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So You Want to Publish an Article...: Submitting Your Work

Learn how to find journals for potential publications, evaluate them for quality, and next steps after submission

Before You Submit

Now that you’ve decided on the journal you want to publish in, you should make sure that your article is in the right format to increase the chances of it being accepted by the journal/publisher. Many journals and publishers will have a guide or general area on their website for potential authors that explain the preferred formatting of your article, any figures or tables, references, and any supplemental material. You may have already found these areas while evaluating journals and publishers.  

Phrases to look for in finding this information include:  

  • Guide for Authors 
  • For Authors 
  • Submission Guidelines 
  • Authors 
  • Information for Authors 
  • Instructions for Authors 
  • Get Published 

Fees

Some authors may not be able to pay for publications costs. Advocate Health - Midwest Library is unable to financially support authorship. However, there are a few ways to fund these costs.

Fee Waiver

Many journals offer authors applications for fee waivers. Check the journal's website for information on a fee waiver application.

Grants and Scholarships

Many organizations grants and scholarships that can help supplement publication costs. The Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has compiled information on both NIH and non-NIH funding strategies and collaborations

Journals with no Publication Fees

We have compiled a list of journals that do not charge a fee for publishing works. The list will be updated periodically to keep up to date. Free Journals for Publishing

Citations

Formatting Citations 

Our Citation Formatting Guide provides information on how to format your references according to the most prevalent styles.  

Managing Citations

For those looking for citation management tools, our Citation Management Guide provides general information on the various management tools available to writers.

Ready.Set.Submit.

Now that your article is properly formatted for the selected journal, you are ready to submit it to the journal. Follow all the instructions and guidelines provided for submitting your work. This can increase your chances of being accepted and, if accepted, make the review and proofreading processes easier.