{"id":36537,"date":"2025-06-18T10:10:35","date_gmt":"2025-06-18T04:40:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/?p=36537"},"modified":"2025-10-07T11:01:03","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T05:31:03","slug":"common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected","title":{"rendered":"Common Formatting Mistakes That Can Get Your Manuscript Rejected"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW138871046 BCX0\">Nobody likes rejection! Be it in your <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW138871046 BCX0\">personal<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW138871046 BCX0\"> life, or your research publication journey. <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW138871046 BCX0\">Hearing a \u201cNo\u201d <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW138871046 BCX0\">from<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW138871046 BCX0\"> your preferred target journal<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW138871046 BCX0\"> for your valuable manuscript<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW138871046 BCX0\"> can <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW138871046 BCX0\">be frustrating. Although manuscript rejection<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW138871046 BCX0\"> is part of a researcher\u2019s journey, there are a few <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW138871046 BCX0\">good practices that can help reduce the chances of rejection.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW138871046 BCX0\"> One of them is <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW138871046 BCX0\">accurate<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW138871046 BCX0\"> manuscript formatting!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW255698415 BCX0\">In this article, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW255698415 BCX0\">let\u2019s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW255698415 BCX0\"> go through <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW255698415 BCX0\">5 most<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW255698415 BCX0\"> common formatting mistakes that can be easily avoided to prevent <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW255698415 BCX0\">desk rejection of manuscripts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#formatting-of-section-headings-and-sub-headings\">Formatting of section headings and sub-headings<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#table-and-figure-caption-formats\">Table and figure caption formats<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#reference-list-and-citation-style-formatting\">Reference list and citation style formatting<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#submission-of-figures\">Submission of figures<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#overlooking-the-mandatory-formatting-requirements\">Overlooking the mandatory formatting requirements<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"formatting-of-section-headings-and-sub-headings\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">1. Formatting of section headings and sub-headings<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW234950827 BCX0\">Often, journals and publishers provide a formatting template <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW234950827 BCX0\">that needs to be implemented. <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW234950827 BCX0\">Take note of how they expect you to format the section headings and sub-headings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW195899084 BCX0\">Simply using boldface <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW195899084 BCX0\">and\/or italics <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW195899084 BCX0\">for all headings may not be suitable. Below are some examples of how<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW195899084 BCX0\"> different publishers <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW195899084 BCX0\">require<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW195899084 BCX0\"> the<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW195899084 BCX0\"> section headings<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW195899084 BCX0\">to be formatted <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW195899084 BCX0\">for their paper.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW40319333 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW40319333 BCX0\">Example 1:<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW40319333 BCX0\"> Wiley journals<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>All headings and sub-headings are written in sentence case, which means the first letters of all major words are capitalized.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"EOP SCXW40319333 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:720}\">Only the third and fourth order sub-headings are italicized.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-36542\" src=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/wiley-heading-300x219.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/wiley-heading-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/wiley-heading.png 322w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW136112100 BCX0\">Example 2:<\/span> <\/strong><strong><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW136112100 BCX0\">IEEE journals<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The main heading is centered on the page.<\/li>\n<li>The sub-heading is written in italics and flushed left.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-36540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IEEE-heading-300x53.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"53\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IEEE-heading-300x53.png 300w, https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IEEE-heading.png 419w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW94320454 BCX0\">Example 3: <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW94320454 BCX0\">IEEE Access<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The headings are all written in uppercase.<\/li>\n<li>Distinguish between the headings and sub-headings by using Roman numerals and alphabets.<\/li>\n<li>Sub-headings should be italicized.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36538\" src=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IEEE-Access-heading.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"187\" height=\"85\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"table-and-figure-caption-formats\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">2. Table and figure caption formats<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW70403924 BCX0\">All <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW70403924 BCX0\">captions of tables<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW70403924 BCX0\">, figures, graphics, and illustrations must be <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW70403924 BCX0\">formatted in<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW70403924 BCX0\"> a certain way. Again, this will be clearly <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW70403924 BCX0\">indicated<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW70403924 BCX0\"> in the template provided by the journal or highlighted in the \u201cInstruction for Authors\u201d section on the website.