When submitting to a journal, how can one ensure that no necessary information is missed?

To prevent omissions during journal submission, utilize a comprehensive checklist derived from both general scholarly conventions and the specific journal's author guidelines. This systematic approach covers required manuscript elements and administrative details while accommodating disciplinary and journal-specific variations. Essential items typically include complete author information, funding statements, ethical compliance documentation (e.g., IRB approvals), conflicts of interest disclosures, data availability statements, appropriately structured manuscript sections, figures/tables with legends, correctly formatted references, supplementary materials if applicable, and a well-crafted cover letter. Crucially, create the checklist well in advance using the target journal's detailed "Guide for Authors." Consolidate all required documents and information before initiating the submission process. Meticulously review the manuscript and accompanying materials against this checklist just prior to final submission. Involve co-authors in a final verification step to ensure oversight and completeness, thereby enhancing accuracy and significantly reducing the risk of immediate desk rejection due to missing elements. This proactive preparation streamlines the submission and facilitates editorial processing.