For authors

The structure of an article

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For the publishing process, it all starts with writing a manuscript. You’ll already have put a lot of time and effort into your research by the time you start typing up your paper, so you want to make sure that you’re doing everything you can to make that paper as good as possible. One part of that is making sure that you’ve got an effective structure for the manuscript.

The requirements for the structure of your manuscript will vary from field to field and from journal to journal. You'll often find that having a clear argument at the outset and allowing it to dictate the structure is more important. And it’s always best to check the Author Guidelines or Submission Guidelines for a journal before you submit your paper. Below are some common elements and best practice tips that can help you get started though.

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Manuscript types

Before we start talking about the structure of your manuscript in depth, it’s helpful to quickly run through some common manuscript types that you may write. These may have different names at different journals and the requirements for them will often differ, so make sure to check the journal’s guidelines for specific instructions.

In particular, you should check the word count limit for the article type that you're considering. Journals will often check the word counts of submissions before they even begin the review process, so if you submit a manuscript that's too long, it may come back to you to be shortened before an Editor has even read a word of it.

Research article: This is the most common type of manuscript. It addresses a specific research question. Research Articles will generally include a short review of relevant literature as well as commentary, analysis and assessment from the author.
Review article: A review article tends to be longer than a research article. It generally assesses the state of the field for a specific topic or theme. Review articles require much more engagement with the existing literature and tend to comment on trends and directions of study in general, rather than specific research questions.
Book review: A book review does what it says on the tin: provides a considered viewpoint of a single book. Book reviews should let readers know what to expect from the book as well as placing it within the wider scope of the field of research.
Forum: A forum article argues against points made in a previously published research article. These tend to be very short and provide a different perspective. They should not be used to point out factual errors (contact the journal administrator directly to highlight any egregious factual mistakes). Most journals will only consider forum responses to articles that they have published.

Abstract

Your abstract is very important to your manuscript. It’s the first thing that Editors, Reviewers and Readers will really engage with. They’ll see your title first, of course, but this is where they start to dig into your research (there are tips on writing a good title later in this guide). The abstract is the point at which people will begin to form impressions and expectations of your work. As they say, you only get one chance to make a first impression! It can be easy to gloss over or rush an abstract, but there are clear benefits to putting time and effort into this short section of your manuscript.

What is the purpose of an abstract?

It’s often helpful to have any idea of why you need a certain part of your manuscript when writing it. A sense of purpose can help to focus your mind. So, why do we need abstracts?

In a published article, an abstract is often the only part of an article that readers can initially see. As a brief summary of the research, it lets readers know what they should expect and gives them a chance to decide whether they want to devote time and mental effort to reading the full paper. Essentially, your abstract is like an elevator pitch – you’re saying to the reader ‘here’s why you should take the time to read my research’.

A good abstract can boost the number of downloads and readers that an article receives. And in turn, that can help to maximize the number of potential citations. So you should aim to make your abstract clear, concise and accurate.

What should be included in an abstract?

This is one of the things that you should specifically look for on the journal’s website. Many journals have requirements for abstracts and they can vary even within fields and publishing houses. An abstract that is not formatted to journal style and does not meet the requirements is an indication to the Editor who is considering your paper that you haven’t really thought about their journal or taken the time to read their submission instructions. Some journals, such as Translation and Literature, don't require an abstract at the point of submission (for that journal, the abstract is written later in the review process). So, before writing anything, check the journal website.

In the absence of specific guidance though, here are some things that you should consider including in your abstract:

Background information: This should situate your research in the wider field. Something along the lines of ‘Following on from the work of X, this manuscript will seek to Y’ or ‘As many researchers have established, x. However, this manuscript seeks to prove Y’ is a good way to get started. It tells that reader what your starting point is and allows them to get on the same page as you right from the beginning. Keep it very short though – just a sentence if possible. You can expand on this in the main text of the manuscript.
Why you’re writing this paper: Along with situating your manuscript in the wider literature, you should give the readers an idea of what you will be arguing or explaining. What is the point that you intend to make with your manuscript? Are you building on or arguing against previous research? Are you proving a particular hypothesis? This lets the reader know what the direction of your manuscript will be.
What you’re going to show: Finally, your abstract should give the reader an idea of the conclusion that you plan to reach. Again, you shouldn’t go into detail here, but the reader should be able to tell what your overarching argument is going to be. This will help them to follow your logic throughout the manuscript

Top tips for writing your abstract

Write your abstract last: Often, you will find that in the process of writing a manuscript, small details gain more importance, the general flow changes or your original plans get tweaked. By writing your abstract after the rest of your manuscript, you give yourself more flexibility to write the best paper you can. It also makes it much easier to tell the reader what you’re going to show them after all of the text has been written.
Keep it brief: Abstracts are supposed to be short. Readers don’t expect to see everything in this section – you just need to give them a taster. Journals tend to have word count limits for the abstract (for those that don't 200-300 words is generally a good length to aim for), so be as succinct as you possibly can.
Stick to journal style: As mentioned above, this is an important section to check the author guidelines for. An abstract that doesn’t follow the journal’s requirements can tell the Editors that you haven’t seriously engaged with their journal before submitting to it. This can put you at a disadvantage right from the start of the review process.
Avoid references: Your abstract should not have any references or citations. These come into your paper once you get into the main text. Don’t use up any of your word count on citations in the abstract.
Make it accessible: Your abstract is the gateway to your article for readers. Try to make it as clear and understandable as possible. Try to avoid any acronyms or subject-specific jargon that may need to be explained or defined. Also, keep in mind that many of your readers may not be native speakers of the language you’re writing in.
Make it discoverable: You should make sure that your abstract is discoverable and optimised for search engines. There’s information on how to do this in the Importance of SEO section of this guide.

