SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION
Points to Remember When Creating a Cover Letter
2016 Volume 49 Issue 9 Pages 932-934
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2016 Volume 49 Issue 9 Pages 932-934
In our previous article in this series, we stressed the importance of creating a good cover letter when submitting manuscripts to international journals, and have discussed ways to effectively introduce the contents of a manuscript, in addition to how to select possible reviewers1).
Despite the submission process being done primarily online, a cover letter is still a significant part of the process2) as it is the first document the editor-in-chief will come across, and one in which the author can emphasize the significance of the submitted manuscript as well as explain any concerns, (e.g. possibility of duplicate publication), the author may have regarding issues pertaining to the editorial and publication process and publication ethics1). Therefore, it is advisable to spend considerable time creating a convincing cover letter and sharing it with the coauthors of the manuscript for their input3).
The following is an example of what an effective cover letter might look like when submitting your manuscript for the first time. We will point out the important points to remember when writing cover letters by referring to each segment of the letter.
① After the salutation “Dear” at the beginning of the letter, use only the last name. A very common mistake is writing “Dear Dr. Jeffrey N. Wilson”. However, if you have met the author, and are on a first-name basis, then “Dear Jeffrey” would be preferable.
② Specify the type of manuscript that is being submitted such as an original research paper, case report, letter to the editor etc.
③ Give a short introduction (any interesting or unusual conclusions, if any) of the submitted manuscript. In particular, if the conclusions of your paper have any specific clinical significance, emphasize those.
④ A statement clarifying the originality of the work (no duplicate submission, no duplicate publication)
⑤ A statement notifying that you and your coauthors have suggested possible reviewers. It is not absolutely necessary to give the names and contact information here, as this information will be provided in the appropriate place of the online submission system, but mentioning it here indicates you are trying to contribute to the smooth operation of the editorial process.
⑥ A statement that all authors took part in the work and agree with the content and the submission. Some journals may ask for the specific contributions of each author. If this is the case, the information could be provided as follows:
Example (if the coauthors initials were AT, and MK)
The manuscript was written collaboratively by IS, AT and MK.
Tabulation of the data was the responsibility of AT.
Statistical analysis was primarily the work of IS and MK.
All the authors agreed to submission.
⑦ A statement disclosing any conflict of interest even if the journal requires a separate COI disclosure form.
⑧ This part can be omitted since information concerning the corresponding author will be provided in the appropriate place of the online submission system.
The following is an example of what a cover letter might look like, when you are resubmitting your manuscript after making revisions based on comments from the reviewers.
① Thank the editor-in-chief for considering the publication of your manuscript.
② Give a word of appreciation to the reviewers for taking the time to review the manuscript voluntarily in their own free time.
③ Inform the editor-in-chief that you and your coauthors have made revisions based on comments received from the reviewers, and that by making those changes, it has improved the quality of your manuscript, as this is generally the case.
The cover letter you submit should be simple and “to the point” because you need to provide all essential information in the letter, which should not be longer than necessary. In the next article, we will discuss how to mention specific concerns, such as the possibility of duplicate publication, in the cover letter.
