Cover letter is mainly to help quickly find the right editor reviewers. To indicate the general meaning of the article in the cover letter, the main contents and innovative points and so on. Cover letter should be simple and clear, but not a direct copy of the summary section. To avoid using the title "Dear Sir" and the like, some women avoid editing resentment.
1, meaning cover letter
Cover letter can help edit papers submitted as soon as possible to determine whether or not in the range (scope) journals, can more easily help editors find reviewers. For some promoted or demoted paper, cover letter may decide whether your paper will be submitted for review.
2, six to
mostly the first and second points.
Do give a brief, largely non-technical summary of the method. Explain how it will have an impact and why the method and its applications will be interesting to a broad biological audience.
1) brief description of your method, explain why your method is very important, and can attract audiences journals (the meaning of the article).
Do put the work in context. Briefly explain the novelty and the specific advances over previous work but be realistic about what the method can and cannot achieve.
- State your work one novelty, and pointed out that where you work and what increased compared to the previous (main and advantages of the article).
Do suggest referees. If the editors decide to send the paper for peer review, providing a list of potential referees, their email addresses, and a very short description of their expertise, can help the editor assign referees more rapidly.
- Recommended reviewers (editor to facilitate the work certainly hope you recommend reviewers, can not recommend).
Do tell us about any related work from your group under consideration or in press elsewhere. Explain how it relates, and include copies of the related manuscripts with your submission.
- Submit your relevant work (general journal is no such requirement).
Do mention any unusual circumstances. For example, known competition with another group’s paper, co-submission to Nature Methods planned with another group, or co-submission of a related results paper to another NPG journal, etc.
- Account of possible abnormal situation, such as the research group and XX is competition, not to them for review.
Do mention if you have previously discussed the work with an editor.
6) whether the former editor of the journal and has been discussed (generally discussed will be sent directly to the hands of the editor, generally do not write)
3、六不要
Don’t simply reiterate that you have submitted a paper to us and/or copy and paste the title and abstract of the paper. The cover letter should be viewed as an opportunity to present useful meta-information about the paper, and not tossed off simply as a submission requirement.
1) Do not directly copy the title and abstract of the article.
Don’t go on for pages about what the paper is about and summarize all of your results. The editor will always read the paper itself so long cover letters are usually redundant. A one-page cover letter in almost all cases is sufficient.
- Cover letter should be concise, a general enough. Do not summarize all your results.
Don’t use highly technical jargon and acronyms. Explaining the advance in a general manner can go a long way in helping the editors reach a quicker decision; cover letters that are largely unreadable are of no help to the editors.
- Do not use highly specialized vocabulary. Remember covering letter to the editor is looking to help them quickly find reviewers.
Don’t overhype or over-interpret. While a description of why the method will advance the field is definitely appreciated, obvious overstatements about the impact or reach of the work do not help and can even reflect poorly on the authors’ judgment of the needs of a field.
- Do not over "touted" your way. Instead overvalued your work will reflect the lack of judgment in this area.
Don’t assume that going on about your scientific reputation or endorsements from others in the field will sway us. This is not pertinent to our editorial decision.
- Do not write your own multi regressed in the cover letter. Editing is the value of other people judge your article, rather than your personal worth.
Don’t address your cover letter to “Dear Sir.” This is antiquated language, not to mention often incorrect, given that two-thirds of Nature Methods’ editors are women. Stick to the gender-neutral “Dear Editor” in cases where you are not addressing a specific editor.
- Do not use "Dear Sir", because many editors are woman. Use a mild word "Dear Editor".
Note: This article from the point of view How to write a cover letter, the text is editor of the journal Nature Methods suggested to the author, please click to see the original English text links.
