When one submits a scientific paper to an academic journal, one typically writes a cover letter.
Goals
The goals of a cover letter are:
- to help the editor-in-chief choose an associate editor
- to create a positive feeling about the paper with respect to novelty and significance
Elements of a cover letter
The cover letter must at least contain:
- A short summary of the paper
- The key contributions and the claimed novelty
- A formal statement regarding double submission, eg " This manuscript (or closely related research) has not been published or accepted for publication. It is not under consideration at another journal. "
Optionally, it may indicate:
- Potential conflict of interests
- Appropriate associate editors from the editorial board
Template
September 19, 2017
Dear Jane Doe,
Editor in Chief, The Academic Journal
We would like to submit the attached manuscript entitled "How to write a cover letter". This manuscript (or closely related research) has not been published or accepted for publication. It is not under consideration at another journal.
This paper is about loren ipsum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
To sum up, the key novelty of this paper is XXXXXX.
Should you require any further information, please contact us.
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Martin Monperrus