Free Format Submissions

Should you, as a researcher, focus on gathering information or on structuring your work in accordance with the requirements of the target journal? And not all journals support these formats. To maintain its publishing standards, each journal has its own set of technical and formatting guidelines that it adheres to. It might be challenging to keep up with the distinct stylistic and formatting requirements of each journal when you are a researcher working day in and day out in a lab to perform research that will eventually be published. As a result, researchers have been pleading with editors and publishers to make the process of creating manuscripts simpler. Some journals have now adopted free-format submissions to lessen the burdensome procedure of formatting and re-formatting instead of engaging in research that is more fruitful.

Elsevier’s Research and Academic Relations department performed a poll in 2012 to better understand this issue brought up by the authors, and the results revealed that one-third of writers perceive the article preparation and formatting procedure to be laborious and time-consuming. Let’s learn more about free format submissions and how journals are implementing them with this blog article.

Free Format Submission: What Is It?

Free format submission is a type of submission procedure where the format of the submitted work is not subject to any particular rules or limitations. The author is free to deliver the content anyway they see fit, which gives them more creative freedom and flexibility.

Free format submissions, as opposed to submissions to traditional journals, let writers present their research in a way that best fits their writing style, research methodology, and conclusions. While some journals may accept submissions in a free style, authors are still required to include all the material needed for peer review (such as the main text, tables and figures, and references), as well as an author list and their contact details. Furthermore, a common referencing style (such as author-year, superscripted numbers, or numbers within brackets) and consistent presentation of the content (such as not combining American and British spelling, applying identical section headings, and choosing a single font type) are required.

Although authors have more latitude when submitting to free format journals, doing so still necessitates careful planning and attention to detail. Authors must take care to make sure that their submissions are expert, well-organized, and simple to read in order to enhance their chances of approval because the format of the submission is not predetermined.

What Are the Benefits of Free Format Submissions?

Free format journal submissions have several benefits for authors and readers alike. They provide authors with the opportunity to present their research in a unique and innovative way, which can help increase the visibility and impact of their work. They also allow authors to convey their research more effectively, as they can use multimedia elements to supplement their writing and clarify complex concepts.

For readers, free format journal submissions provide a more engaging and interactive reading experience, as they can access multimedia elements, interact with interactive figures and tables, and explore the research in a more dynamic way. This can also lead to a better understanding of the research, as well as a more enjoyable and memorable reading experience.

What Components of a Manuscript Are Included in a Submission in Free Format?

Free format submissions often include the layout, style, formatting, and structure of the entire manuscript. The work’s quality and content are prioritized over any precise presentational rules.

When submitting in a free format, the author is able to select the delivery style they believe best reflects their writing. The abstract, keywords, introduction, materials & methods, results, conclusions, artwork/tables with captions, and all other requirements that support the author’s research argument are nevertheless expected to be included. As appropriate for the sort of paper, disclosures of conflicts of interest and other ethical statements must also be included.

Free format should not alter the fundamental specifications for submission established by the publisher, such as the requirement of a title page, restrictions on the number of tables or figures, or other essential components.

Free format mostly concerns how the text appears and is formatted; the structure and content criteria for submission are typically distinct from this. Regardless of the use of the free format, the publisher may still have certain requirements for these features that must be met. It is always advisable to go to the journal’s submission requirements in order to fully comprehend them and make sure the paper satisfies all relevant standards.

How Do Journals Accept Submissions in Free Format?

Over 350 journals currently support free format submissions, which allow authors to submit their works using any standard text and citation style without adhering to formatting guidelines. This can cut down on the time needed for manuscript preparation, allowing you to focus on the most important part—your research.

In a number of ways, journals are accepting submissions in free format:

1. Electronic Submission systems: A lot of journals make use of electronic submission systems, which let writers submit their work in whichever format they choose. These platforms enable authors to upload their work as a single file, along with any supplementary multimedia components.
2. Templates and rules: Some journals offer writers templates and rules for free format submissions, which helps to guarantee that contributions are properly structured, expert-looking, and readable.

3. Peer Review procedure: Many journals are implementing a strict peer review procedure that entails assessing the content, format, and structure of submissions in order to preserve the quality of the publication with free style submissions.

4. Technical Support: To guarantee the success of free format submissions, several journals offer writers technical support, including assistance with formatting and submission preparation as well as guidance on the use of multimedia components. In case, the journal editors are rigid about the manuscript formatting you can use Rovedar Journal Submission Service to ensure that you meet all needed criteria.

In conclusion, to ensure that the material is correctly disseminated, it ultimately depends on how the publisher executes the use of free format in published articles. The greater diversity of appearance in the published manuscripts may result from a publisher using this strategy because authors would be able to select their preferred formatting styles. To preserve uniformity and guarantee the legibility and readability of the manuscripts, the publisher may still have some rules or restrictions in place. In order to assure the quality and effect of free format contributions, journals are generally adopting them while utilizing a combination of technical support and thorough evaluation.