How to Prepare Your Manuscript for an International Journal: A Guide for Spanish Researchers

Publishing in an international peer-reviewed journal is one of the most important steps in an academic career. For Spanish researchers, it also involves navigating a set of requirements that go beyond the scientific content of the work. The journal you target, the language quality of your manuscript, the structure of your submission, and the cover letter you write all affect whether your paper reaches peer review or is returned at the desk rejection stage.

This guide covers the full preparation process for submitting a manuscript to an international journal, from choosing the right journal to submitting a complete, well-prepared package. It's written for researchers at Spanish universities and institutions, including those funded by the AEI (Agencia Estatal de Investigación), CSIC, and the research programs of Spain's public universities, who produce strong research but may be less familiar with the submission conventions of international English-language journals.

Step 1: Choose the Right Journal Before You Write

The most consequential decision in the publication process is one many researchers make too late. Choosing your target journal before you write, rather than after, shapes every other decision: how much background to provide, how to frame your contribution, how much methodological detail to include, and what language register to use.

Start with the journal's aims and scope page. Read it carefully. Many desk rejections happen because the paper's topic, methodology, or disciplinary framing falls outside the scope of the journal as the editors define it, even if it seems close to what the journal publishes. Check three years of recent issues to confirm that papers similar to yours in topic, methodology, and scope have been published there recently.

Use journal rankings strategically

Spanish research evaluation increasingly relies on JCR (Journal Citation Reports) quartile rankings. Q1 and Q2 journals in your field carry the most weight in accreditation processes, sexenios evaluations, and competitive funding applications to the AEI. However, targeting the highest-ranked journal in your field is not always the right strategy. Consider:

Does your study's sample size, scope, and contribution justify a Q1 target?
What is the journal's desk rejection rate? Some Q1 journals reject 70 to 80 percent of submissions before peer review.
Does the journal publish work from your specific subfield, or is your paper at the edge of its scope?
What is the average time from submission to first decision? Some journals take six months or more.

A realistic match between your paper and the journal's profile saves months of delay. A paper submitted to the right Q2 journal is often better for your career than a paper desk rejected twice from Q1 journals before finding a home.

Step 2: Read the Instructions for Authors in Full

Every international journal publishes an Instructions for Authors document. Read it completely before you format a single page of your manuscript. These instructions specify:

Manuscript length limits (word count, page count, or both)
Abstract format (structured or unstructured) and word limit
Number of keywords required and any controlled vocabulary requirements
Reference style (APA, AMA, Vancouver, Chicago, or a journal-specific style)
Figure and table formatting requirements
Supplementary material policies
Language requirements for non-native English authors
Ethics statement and data availability requirements
Cover letter requirements

Many journals return manuscripts at the desk stage for formatting non-compliance alone, before an editor has read a word of the scientific content. This is entirely avoidable. Format your manuscript to the journal's specifications before submission, not after you receive a request to revise.

Step 3: Structure Your Manuscript Correctly

Most international journals in the sciences, social sciences, and many humanities disciplines expect the IMRaD structure: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Each section answers a specific question in a specific order. Understanding what each section must accomplish is the foundation of a well-prepared manuscript.

Introduction

The introduction must do three things, in this order. First, establish the research territory: what is known about your topic and why it matters. Second, identify the gap: what is not yet known, what previous research has failed to address, or what question remains unresolved. Third, announce the study: what you did and what contribution you make.

The gap statement is the most important sentence in your introduction. Journal editors look for it directly. It must be stated explicitly and positioned early, typically within the first two pages. When it's absent or buried, the paper appears unjustified regardless of the quality of the research that follows.

Methods

The methods section must contain enough detail for a reader in your field to evaluate your approach and, in principle, replicate your study. Name your study design explicitly in the first paragraph. Describe your sample, measures, procedure, and analytical approach with precision. "Statistical analysis was performed" is not sufficient. Name the specific test, the software, and the parameters you used.

The entire methods section is written in past tense. If your study involved human participants, include your ethical approval statement, the name of the approving body, and your consent procedures.

Results

Present your findings without interpretation. This distinction is strict in international journals and frequently violated by Spanish academic writers, whose training often integrates results and interpretation more fluidly. Results belong in the results section. What they mean belongs in the discussion. State each finding specifically and concretely, with the relevant statistical evidence. Never write "results were positive" or "the hypothesis was supported" without stating exactly what was found.

Discussion

The discussion interprets your findings in the context of existing research. It moves through four stages: a brief restatement of the main findings (not a copy of the results section), an interpretation of what they mean in relation to prior work, a specific treatment of limitations, and a statement of implications for practice or future research. Avoid opening the discussion by restating your research question. Open with what you found.

Step 4: Write the Abstract Last

Write the abstract after all other sections are complete. An abstract written before the paper is finished will not accurately represent what the paper contains. Many editors make the desk rejection decision after reading only the abstract. A vague, poorly structured, or inaccurate abstract is a significant disadvantage before the paper has been read.

A journal abstract must contain six elements within its word limit:

Background. One to two sentences establishing why the research was needed.
Purpose. One clear statement of what the study investigated.
Methods. Two to three sentences naming your design, data source, and analytical approach.
Results. The most important findings, stated specifically.
Conclusions. What the findings mean and why they matter.
Keywords. Four to eight terms that researchers in your field use when searching databases.

