For authors

At Scientific Reports we want to make the process of submitting your manuscript as simple as possible. Please carefully follow our step-by-step process, completing each step before progressing to the next.

Step 1: Before you submit

There are several important things you need to know and understand before you begin the submission process. From checking that your research is relevant to our journal, to preparing your manuscript and finding out about costs and funding, you will find it in this section.

To go straight to this step, please visit our before you submit page.

Step 2: Ready to submit

Completing our submission checklist before submitting your manuscript will help ensure that you have done everything you need to do and help to prevent delays to the assessment of your manuscript. Once you have successfully completed it, you will be ready to submit your manuscript.

To go straight to this step, please visit our ready to submit page.

After your manuscript is submitted via our online submission system, it enters our editorial process. We aim to get our first decision to you within 45 days.

Step 3: Articles in Press

Once formally accepted the article is published immediately as an Article in Press. An Article in Press is an early access version of an accepted manuscript, allowing research to be accessible earlier to readers. It may be subject to further editing, as errors affecting the content may be discovered during the final production process. These files have undergone enhancements after acceptance but are not yet the Version of Record (VOR).

This version of your manuscript will be watermarked and all legal disclaimers relating to the journal apply. Please find information related to these policies within the author submission guidelines. All fully Open Access journals will provide this service on every accepted manuscript. If you are organising a press release for your accepted manuscript, please contact your production editor.

Corrections and amendments will not be made to the Article in Press as the accepted manuscript will still go through the proofing process where these items can be addressed.

You can read more about Articles in Press here.

Step 4: Post-publication

Our marketing and communications teams promote articles across multiple channels following publication. We have a pre-publicity policy for authors, and we also offer advice and guidance to help you promote your published article through your own channels and techniques.

To go straight to this step, please visit our post-publication page.