Submission Process Introduction

There are two ways to upload submissions to a Digital Commons journal:

• The author submits a manuscript directly to the journal, or
• The author emails the manuscript to the editor, who then uploads the manuscript on behalf of the author. The latter option is often used by editors when building the journal’s initial issues. 

Both scenarios for submitting manuscripts are outlined below. 

Regardless of the method used, as soon as a manuscript is submitted, an email notifies the editor(s), and the editorial process begins. Submitted manuscripts are stored in the Not Yet Published queue on the Manage Submissions screen, which is described further in Manage Submitted Manuscripts.

Scenario 1: Author submits a manuscript

Authors may submit manuscripts directly using the Submit Article (or equivalent) link that displays on the journal page. Submissions can be allowed or disallowed depending on the editors’ preferences. Use the Hide link to submit form setting in the journal configurations if you wish to suppress the author submission link in the journal’s sidebar.

1. From the journal’s homepage, the author clicks the Submit Article link in the sidebar and is prompted to log in with an email address and password. (If the author doesn’t have an account, they will need to create one.)
2. Submission Instructions appear first. Information required for submission and other important guidelines are outlined. Click Continue.
3. The Submission Agreement appears next. Authors must click Accept to continue.
4. Authors confirm their contact information. Click Continue.
5. If applicable, authors enter co-authors as follows:
   • Enter co-author’s email address, and click Add author. If you do not have an email address or do not want emails sent to the author regarding the status of the manuscript, click Add author and leave the email address field blank. Note: Not all journals permit authors to be added without email addresses. This is a configurable feature.
   • Next, enter the co-author’s name and affiliation. Click Add to list of authors. Repeat these steps for each co-author.
   • A drop-down menu next to each author’s name allows submitters to re-order the authors. Delete authors by clicking the Delete button next to the name. To edit an author’s name or affiliation, click the Edit button next to the name.
6. If names and affiliations are entered exactly as they should appear on the published manuscript, the author clicks Continue.
7. The author will complete the submission form and then press Submit. The submission form fields will vary by publication. Fields can be added or removed at the editors’ request. Please contact Consulting Services for more information.
8. The author views an on-screen message, confirming that the submission is complete. The author can preview the submission, make corrections, and upload associated files. Supplemental files will display by default upon publication. To manage the public display of these files, use the Supplemental Content link for the submission.
9. When finished, click Log out. The submission is now complete.

1. Navigate to the My Account page.
2. In the Editor Tools section, click Upload.

The Submission Instructions and Submission Agreement will be skipped. Enter the author information and complete the submission form as described in the previous scenario.

Authors will receive email notifications for automatic PDF conversions of any manuscripts uploaded to the journal on their behalf or when an editor revises the manuscript. Consulting Services can disable the automatic notifications sent to authors upon request.