Policies
WSU Policies
Other related policies
- ARC Open Access Policy
- Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018)
- AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research
- The Australian Code For The Care And Use Of Animals For Scientific Purposes 8th edition ( 2013)
- NHMRC Open Access Policy
- The National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2023)—Effective 1 January 2024
Submitting your manuscript
Before you submit
Make sure to:
- Thoroughly proofread your article or use a proofreading service. Ask your postgraduate coordinator or supervisor for recommended proofreading services.
- Check that you have met the Instructions for authors. Check the journal website for the ‘information for authors’ and follow the ‘submission guidelines’ – particularly the costs, formatting rules and licence agreement.
- Publish with your ORCID
- Use the correct format for your Western affiliation.
To increase the visibility of your research, consider depositing:
- your datasets using the research data storage options available at Western — any research data underlying your publication can be uploaded and have its own DOI minted. Once you have deposited your datasets, you can cite your own dataset in the publication and publish that DOI with your article.
- the postprint or Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) into the Western institutional repository Research Profiles and Repository — most publishers will allow you to make this version available as Open Access in an institutional repository after an embargo period.
Online submission process
When you submit your manuscript online, you will usually need:
- To register with the online submission system
- Your submission is prepared based on the required format and style in the instructions to authors. The elements may include - a cover letter, title page, abstract, manuscript, supplemental material, research data details, tables, graphs, charts, and other illustrations
- The title within the character limit and subtitle (if any)
- Author details, including middle initial and affiliation (often an email address and abbreviated qualifications for each author is required).
- Details about any conflict of interest, prior publication and institutional review board approval. You might also include an exclusion list on your cover letter if there are conflicts of interest.
Peer review
The majority of scholarly journals undertake the process of peer review. It is a means by which the journal can ensure that it publishes articles of a high academic standard. Learn more about the peer review process in the next section.
Editorial review
If accepted for editorial review, your manuscript will be read, edited and returned to you several times to ensure that it meets the journal's submission requirements. It is most often a requirement that the work is original.
The Editorial process is about the management of journal content. Details about the editorial process, often available on a journal's website, are worth examining before submitting your article. Often included in the process are the:
- Roles of the editor-in-chief and associate editors
- Names of editorial board members
- Details about the reviewing process
- Timelines for screening manuscripts
- Appeal options.
Rejection can be a very useful learning process, helping you to improve your work.
- 5 options to consider after article rejection — from Wiley
- 8 reasons I rejected your article — from Elsevier
You must address all comments and suggestions made during the peer review and editorial process and justify your decisions. The Copyeditor makes suggestions and revisions to ensure that the paper is written in the official journal style.