Article submission checklist

By the time you’re ready to submit your paper to The Primary Education Journal, there are a lot of things you’ll need to have checked, understood, and incorporated into your article.

We’ve created this checklist to help you make sure that you don’t miss anything important, both in writing and preparing your paper, and when you’re using a submission system. This can speed up the submission process and avoid potential obstacles in receiving a decision from the journal editor(s).

Follow the steps in the checklists below.

Paper requirements

• Is your article a good fit for The Primary Education Journal?
  Check by reading the aims and scope of the journal, and look at recently published articles.

• Do you know the requirements for The Primary Education Journal?
  Visit For authors section to check the specific submission requirements for The Primary Education Journal.

• Have you read the instructions for authors (IFAs)?
  The IFAs will tell you everything that the editorial board will be expecting to see in your paper, including word counts and style guides.

• Are you familiar with The Primary Education Journal Editorial Policies?
  The Editorial Policies apply to all submissions, and all authors should read them before submitting.

• Do you know which submission system the journal uses?
  Then read our guides to using:
  Guide to using Open Journal Systems

Check my paper

• Have you identified 3-6 appropriate keywords?
  Keywords help relevant readers find your article online.
  Find out how to make your article more discoverable.

• Have you written an effective title and abstract?
  The title and abstract are your chance to grab a potential reader’s attention.
  Find out how to make your title and abstract more effective.

• Have you written an effective cover letter?
  The cover letter is an important way for you to explain to the journal’s editor why your paper is a good fit and should be considered for publication.
  Read our guidance and download a cover letter template.

• Does your article match the journal’s specified style guides?
  Your article should be a good fit and format for the journal’s style guide.
  Read our instructions for authors and download a manuscript template.

• Is your article easy to read?
  Check that your article has a logical structure with clear writing and accessible language. This means it meets international scholarly standards.

• Did you clearly describe your methodology and approach?
  Your study design, research argument strength and positioning should be structured and articulated properly. Check that you have carried out an in-depth technical review of your work.

• Do your figures and charts comply with your target journal’s requirements?
  Make sure you format your artwork according to the technical artwork guidelines for journal.

• Have you cited sources appropriately?
  Make sure you avoid accidental plagiarism. Also don’t forget to include all references in the reference section.

• Did you have another pair of eyes read through your article?
  It can be helpful to ask a friend or peer to read through your paper and make suggestions that will improve its clarity.
  Make sure your article is revised appropriately to address possible issues before you submit.

Get ready to submit

• Do you need or want to share research data associated with your article?
  Read all about data sharing in our extensive guide.

• Do you have written permission for any third-party materials you’ve included?
  You’ll need written permission for third-party material. And you must clearly state this in the relevant sections of the manuscript.

• Have you included the name and affiliation of any co-authors?
  Read our guide to defining authorship.

• Have you included a disclosure statement and declared any competing interests?
  It is important to be transparent about any potential competing interests (also known as conflicts of interest).
  Find out about the different types of competing interests and how to declare them.

• Have you included your ORCiD?
  ORCiD is a unique identifier that links together all your published work. Read about how to create an ORCiD and include it with your submission. You can also add ORCiD information for your co-authors.

• Do you have the correct files ready to upload?
  This can vary depending on what type of peer review is used. For double-anonymous peer review, an anonymized version of your article will be needed.
  To submit your article, you need the following files:
  • A title page with names of all authors and co-authors and all other necessary information
  • A manuscript file with abstract, keywords, main text and references
  • High resolution figure files
  • Any extra files such as ethics permissions, supplemental materials