Methods and results are written in past tense. Conclusions are written in present tense. This is a convention, not a stylistic choice. Deviating from it signals unfamiliarity with international journal standards.

Step 5: Write a Strong Cover Letter

Many Spanish researchers underestimate the cover letter. It's the first thing a journal editor reads. A weak cover letter creates a poor first impression that can affect how an editor approaches the manuscript itself.

A strong cover letter contains five elements:

A clear statement of what the paper reports. Two to three sentences summarizing your study, methods, and main finding. This is not an abstract; it's a direct statement written for the editor.
A statement of significance. Why does this paper matter for the journal's readership? What does it add to the field that isn't already there?
Confirmation of journal fit. One sentence confirming that the paper falls within the journal's stated scope and has not been submitted elsewhere.
Suggested reviewers (if requested). Name two to four researchers in your field whose expertise makes them qualified to evaluate the work. Avoid colleagues, collaborators, and co-authors.
Any required disclosures. Conflict of interest statements, funding sources, and author contributions as required by the journal.

Keep the cover letter to one page. Write it in formal but direct English. Avoid beginning every sentence with "I" and avoid excessive hedging.

Step 6: Address the English Language Requirement

Most international journals state somewhere in their Instructions for Authors that manuscripts must be written in clear, correct English. Some state this as a strong recommendation. Others state it as a requirement and will return manuscripts that don't meet their language standard before sending them to reviewers.

For Spanish researchers, English language quality is one of the most common reasons for desk rejection and for peer reviewer criticism. This isn't a reflection of your English proficiency. It's a reflection of the structural differences between Spanish and English academic writing, which produce specific patterns in English manuscripts that reviewers recognize immediately. The most consequential patterns for Spanish writers are:

False cognates used at the wrong meaning (actual, realizar, pretender, asistir)
Dropped subjects in impersonal constructions ("Is necessary to consider" instead of "It is necessary to consider")
Overuse of "the" before abstract nouns used in a general sense
Long, heavily subordinated sentences that delay the main point
Conclusions that restate the research question rather than opening with the main finding

Addressing these patterns requires more than running a grammar checker. Grammar checkers identify grammatical errors. The patterns above are often grammatically defensible in Spanish but wrong in the context of English academic writing. They require a native English reader with academic editing experience to catch them consistently.

Step 7: Obtain a Certificate of Editing If Required

Many international journals require researchers from non-English-speaking countries to provide a certificate of editing confirming that their manuscript was reviewed by a native English speaker before submission. This requirement appears in the Instructions for Authors, sometimes as a mandatory requirement and sometimes as a strong recommendation.

Even when it isn't explicitly required, submitting a certificate of editing signals to the editor that the language quality has been professionally reviewed. It removes a common reason for desk rejection before the editor reads the scientific content.

When obtaining a certificate of editing, confirm that the service uses human native English editors, not AI tools. Journals that require a certificate specify human editing. A certificate issued by a service that uses AI tools doesn't satisfy the requirement and may create problems if a reviewer identifies language quality issues after submission.

Step 8: Complete Your Final Pre-Submission Check

Before submitting, work through this checklist:

Does the manuscript fall clearly within the journal's stated aims and scope?
Is the manuscript formatted to the journal's specifications: word count, reference style, abstract format, figure resolution?
Does the introduction contain an explicit gap statement, positioned early?
Are methods and results sections written in past tense?
Does the results section present findings without interpretation?
Does the discussion open with findings, not a restatement of the research question?
Is the abstract within the word limit and does it include all required elements?
Are all figures and tables referenced in the text?
Is your reference list complete, formatted correctly, and consistent?
Have you included all required statements: ethics approval, funding, conflicts of interest, data availability?
Is the cover letter complete, clear, and addressed to the correct editor?
If the journal requires a certificate of editing, do you have one?

A Note on Manuscript Language Quality

Many Spanish researchers reach this final stage with a manuscript that is scientifically strong and correctly structured, but whose language quality still contains the systematic patterns that native English reviewers notice immediately. This isn't a shortcoming. It's a predictable consequence of writing at an advanced academic level in a second language. The patterns feel natural in Spanish. They don't read naturally in English.

The most efficient way to address them before submission is professional native English editing by someone with subject matter expertise in your field. A good editor doesn't just correct grammar. They recognize the structural patterns specific to Spanish academic writing and address them consistently throughout the document, producing English that reads as naturally as if written by a native speaker.

Editor World connects Spanish researchers with native English editors who hold advanced degrees and have extensive experience preparing manuscripts for international peer-reviewed journals. Every editor is a native English speaker from the United States, United Kingdom, or Canada. No AI tools are used at any stage. A certificate of editing is available on request at no additional charge, confirming that your manuscript was reviewed by a qualified native English speaker. You choose your own editor by subject expertise, credentials, and verified client ratings. Turnaround times start at 2 hours, available 24/7. Use the instant price calculator for an exact quote before committing, or browse available editors to find the right match for your manuscript.

Content reviewed by Editor World editorial staff. Editor World provides professional English editing and proofreading services for academic researchers, graduate students, and business professionals worldwide.