Section outline

  • Course Overview

    This course guides authors through the final stages of preparing and submitting a journal article for publication. You'll explore submission requirements, author responsibilities, publication ethics, and the processes that occur after submission. The course also provides practical guidance on preparing supporting materials, meeting ethical requirements, and navigating the production process through to publication. 

    Learning Outcomes

    This course will help you to:

    1. Apply journal submission requirements and guidelines to prepare a manuscript that meets editorial expectations 

    1. Fulfill key author responsibilities when preparing and submitting a journal article for publication

    1. Prepare effective submission materials, including cover letters and supporting documentation, to strengthen a manuscript submission 

    1. Apply publication ethics principles and disclosure requirements when submitting research for publication 

    1. Ensure all required documents, permissions, and supporting materials comply with ethical, copyright, and publisher requirements 

    1. Navigate the stages of the production process and prepare articles and associated materials for publication 

    1. Identify when and how changes can be made to published articles and understand author responsibilities after submission 

    From time to time, we will refer to SAGE’s own specific publishing practices so that we can give you the most specific and practical guidance possible. However, these processes will likely be applicable to other journal publishers. If in doubt, always check their guidelines.

    • Course Resources

      You will need to access certain files and resources throughout the course to get the most out of the activities. You can find them all here. 

    • Video Transcripts

      You can access all video transcripts here.

    • Pre-Course Self Assessment

      Before you dive into this course, spend a few moments reflecting on your familiarity with the topic and your current level of skills confidence. 

      You will then re-visit the same questions in our Post-Course Self Assessment and reflect on how the course has helped you develop in confidence and grow your skills. 

      • Module One: Preparing and Submitting Your Journal Article

        This module will help you to:

        1. Become aware of the requirements of submission guidelines and apply these to your final draft           
        2. Recognize your responsibilities as an author and how to carry these out to prepare your manuscript for submission      
        3. Finalize your article to meet the editor’s expectations        
        4. Identify features of a cover letter that serves to strengthen your submission  

      • Module Two: Publication Ethics Considerations

        This module will help you to:

        1. Acknowledge and comply with key ethical standards when writing and submitting a journal article   
        2. Recognize the types of information that need to be disclosed on submission of an article for publication  
        3. Take the necessary steps to ensure all documents, paperwork and visuals are provided in accordance with ethical guidelines 
        4. Follow requirements regarding copyright, including of your own work that has previously been published  

      • Module Three: Author Responsibilities After Submission

        This module will help you to:

        1. Recognize the various stages in the production process  
        2. Prepare and assemble your article to pass through the production process  
        3. Become aware when and where changes can be made to published articles 

      • Post-Course Self Assessment

        Now you’ve completed the course, spend a few moments reflecting on where your familiarity with the topics and your confidence skills levels are at now. 

        Has the course helped you develop new skills and grow your confidence?

        You'll need to complete the Post-Course Self Assessment in order to download your certificate. If you didn't do the Pre-Course Self Assessment before starting the course, please go to the top of the page and reflect on your familiarity with the topic and your level of skills confidence before you started the course.

        • Completion: Certificate

          Completing all modules (plus the pre and post-course assessments) will unlock the course certificate, which you can then download here. Your course certificate will only be made available once you have completed all these sections.

          If you have difficulty accessing your certificate, please contact the Sage support team at: onlinesupport@sagepub.co.uk. You can also check out this FAQ page which may be helpful.

          • Give Feedback About This Course

            Did you enjoy the course? Please take two minutes to share your feedback. We use learner feedback in future course updates and developments to provide an excellent learning experience.

          • Accessibility

            We have high standards of accessibility on Sage Campus and as of May/June 2024 all activities within this course are keyboard and screen reader compatible. For more details on accessibility standards, please see the Sage Campus Accessibility Guide.

            For those using assistive technology, please note that within this course:

            • Tab components: JAWS and NVDA behave slightly differently. For NVDA to keep reading, it is best to exit focus mode and go back to browse mode. 
            • Matching: JAWS does not read out question label on dropdown focus.