How to create author guidelines for an academic journal - Featured

How to Create Author Guidelines for an Academic Journal

by

Table of Contents

Introduction

Creating comprehensive and user-friendly author guidelines is one of the most important steps in managing an academic journal. These guidelines serve as a bridge between editorial expectations and author submissions. When done well, they ensure consistency, improve submission quality, reduce editorial workload, and enhance the overall experience for both authors and editors. On the flip side, vague or outdated instructions can cause confusion, result in improper formatting, and discourage potential contributors from submitting their work.

Author guidelines aren’t just a list of dos and don’ts. They’re a reflection of a journal’s editorial standards, scholarly focus, and commitment to academic integrity. As publishing becomes increasingly digital and globally accessible, journals are receiving submissions from a broader and more diverse range of authors. This makes clear, structured, and inclusive author guidelines more critical than ever.

This article walks through the key components of effective author guidelines, explores why they matter, and provides practical insights into how to design and maintain them. The goal is to help academic journal editors craft instructions that are not only accurate and complete but also welcoming and intuitive for contributors.

Why Author Guidelines Matter

Author guidelines do more than inform contributors of formatting requirements. They establish a professional tone and communicate the scope, priorities, and processes of the journal. For authors, they offer clarity and confidence. For editors, they streamline decision-making and reduce repetitive correspondence.

Clear guidelines can significantly reduce submission errors, such as missing metadata, incorrect referencing styles, or non-compliance with ethical standards. This saves editorial teams a great deal of time that would otherwise be spent correcting basic mistakes or chasing authors for missing materials.

From a reputational standpoint, well-written guidelines position the journal as organized, professional, and aligned with scholarly best practices. Especially for early-career researchers or contributors from regions where publishing support is limited, detailed instructions can serve as an educational tool, helping to level the playing field and improve global participation in scholarly dialogue.

Step 1: Define the Journal’s Scope and Aims Clearly

Every author guideline document should begin with a brief overview of the journal’s scope and aims. This not only sets the thematic boundary for submissions but also saves both authors and editors from wasting time on manuscripts that don’t fit.

Be specific. Don’t just say the journal publishes “research in the humanities”—clarify if it’s focused on Southeast Asian literature, postcolonial studies, or comparative philosophy. The more precise the description, the better authors can self-select appropriately before submitting.

This section can also touch on the journal’s mission and intended readership. Is it aimed at academic specialists, practitioners, interdisciplinary researchers, or a general academic audience? Clarifying this upfront helps contributors frame their work accordingly and supports editors in maintaining the journal’s scholarly identity.

Step 2: Outline Manuscript Types and Requirements

Not all submissions are created equal. Journals typically accept a variety of content types: original research articles, review essays, book reviews, conference reports, and sometimes even creative or experimental pieces. Each of these comes with its own expectations.

This section should describe the different types of manuscripts accepted and their respective word limits, structural elements, and review processes. For example, a standard research article might require an abstract, keywords, introduction, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion, while a book review might only need a brief abstract and a critical analysis of the book’s content and contribution.

Authors appreciate knowing the approximate length of submissions, whether footnotes or endnotes are preferred, and if supplementary materials (like datasets or multimedia) can be submitted. Addressing these elements upfront avoids back-and-forth communications later in the process.

Step 3: Provide Detailed Formatting Instructions

Formatting consistency enhances readability and professionalism. Author guidelines should cover all the essential formatting details, including file formats (e.g., DOCX, PDF), font preferences, line spacing, page numbering, and section heading styles.

Most importantly, indicate the referencing or citation style required—APA, MLA, Chicago, Vancouver, or something else. If the journal uses a modified version of a common style, be sure to explain the differences or provide a downloadable template.

Authors also need clarity on how to format tables, figures, captions, and in-text references. Should tables be embedded in the main text or submitted separately? Are color images acceptable, and if so, at what resolution? Providing examples or linking to a style guide can be a helpful touch.

Some journals include a manuscript template that authors can download and follow. This small addition can significantly boost the quality and consistency of submissions.

Step 4: Address Language and Style Expectations

Academic writing isn’t uniform across disciplines or regions. To avoid misunderstandings, explain the tone, readability, and language proficiency expected of submissions. Is the journal accepting articles in English only, or does it support multilingual contributions? If so, what are the rules regarding abstracts or translations?

Clarity in expression is crucial, but so is academic rigor. Encourage authors to write in accessible yet scholarly prose, avoid excessive jargon, and provide sufficient background when introducing complex or localized topics.

