How to publish a research paper

To publish a research paper, you choose a journal that fits your topic and audience, prepare the manuscript according to that journal’s author guidelines, submit it with a short cover letter, respond to the peer reviewers’ comments and revise until the editor accepts it. After acceptance, the paper goes through copy-editing and proofs before it appears online with a DOI.

The process is the same in most disciplines, although conventions differ. In computer science and some engineering fields, peer-reviewed conference proceedings carry great weight; in medicine and the life sciences, journals dominate. Ask your supervisor which venues count in your field.

Step 1: Decide whether the work is ready

A paper needs a clear contribution: a new result, method, dataset or argument that others can use. Before you start writing for a journal, check:

• The research question can be stated in one sentence
• The results support a conclusion that goes beyond your own lab or case
• Data, code and materials are documented well enough to be shared or described
• All co-authors agree on the story, the author order and the target venue

Step 2: Choose the right journal

Shortlist three to five journals and compare them before writing the final version, since formatting and length limits differ.

Criterion	What to check
Scope	Does the journal publish work like yours? Read recent issues, not only the aims page.
Audience	Specialists in a narrow field or a broader readership?
Article types	Research article, short communication, letter, review, data paper
Access model	Subscription, hybrid or fully open access, and any article processing charge
Review model	Single-blind, double-blind or open review
Indexing	Listed in the databases your field uses, and for open-access journals in the DOAJ
Turnaround	Typical time to first decision, if published

Be cautious with journals that contact you unsolicited or promise very fast publication. Our checklist on predatory journals shows the warning signs.

Step 3: Prepare the manuscript

Most empirical papers follow the IMRaD structure: Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion, plus title, abstract and keywords. Read the journal’s author guidelines line by line and follow them for:

• word or page limits and the structure of the abstract
• reference style (see our guide to citation styles)
• figure formats, resolution and colour rules
• statements on funding, conflicts of interest, ethics approval and data availability
• author contributions, often in the CRediT taxonomy
• rules on the use of AI tools, which many publishers now set out explicitly

Note: Publishers’ policies on AI generally do not allow AI tools to be listed as authors and often require disclosure of AI use in the manuscript. Check the policy of your target journal before you submit.

Step 4: Write the cover letter and submit

The cover letter is short. Address the editor, name the manuscript and article type, explain in two or three sentences what is new and why it fits this journal, and confirm that the work is original and not under consideration elsewhere. Some journals ask you to suggest or exclude reviewers.

Submission happens through the journal’s online system. Expect to enter author details, upload files separately and confirm the declarations. Link your ORCID iD if you have one; you can register at orcid.org.

Step 5: Peer review and revision

The editor first decides whether to send the paper out for review. A desk rejection at this stage is common and usually reflects fit, not quality. If the paper goes to review, you will typically receive one of these decisions: accept, minor revision, major revision or reject.

When you revise:

1. Read the reviews, then wait a day before replying.
2. Make a table listing every comment, your response and the change in the manuscript.
3. Be polite and specific; if you disagree, explain why with evidence.
4. Highlight changes in the revised manuscript if the journal asks for it.
5. Check that the revised version still respects the word limit.

Our guide to how peer review works explains the reviewers’ perspective and the different review models.

Step 6: Acceptance, proofs and after publication

After acceptance you sign a licence or copyright agreement, check the proofs carefully and approve them within the deadline. Once the paper is online, update your publication list, share the DOI link and, where permitted, deposit the accepted manuscript in your institution’s repository.

Preprints and conferences

Posting a preprint on a server such as arXiv, bioRxiv or a discipline repository makes your work visible quickly and establishes priority. Many journals accept preprinted manuscripts, but check first. Presenting the work at a meeting before submission can also bring useful feedback; see submitting to a conference and giving the talk.

If rejection comes, take the reviewers’ points seriously, adapt the manuscript to the next journal’s format and submit again. Most published papers have been rejected somewhere before. More guides are collected in the publishing hub.