Record the journal identifier, submission date, requested actions and responsible author. Portal support and correspondence editing can be scoped separately. Do not share account passwords in a project brief; agree an appropriate author-controlled workflow.
Scope, files and delivery
Start with a short project brief. We assess the work, discuss the expertise required and confirm the deliverables, fee, schedule and included revisions in writing. Share the current version and the instructions that govern it. Additional data, a new target journal or a substantially changed brief may require a revised scope. You review the proposed changes and retain responsibility for the research.