Research manuscript structure and submission

Optimize manuscript for peer review success. IMRAD structure: 1. Introduction: establish importance, review relevant literature, state hypotheses clearly. 2. Methods: detailed enough for replication, justify choices, report deviations from protocol. 3. Results: report findings objectively, use appropriate statistics, include effect sizes and confidence intervals. 4. Discussion: interpret findings, acknowledge limitations, suggest future research. Additional sections: abstract (250 words), keywords, references, figures/tables. Pre-submission: 1. Check journal fit: scope, impact factor, open access policies. 2. Follow journal guidelines exactly: formatting, word limits, reference style. 3. Get colleague reviews, especially from methodologists. Cover letter: highlight novelty and importance, suggest reviewers, declare conflicts of interest. Response to reviewers: address each comment systematically, thank reviewers, clarify but don't argue defensively. Track citations and altmetrics post-publication.