Publishing with Elsevier: step-by-step
Learn about the publication process and how to submit your manuscript. This tutorial will help you find the right journal and maximize the chance to be published.
1. Find a journal
Find out the journals that could be best suited for publishing your research. Match your manuscript using the JournalFinder tool, then learn more about each journal.
JournalFinder
Powered by the Elsevier Fingerprint Engine™, Elsevier JournalFinder uses smart search technology and field-of-research-specific vocabularies to match your article to Elsevier journals.
Find a matching journalFind out more about a journal
Learn about each journal's topics, impact and submission policies.
Top tips
- Read the journal's aims and scope to make sure it is a match
- Check whether you can submit – some journals are invitation only
- Use journal metrics to understand the impact of a journal
- If available, check the journal at Journal Insights for additional info about impact, speed and reach
- If you're a postdoc, check out our postdoc free access program
2. Prepare your paper for submission
Download our get published quick guide, which outlines the essential steps in preparing a paper. (This is also available in Chinese). It is very important that you stick to the specific "guide for authors" of the journal to which you are submitting. This can be found on the journal's home page.
You can find information about the publishing process in the understanding the publishing process guide. It covers topics such as authors' rights, ethics and plagiarism, and journal and article metrics.
If you have research data to share, make sure you read the guide for authors to find out which options the journal offers to share research data with your article.
Top tips
- Use an external editing service, such as Elsevier’s Author Services if you need assistance with language
- Free e-learning modules on preparing your manuscript can be found on Researcher Academy
- Mendeley makes your life easier by helping you organize your papers, citations and references, accessing them in the cloud on any device, wherever you are
3. Submit and revise
You can submit to most Elsevier journals using our online systems. The system you use will depend on the journal to which you submit. You can access the relevant submission system via the "submit your paper" link on the Elsevier.com journal homepage of your chosen journal.
Alternatively, if you have been invited to submit to a journal, follow the instructions provided to you.
Once submitted, your paper will be considered by the editor and if it passes initial screening, it will be sent for peer review by experts in your field. If deemed unsuitable for publication in your chosen journal, the editor may suggest you transfer your submission to a more suitable journal, via an article transfer service.
Top tips
- Check the open access options on the journal's home page
- Consider the options for sharing your research data
- Be accurate and clear when checking your proofs
- Inform yourself about copyright and licensing
4. Track your paper
Track your submitted paper
You can track the status of your submitted paper online. The system you use to track your submission will be the same system to which you submitted. Use the reference number you received after submission to track your submission.
Unsure about what the submission status means? Check out this video.
In case of any problems contact the Support Center
Track your accepted paper
Once your paper is accepted for publication, you will receive a reference number and a direct link that lets you follow its publication status via Elsevier’s "Track Your Accepted Article" service.
However, even without a notification you can track the status of your article by entering your article reference number and corresponding author surname in Track Your Accepted Article.
5. Share and promote
Now that your article is published, you can promote it to achieve a bigger impact for your research. Sharing research, accomplishments and ambitions with a wider audience makes you more visible in your field. This helps you get cited more, enabling you to cultivate a stronger reputation, promote your research and move forward in your career.
Read more on sharing your research
After publication, celebrate and get noticed!