During the submission process, authors may include a cover letter with comments for the Editor (maximum word count of 500 words).
Providing a cover letter is optional, although strongly advised as a way to share important information with the Editor and journal staff to efficiently process your manuscript.
1. The details mentioned below outline the information that is typically included in a standard cover letter.
- Editor’s name
- Name of the journal to which you are submitting
- Manuscript title
- Article type
- Brief background of your study
- Brief overview of the study methodology
- Very brief overview of principle findings and significance to the research community
- Relevant COI, e.g., if one of the co-authors is an Editor for a JMIR Publications journal. See also: How does JMIR define a Conflict of Interest (COI)?
- Corresponding author contact information (only one)
- Acknowledgement of the applicable APF due, if the manuscript is accepted after peer review
- Statement from the author(s) on preferred journal options for potential automatic transfer, in case of rejection from the journal to which the author(s) submitted the manuscript. If author(s) do not wish for an automatic transfer, then please state this as well.
- (For case reports only) Authors must include a statement attesting that they have obtained appropriate patient/proxy consent to publish the case report.
2. Specific details that require the submission of a cover letter includes one or more of the following:
- An explanation if the submission has been previously published or being considered by another journal. This includes previous publication as an abstract, conference proceedings article, etc.
- If authors are not able to address an applicable APF (only due after peer review and acceptance):
- Justification for the APF needing to be waived due to an institutional partnership or membership. Check if your institution has a current institutional partnership or membership with JMIR Publications here.
- Justification for an APF support request due to other reasons. Please review the JMIR Publications APF Support policy here and only after complete review of the policy, then submit an application for APF support on the link provided: Can you waive or discount the fees for me? (note that APF support applications submitted that do not meet the stated criteria in the policy would be automatically declined)
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COPE: Redundant (duplicate) publication in a submitted manuscript
(for authors) Policy on submissions already published on another platform, including Proceedings