If you keep the purpose of your abstract in mind and follow these tips, your paper should be off to a great start.

Introduction

Following on from your abstract, your introduction is where you really start to get into your manuscript. Depending on the aims of your paper, the field you’re working in and the scope of your topic, your introduction will vary in length. There are a few tips that can help you in this section though.

The purpose of the introduction

In your introduction, you’ll begin to expand on a couple of the things that you touched on in your abstract. One of the key elements of the introduction is situating your work within the existing literature. Similar to a literature review in a dissertation, your introduction can help to demonstrate your knowledge of the field as well as establishing the background that readers will need in order to fully understand your manuscript.

Your introduction should also set up the main point of your manuscript. In your abstract, you will have touched on the overarching reason why you’re writing the manuscript. Here, you can expand on that to explain why it’s important to address your question, how it can benefit the field and touch on any points of novelty. The reader should be left in no doubt about the research question that you plan to address. This question can be broken down into component parts to make it easier to understand. Breaking the question down will also help you to structure the body of your manuscript and give you points to refer back to in your conclusion.

Top tips for your introduction

Use your references: This is the section where you should have the largest concentration of references in your manuscript. Establishing where your paper fits within the field should involve a certain amount of, well, looking at the field. Providing a healthy number of references not only shows that you have thoroughly engaged with the topic, it also gives a reader who is perhaps not as familiar with the topic the resources they need to get up to the level of your manuscript. Your use of references will show the Editor that you're a serious Author who wants to build on existing research and not just someone randomly writing about a topic they have some vague ideas about.

At this stage, we should note that journal articles do not need to have the same number of references as a dissertation or thesis. Think about your manuscript as a self-standing argument, even if it has come from a wider research project. Try to make sure that each reference has a clear reason for being included and avoid pulling in tangential references that don't advance your argument.
Know your audience: Different journals have different audiences. This means that there are different levels and areas of knowledge that you can assume when writing your paper. For example, if you’re submitting a manuscript that relies heavily on the work of Gilles Deleuze to a generalist journal, you may wish to provide some background information on his philosophy. However, if you’re submitting the same manuscript to Deleuze and Guattari Studies, you can assume that the audience already has a basic understanding of his writing. This allows you to use more of the word count on the main body of your paper.
Know the journal: You should demonstrate a familiarity with the journal that you are submitting to and how your manuscript relates to, builds on or otherwise addresses works previously published in the journal. This should extend beyond your introduction, but it will be a key element that Editors will look for in this section. You should also touch on this in your abstract if possible.
Don’t get ahead of yourself: When writing your introduction, it can be easy to get into a flow and slip into the main arguments of your paper. Remember, the introduction is just setting the groundwork for those arguments – don’t jump into them until you get to the main body of the text.
Set the reader's expectations: The introduction is the place where you grab the reader’s attention and interest, but also where you set up their expectations of where the piece is going to go. It helps to set your paper within a framework to tell the reader why your research matters, what makes it key to this topic or field. Unlike a book or thesis chapter (which will often be similar in length to an article, but form part of a larger, cohesive whole), a research article needs to stand alone – establishing a framework for the paper can help to avoid the article appearing niche or unimportant. The less the reader has to work on following your argument (because the article is well structured and they have an idea of what's coming next),the more likely they are to be able to engage with your thinking. This will help your writing to have a lasting impact.

Main text

Now that you have laid the groundwork for your manuscript in the introduction, you get to the most important section. The main text is where you can begin putting forward your own arguments and ideas. It’s also the section where you have the most freedom (so this is one of the shortest sections of this guide).

As advice for the body of your manuscript really depends on what field you’re in, the journal you’re writing for, the central themes of your paper and many other factors, we’re going to keep our suggestions very basic and high-level.