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW75168925 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW75168925 BCX0\">Example 1: Wiley journals<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Both figure and table captions should be written in sentence case.<\/li>\n<li>There should be a period after the figure\/table number.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-36541\" src=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Wiley-fig-and-tab-300x167.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"167\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Wiley-fig-and-tab-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Wiley-fig-and-tab.png 396w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW7538019 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW7538019 BCX0\">Example 2: IEEE journals<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Shorten the label to &#8220;Fig.&#8221; and use a period after the figure number.<\/li>\n<li>The table number should be indicated in Roman numerals and the caption is centered below it. All letters are in uppercase.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-36539\" src=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IEEE-fig-and-tab-300x191.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IEEE-fig-and-tab-300x191.png 300w, https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IEEE-fig-and-tab.png 359w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"reference-list-and-citation-style-formatting\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">3. Reference list and citation style formatting<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW215150736 BCX0\">Different journals <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW215150736 BCX0\">recommend using different<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW215150736 BCX0\"> citation styles.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">For instance, the author-date <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">system<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\"> (<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">Harvard <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">style<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">)<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\"> is commonly preferred <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">for papers in the fields of Social Sciences, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">Literature<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">, and Natural Sciences.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\"> Conversely, the numerical format of citation (Vancouver style) <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">is often used <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">in Physical Sciences and Medicine papers.<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">T<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">he formatting of <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">citation numbers <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">also <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">var<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">ies<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">\u2014<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">sometimes written within square brackets ([1]) or as a superscript numerical <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">(<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun Superscript SCXW120062135 BCX0\" data-fontsize=\"12\"><sup>1<\/sup><\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\">)<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW120062135 BCX0\"> in text.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW95221092 BCX0\">Additionally,<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW95221092 BCX0\"> pay attention <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW95221092 BCX0\">to <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW95221092 BCX0\">the reference list formatting<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW95221092 BCX0\">\u2014whether the works need to be listed alphabetically or in the order of their appearance in the text<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW95221092 BCX0\">.<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW95221092 BCX0\">Keep in mind that <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW95221092 BCX0\">all works cited<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW95221092 BCX0\">in the main text<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW95221092 BCX0\">must be included <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW95221092 BCX0\">in the reference list.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"submission-of-figures\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">4. Submission of figures<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259690861 BCX0\">Most journals clearly <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259690861 BCX0\">indicate<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259690861 BCX0\"> how the figures should be <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259690861 BCX0\">submitted<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259690861 BCX0\">. <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259690861 BCX0\">S<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259690861 BCX0\">ome may require you to include the figures within the main manuscript, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259690861 BCX0\">while <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259690861 BCX0\">others may need <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259690861 BCX0\">you to<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259690861 BCX0\">upload<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259690861 BCX0\">the<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259690861 BCX0\"> figure files <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259690861 BCX0\">separately during <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259690861 BCX0\">manuscript<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW259690861 BCX0\"> submission.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW101658736 BCX0\">When <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW101658736 BCX0\">submitting<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW101658736 BCX0\"> the figures separately, check the formats accepted by the journal <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW101658736 BCX0\">(e.g., JPG, PNG, PDF<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW101658736 BCX0\">, TIFF, EPS, and others<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW101658736 BCX0\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"overlooking-the-mandatory-formatting-requirements\" style=\"padding-top: 80px; margin-top: -80px;\">5. Overlooking the mandatory formatting requirements<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118145267 BCX0\">Finally, pay close attention to the <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118145267 BCX0\">general <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118145267 BCX0\">manuscript <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW118145267 BCX0\">formatting requirements.