{"id":46615,"date":"2026-05-29T10:35:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T05:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/?post_type=video&#038;p=46615"},"modified":"2026-05-01T05:36:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T00:06:12","slug":"what-should-you-include-in-a-cover-letter","status":"publish","type":"video","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/what-should-you-include-in-a-cover-letter","title":{"rendered":"What Should You Include in a Cover Letter\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A cover letter during research paper&nbsp;submission&nbsp;is the single-most&nbsp;write-up that helps you create a first impression on your journal editor.&nbsp;This video will help you prepare a&nbsp;polished, professional, and tailored&nbsp;cover letter that&nbsp;fits the&nbsp;target&nbsp;journal&nbsp;requirements.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen to our&nbsp;expert&nbsp;<strong>Bonnie Dixon&nbsp;<\/strong>explain&nbsp;exactly what to include in a strong cover letter and why every detail matters.&nbsp;If you want your research paper to stand out before peer review even begins, this cover letter guide is essential.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few&nbsp;basic&nbsp;pointers:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Always include the date and address the letter directly to the Editor-in-Chief (or the correct editorial title listed by the journal).\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use\u00a0the editor\u2019s actual name instead of writing \u201cDear Editor\u201d\u00a0to show\u00a0that\u00a0you\u2019ve\u00a0taken the time to personalize your submission.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clearly\u00a0state\u00a0the full name of the target journal. Avoid\u00a0generic\u00a0phrases like \u201cyour journal\u201d or \u201cthis journal.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mention the correct article type exactly as the journal\u00a0describes it, whether that\u2019s \u201cResearch Article,\u201d \u201cFull-Length Article,\u201d\u00a0or\u00a0anu\u00a0other\u00a0type.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Apart from these,&nbsp;include&nbsp;your manuscript title, full author list, and detailed corresponding author contact information&nbsp;along with a&nbsp;brief description of&nbsp;the knowledge&nbsp;gap&nbsp;your research paper addresses.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What is\u00a0the novelty?\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why\u00a0is the study\u00a0important?\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why is it a strong fit for the journal\u2019s aim and scope?\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Answer these questions to show clear alignment with the journal\u2019s mission&nbsp;and scope&nbsp;to&nbsp;increase your chances of moving forward in the review process.&nbsp;If you are&nbsp;submitting&nbsp;to a top journal for the first time,&nbsp;it is better to&nbsp;perfect the&nbsp;various aspects of submission like&nbsp;manuscript&nbsp;formatting, plagiarism checks, and an overall pre-submission check of the&nbsp;complete&nbsp;package&nbsp;with the help of&nbsp;experts to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/services\/desk-rejection-shield?utm_source=editageinsights&amp;utm_medium=article-boilerplate&amp;utm_campaign=video-blogpost-202605\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>avoid desk rejection<\/strong><\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":46617,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false},"new_categories":[],"new_tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-46615","video","type-video","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What Should You Include in a Cover Letter\u00a0 | Editage Insights<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn to prepare a\u00a0polished, professional, and tailored\u00a0cover letter that\u00a0fits the\u00a0target\u00a0journal\u00a0requirements. 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Know what are the must-include elements in a strong cover letter and why every detail matters.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/what-should-you-include-in-a-cover-letter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Editage Insights\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Editage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cover-letter-checklist.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=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Editage\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/what-should-you-include-in-a-cover-letter\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/what-should-you-include-in-a-cover-letter\",\"name\":\"What Should You Include in a Cover Letter\u00a0 | Editage Insights\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/what-should-you-include-in-a-cover-letter#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/what-should-you-include-in-a-cover-letter#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cover-letter-checklist.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-29T05:05:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn to prepare a\u00a0polished, professional, and tailored\u00a0cover letter that\u00a0fits the\u00a0target\u00a0journal\u00a0requirements. 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