Top tips for your main text

Be clear: Your manuscript probably has some very complicated ideas, so explaining them as clearly and simply as possible makes things easier for readers. Where possible, avoid using academic jargon or provide explanations of terms that people may not be familiar with.
Be succinct: Word count limits can make it difficult to fit everything you want to say into a manuscript. If you can make a point in 50 words, don’t feel that you need to draw it out to 500. This will be the longest section of your manuscript and it's the one where you're most likely to slip over the word count limit. Try to be aware of how many words you have left as you're writing – this will help to make sure that you don't need to go back and cut out words, sentences or paragraphs before submitting to a journal.
Stay on track: Try to avoid tangents where you can. Phrases like ‘X is out of scope for this manuscript, but would be an interesting topic for further research’ can help you to limit the amount of words you use that aren’t contributing to your main point. They can also help you with topics for your next research project.
Consider images, tables and figures: It’s sometimes easier to make a point using an image, table or figure than just plain text. If you’re struggling to articulate a point, think about other ways that you could present the information. Always consider potential copyright issues if you’re using a table, figure, or image created by someone else though. The UK Copyright Service has a number of factsheets and information pages that can be helpful with these sorts of issues.

When thinking about images and figures, it’s worth considering whether you need to use colour. There will often be additional costs to publish colour figures. You should also keep potential issues for those who are colour blind in mind when creating your own figures.

Conclusion

After you have made your argument in the body of your manuscript, it’s time to bring it all together in your conclusion. This section will generally be quite short and include a low number of references. It should not introduce any new information, just refer back to and draw together previous sections of the article.

Purpose of the conclusion

Your conclusion is your last chance to get your thoughts across to the reader. It should sum up your manuscript and let them know what you want them to take away. What are the key points that you’ve proved? Why should the reader remember, recommend and cite your article?

You should touch on each section of your main text, giving the reader a quick recap of what they have read. Sort of a CliffsNotes version of the manuscript that reminds them of the journey you’ve taken them on and how each step contributes to the overall conclusion of your research.

The conclusion can also be used to suggest future avenues of research. If you’d like your article to become a starting point for another, saying something like ‘While this article has shown X, further research into Y is needed’ can be a good idea.

Top tips for writing your conclusion

Refer back to your introduction: In the introduction section, you told the reader what you planned to prove or show in your manuscript. You should go back to that in your conclusion. This wraps up the paper and shows the reader that you have hit every point you planned to. If your paper has evolved during the writing process (or if you’ve had to cut down sections to meet a word count), this can also help you to avoid promising something in your introduction that you don’t deliver.
Be focused: As the last section of your manuscript, the conclusion is what is most likely to stay with the reader for the longest. Don’t be afraid to hammer home the points that you most want them to remember.
Don’t rewrite your entire paper: In the introduction, we recommended trying to avoid getting ahead of yourself. For the conclusion, the advice is the same, but working in the opposite direction. Don’t feel that you need to reargue every point of the manuscript that the reader has just finished. Your aim is to draw everything together and show the point that you have proved. You should mention previous points to do this, but readers can go back and re-read those sections if they need to, so you shouldn’t provide significant levels of depth.
Avoid new information: All of the information that a reader needs to understand the point you wish to make should already have been presented. The conclusion shouldn't just summarise what has been said in the article though – the idea is to tie everything together and build on it to present an overall final insight. Make it clear why the information in the previous sections is significant, and, if possible, link it in to other/further research. Try to end on a bit of a bang with the climax to your argument and closure for the reader, rather than just repetitively summing up the main body of your manuscript.
Check after any revisions: Regardless of whether it’s before initial submissions or after peer review, always check your conclusion after any revisions to your manuscript. Make sure that any key points that have been added changed or removed are accurately reflected in the conclusion.

References and formatting

This is a very simple part of our guide. There’s only one piece of advice for both your references section and the overall formatting of your article:

CHECK THE JOURNAL STYLE GUIDE

The submissions information and style guides for all of our journals is available here. If you aren't yet sure which journal you would like to submit to, you can check our sample style guidelines for broader advice.

If you need to submit a manuscript to multiple journals following rejections, you may need to do some reformatting of your manuscript and references. Proofreading your manuscript thoroughly before submission is always a good idea, but it's especially important after reformatting (that's when typos and auto-correct errors are most likely to creep in).

Permissions

If you have included anything in your article that you did not create yourself, you may need to obtain permission to publish it in a journal. There are a few things that will determine whether you need to receive official permission to reuse content that has previously been published, so it's always best to familiarise yourself with what will require permission to reuse and what can be included under fair use guidelines. For more information on this, please visit our guide on Getting permission to reuse content.

AI

Whilst generative AI (such as ChatGPT) can be a useful tool for generating initial ideas, the majority of journals will either not accept AI-authored text in a submission or, you will be required to declare it and be liable for any of the AI’s breaches of publication ethics.

Because AI learns by using already-published content, it is also very possible that the content they generate can plagiarise pre-existing material. What’s more, if you enter any of your own unpublished submission into an AI program, it becomes part of that program’s library of content that it will publicly reuse. This breaches a lot of publishers’ requirements for your article to not have been published elsewhere, and complicates issues around copyright over the work.

Because the author remains fully responsible for any breaches made by the AI tools they use, using AI beyond the planning and ideas stages can open you up to a lot of risk and liability. As such, we would strongly advise against it.

Enago have documented the additional limitations of generative AI for scholarly publishing.

Where to now?

Back: Writing a journal article
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Ready to submit your article? Find the full list of Edinburgh University Press journals that you can submit to here