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Does the journal specify that page numbers or line numbers should be included?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What is the recommended font type and size?\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Should the paper be presented in a single-column or a double-column format?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW230139014 BCX0\">T<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW230139014 BCX0\">hese t<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW230139014 BCX0\">rivial <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW230139014 BCX0\">aspects<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW230139014 BCX0\"> can make or break your<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW230139014 BCX0\"> manuscript<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW230139014 BCX0\"> submission process!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW185992747 BCX0\">Desk rejections are more common than you think. <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW185992747 BCX0\">Remember,<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW185992747 BCX0\"> journal editors scrutiniz<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW185992747 BCX0\">e<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW185992747 BCX0\">hundreds<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW185992747 BCX0\"> of<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW185992747 BCX0\">research papers every day<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW185992747 BCX0\">! This means that<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW185992747 BCX0\">correct manuscript formatting can<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW185992747 BCX0\"> make their life easy while <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW185992747 BCX0\">benefitting<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW185992747 BCX0\"> you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\">You can always outsource<\/span> <\/span><a class=\"Hyperlink SCXW217475773 BCX0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/services\/research-paper-manuscript-formatting-services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW217475773 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">manuscript<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\"> formatting<\/span><\/span><\/a><span class=\"TextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\">to <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\">professionals<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\">,<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\">sav<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\">ing<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\">you <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\">time<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\">and allow<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\">ing<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\"> you<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\"> to<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\"> focus on more critical aspects of your research<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\">.<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\">Nevertheless<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\">, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\">read the journal guidelines thoroughly and ensure <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\">that <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW217475773 BCX0\">they are immaculately followed during manuscript submission.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong><em><span class=\"TextRun SCXW242680090 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW242680090 BCX0\">Give more time for your research, spend less time formatting!<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"TextRun SCXW242680090 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW242680090 BCX0\">Check out <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW242680090 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW242680090 BCX0\">Editage\u2019s<\/span> <\/span><a class=\"Hyperlink SCXW242680090 BCX0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/services\/research-paper-manuscript-formatting-services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW242680090 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW242680090 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">Manuscript Formatting Services<\/span><\/span><\/a> <span class=\"TextRun SCXW242680090 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW242680090 BCX0\">and get<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"TextRun SCXW242680090 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW242680090 BCX0\">professional support for journal formatting.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/services\/research-paper-manuscript-formatting-services?utm_source=editageinsights&amp;utm_medium=footerbanner&amp;utm_campaign=common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-37200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MF-FooterBanner-Reformatting-should-not-be-a-redo.jpg\" alt=\"Manuscript formatting footer banner reformatting\" width=\"856\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MF-FooterBanner-Reformatting-should-not-be-a-redo.jpg 856w, https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MF-FooterBanner-Reformatting-should-not-be-a-redo-300x70.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MF-FooterBanner-Reformatting-should-not-be-a-redo-768x179.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MF-FooterBanner-Reformatting-should-not-be-a-redo-850x200.jpg 850w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 856px) 100vw, 856px\" \/><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nobody likes rejection! Be it in your personal life, or your research publication journey. Hearing a \u201cNo\u201d from your preferred target journal for your valuable manuscript can be frustrating. Although manuscript rejection is part of a researcher\u2019s journey, there are a few good practices that can help reduce the chances of rejection. One of them [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70612,"featured_media":36544,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2427],"tags":[1394,2611],"new_categories":[],"new_tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-36537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-style-format","tag-journal-manuscript-formatting","tag-manuscript-formatting"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Common Formatting Mistakes That Can Get Your Manuscript Rejected | Editage Insights<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Avoid common formatting mistakes that can lead to manuscript rejection. Learn key tips to ensure your submission meets publishing standards.