Writing Cover Letters

Writing Cover Letters

Outline What is a cover letter? Content Style/format Summary 2

What is cover a letter? Most journals require that a cover letter be submitted along with each manuscript submitted for publication. An effective cover letter should include a brief summary of your findings and a small paragraph on why you feel the study is suitable for the journal and its target audience. 3

Cover letter vs. title page? A cover letter is a letter or email that introduces your submission to the editor. The title page of an article, thesis or any other written work is the first page of the work which displays its title and author, as well as other information. 4

Why are cover letters important? Cover letters allow you to: Communicate with the journal editor and draw his/her attention to the paper you submit. Explain to the journal editor the scientific value of your paper as per your own understanding. An editorial in Nature Immunology aptly described a cover letter as initiating a dialogue between the authors and the editor. 5

Content

Basic information 1. Title of the paper and corresponding author details 2. A brief summary of your findings 3. A brief summary of your study s major strengths 4. What motivated you to submit to the journal 5. Conflict interest 6. Originality and agreement 7

2. Summary of findings In a short summary of 3-4 sentences, summarize your study s major findings. Outline the aims of the study, i.e., what you intended to find Follow this by what you actually found i.e., either supporting or null results Avoid technical terms in the summary Present your findings in the context of previously published research 8

3. Summary of major strengths How does my study add to the present knowledge? Does my paper revoke/complement the findings of a key paper in the field? What is novel about this study? Does this study offer any remarkable future implications? 9

4. What motivated you Add a sentence explaining how the target journal is most suitable for publishing your paper. Mention how your paper is consistent with the scope of the journal and why the journal s readers will find it interesting. 10

5. Conflict of interest You MUST always disclose any potential conflicts of interest. If you have not and someone questions your study after it has been published, you could face serious consequences. These could range from an investigation by your and your coauthors affiliated institutes right upto the retraction of your paper. 11

6. Originality and agreement Clearly state that your paper is not currently being considered for publication, nor has it already been published by another journal (either in part or whole). Always submit your paper to only one journal at a time. Clarify that all the contributing authors have read the manuscript, reached a consensus about its contents, and agreed to submit it to the journal. Mention whether you have followed all required ethical guidelines. 12

Emphasize originality Are the findings of the study interesting and publishable? Does the study add to the current knowledge? Does it match with the scope of the journal? And its readership? Is the topic of study important? Are the experimental findings robust and of high standard?

Additional details 1. Preferred and non-preferred reviewers 2. Prior interaction with any of the journal s editor 3. Similar competing work 14

Components of cover letter 1. Title 2. Author details (name, affiliation, address, phone number, fax number, and email) 3. Brief summary of findings and importance of the study briefly 4. Explain why this journal was chosen 5. State that the author guidelines have been adhered to 6. State that there are no conflicts of interest 7. State that all authors agreed to submitting the paper to the journal and that it has not been submitted or published elsewhere 8. Give names of potential reviewers or those you wish to avoid (include their contact information) 9. Ask for a swift review if you know when someone else is planning to publish similar findings

Style/format

Template: Opening statement [Date of submission] [Editor s name] [Editor s designation] [Insert Journal name] Dear Dr/Mr/Ms: Salutation I, along with my coauthors, [Delete the phrase on coauthors for single-author papers] would like to ask you to consider the attached manuscript entitled [Title of the manuscript in bold] for publication in [Journal name in italics] as a. [Manuscript type here (case report, original article, review, etc. Opening statement 17 17

Template: Body [Briefly describe the aims and findings of the study, in about 2to 3 sentences.] [Insert the information explaining the motivation for submission to this journal, in not more than 2 to 3 sentences. We believe that the findings of this study are relevant to the scope of your journal and will be of interest to its readership. Please consider, as potential referees,. 18 18

Template: Closing statements This manuscript has not been published or presented elsewhere in part or in entirety, and is not under consideration by another journal. All study participants provided informed consent, and the study design was approved by the appropriate ethics review boards. All the authors have approved the manuscript and agree with submission to your esteemed journal. There are no conflicts of interest to declare. Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, [Author s name] [Affiliation] [Postal address] [Phone number] [Fax number] All statements must be true! 19 19

20 Sample cover letter

Summary

Editors seek specific information The key is to realize that editors are always on the look out for specific information! Originality Importance and clarity of the question IMRAD components Consistency of argument Figures and Tables Ethical issues Completeness of the reference list Coverage in the abstract Source : https://www.publishingcampus.elsevier.com

Few tips to remember! Don t be in a hurry. Don t be overly brief by mentioning only the basic details such as the title of the paper, journal name, etc. Don t write your cover letter without considering how it could add value to your submission. 23

Take home message A journal s manuscript guidelines and any specific reporting guidelines are there to help you publish. Read and use. Be meticulous in the writing and review of your own paper Use words and numbers consistently and exactly 24

25 References Foote MA. The proof of the pudding. How to report results and write a good discussion. Chest 2008;135:866-868. Foote MA. How to make a proper introduction. Chest 2007;130:1935-1937. Zeiger M. Essentials of Writing Biomedical Research Papers. 2 nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2000.

26 References Peer review policies of Nature Publishing group. Available from: http://www.nature.com/authors/policies/peer_review.html Hames I. Peer Review and Manuscript Management in Scientific Journals: Guidelines for Good Practice. Wiley- Blackwell; 2007

Questions? 27

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