If the journal offers or recommends language editing services, include a note about it. This is especially helpful for authors writing in a second or third language. Make it clear whether poor language quality could result in desk rejection, and suggest what support options are available.

Step 5: Clarify Submission and Review Procedures

This is one of the most critical sections, yet it’s often underdeveloped in many guideline documents. Authors need to know how to submit, what to expect after submission, and how long the process will take.

Explain the submission portal or email address to use, and if registration is required, walk authors through it briefly. Describe the steps involved in the editorial process: initial screening, peer review, revisions, and final decision. If the journal practices double-blind peer review, highlight what authors must do to anonymize their manuscripts (e.g., removing names from headers, replacing identifying details in citations).

Transparency about timelines also matters. While review durations vary, giving an estimated timeframe—say, 6 to 12 weeks for initial feedback—helps manage expectations. If there are publication fees, open access charges, or waivers, they should be clearly explained here as well.

Ethical publishing is the backbone of academic credibility. Author guidelines should clearly lay out the journal’s stance on issues like plagiarism, duplicate submissions, conflicts of interest, authorship criteria, and data transparency.

Include a declaration section where authors must confirm originality, appropriate authorship, and adherence to ethical research practices. If the journal follows COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) or another professional standard, mention this and provide a link.

For research involving human or animal subjects, authors should be instructed to provide evidence of ethical approval. For clinical studies, registration with a trial database might be required. These expectations protect both the authors and the journal from legal or reputational risk.

Step 7: Include a Checklist for Submission

While this might seem like a small feature, a submission checklist helps authors make sure they’ve included everything needed before hitting “submit.” This reduces incomplete submissions and avoids unnecessary back-and-forth communication with editorial staff.

A sample checklist might include items like:

  • The manuscript follows the required formatting.
  • An abstract and keywords are included.
  • Author information is correctly listed in a separate file.
  • All tables and figures are included and properly labeled.
  • References are in the required style and format.
  • Ethical declarations are signed or uploaded.

Although presented in list format, the checklist should not dominate the guidelines. Keeping it concise and positioned near the end is usually the most effective approach.

Step 8: Keep Guidelines Accessible and Updated

Even the best author guidelines can become obsolete. Referencing outdated software, broken links, or old review policies creates confusion and undermines confidence in the journal. Make it a routine to review and update the guidelines at least once a year, or whenever major changes are implemented.

Equally important is how the guidelines are presented. A long block of dense text can be intimidating. Use clear headings, short paragraphs, and, if possible, a downloadable version in PDF format. Some journals also provide an FAQ section that answers common author concerns in a more conversational tone.

Make the guidelines easy to find on the journal’s website. Ideally, they should be just one click away from the homepage or submission portal.

Step 9: Align Author Guidelines with Editorial and Production Workflows

One common pitfall is creating guidelines that don’t reflect actual editorial practices. If authors are told to format references in APA style, but the editorial team later converts everything to Chicago, it creates inefficiencies. Consistency is key.

Collaborate with your editorial, production, and design teams to ensure that the guidelines align with current workflows. It may be worthwhile to involve the peer reviewers too—some journals include a reviewer checklist that complements the author guidelines, ensuring everyone evaluates manuscripts by the same criteria.

How to create author guidelines for an academic journal - Workflow

Having internal consistency across all publishing touchpoints—from author submission to final layout—creates a smoother, more predictable publishing experience.

Step 10: Consider International Contributors and Inclusion

Academic publishing is increasingly global. Authors may come from diverse cultural, institutional, and disciplinary backgrounds. Well-crafted guidelines anticipate this diversity and make efforts to be inclusive.

Avoid assumptions that all authors are familiar with common Western academic conventions. Be specific in your instructions and avoid unnecessary jargon. Use plain language wherever possible, and provide examples of how things should look.

Offering translated versions of your guidelines—or at least the main points—can be a significant step toward expanding your author base. Journals that want to attract more global contributors should also provide guidance on writing for an international readership, such as explaining the relevance of local case studies or ensuring data is contextualized for unfamiliar audiences.

Conclusion

Author guidelines are often seen as a housekeeping task, but in reality, they are a strategic tool that shapes how a journal is perceived and how efficiently it operates. Creating clear, detailed, and well-structured guidelines requires editorial foresight and regular maintenance, but the payoff is substantial: higher-quality submissions, less editorial friction, and a better experience for all involved.

By defining the journal’s scope, detailing formatting and submission procedures, addressing ethical expectations, and making guidelines accessible and inclusive, editors set the tone for a professional and transparent publishing process. In the competitive and collaborative world of academic publishing, that clarity is not just appreciated—it’s essential.

Leave a comment