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Common Formatting Mistakes That Can Get Your Manuscript Rejected | Editage Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Avoid common formatting mistakes that can lead to manuscript rejection. Learn key tips to ensure your submission meets publishing standards.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Editage Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-18T04:40:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-07T05:31:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/mistake.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sindhuja A\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Editage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Editage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sindhuja A\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sindhuja A\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/d4e94a0d92820efd378538fe54342d61\"},\"headline\":\"Common Formatting Mistakes That Can Get Your Manuscript Rejected\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-18T04:40:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-07T05:31:03+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected\"},\"wordCount\":701,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/mistake.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"journal manuscript formatting\",\"Manuscript Formatting\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Style &amp; Format\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected\",\"name\":\"Common Formatting Mistakes That Can Get Your Manuscript Rejected | Editage Insights\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/mistake.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-18T04:40:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-07T05:31:03+00:00\",\"description\":\"Avoid common formatting mistakes that can lead to manuscript rejection. Learn key tips to ensure your submission meets publishing standards.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/mistake.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/mistake.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":720,\"caption\":\"Formatting mistakes to avoid\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Common Formatting Mistakes That Can Get Your Manuscript Rejected\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/\",\"name\":\"Editage Insights\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Editage Insights\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/editage-insights-logo-1-scaled.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/editage-insights-logo-1-scaled.webp\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":324,\"caption\":\"Editage Insights\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/Editage\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/d4e94a0d92820efd378538fe54342d61\",\"name\":\"Sindhuja A\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/be9feefd78dce29bfdb2cf5fc03c74bb5acbbda34983ba9640689dbb65a5e2ae?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/be9feefd78dce29bfdb2cf5fc03c74bb5acbbda34983ba9640689dbb65a5e2ae?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Sindhuja A\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/sindhujaa\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Common Formatting Mistakes That Can Get Your Manuscript Rejected | Editage Insights","description":"Avoid common formatting mistakes that can lead to manuscript rejection. Learn key tips to ensure your submission meets publishing standards.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Common Formatting Mistakes That Can Get Your Manuscript Rejected | Editage Insights","og_description":"Avoid common formatting mistakes that can lead to manuscript rejection. Learn key tips to ensure your submission meets publishing standards.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected","og_site_name":"Editage Insights","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage","article_published_time":"2025-06-18T04:40:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-07T05:31:03+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/mistake.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Sindhuja A","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Editage","twitter_site":"@Editage","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sindhuja A","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected"},"author":{"name":"Sindhuja A","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/d4e94a0d92820efd378538fe54342d61"},"headline":"Common Formatting Mistakes That Can Get Your Manuscript Rejected","datePublished":"2025-06-18T04:40:35+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-07T05:31:03+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected"},"wordCount":701,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/mistake.jpg","keywords":["journal manuscript formatting","Manuscript Formatting"],"articleSection":["Style &amp; Format"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected","name":"Common Formatting Mistakes That Can Get Your Manuscript Rejected | Editage Insights","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/mistake.jpg","datePublished":"2025-06-18T04:40:35+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-07T05:31:03+00:00","description":"Avoid common formatting mistakes that can lead to manuscript rejection. Learn key tips to ensure your submission meets publishing standards.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/mistake.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/mistake.jpg","width":1280,"height":720,"caption":"Formatting mistakes to avoid"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/common-formatting-mistakes-that-can-get-your-manuscript-rejected#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Common Formatting Mistakes That Can Get Your Manuscript Rejected"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/","name":"Editage Insights","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#organization","name":"Editage Insights","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/editage-insights-logo-1-scaled.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/editage-insights-logo-1-scaled.webp","width":2560,"height":324,"caption":"Editage Insights"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage","https:\/\/x.com\/Editage"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/d4e94a0d92820efd378538fe54342d61","name":"Sindhuja A","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/be9feefd78dce29bfdb2cf5fc03c74bb5acbbda34983ba9640689dbb65a5e2ae?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/be9feefd78dce29bfdb2cf5fc03c74bb5acbbda34983ba9640689dbb65a5e2ae?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Sindhuja A"},"url":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/sindhujaa"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/70612"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36537"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36537\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36544"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36537"},{"taxonomy":"new_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/new_categories?post=36537"},{"taxonomy":"new_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/new_tags?post=36537"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=36537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}