Parts of a journal manuscript and a book manuscript

Parts of a journal manuscript

A typical journal manuscript reviewed at AJSW and Mtandao’s other journals includes the following parts, each of which you will assess in turn.

• Cover or title page: title, author details, and any declarations required by the journal
• Abstract and key words
• Introduction
• Background
• Literature review
• Theoretical or conceptual framework
• Methods, including data collection, ethics and analysis
• Results or Findings
• Discussion
• Conclusions
• Implications
• Summary
• References

Parts of a book manuscript

A book manuscript shares many of the same elements but at greater length and with additional parts.

• Title page and front matter, including any foreword or preface
• Table of contents and chapter outline
• Introduction, setting out the book’s overall argument and structure
• Individual chapters, each with its own background, theory, evidence and conclusion
• A concluding chapter drawing the whole argument together
• A full reference list, or reference lists per chapter depending on the publisher’s convention
• For an edited book, a list of contributors and their affiliations

Reviewing the cover and title page details

Check that the title accurately reflects the content, that all required declarations are present, such as conflict of interest and ethics statements, and where the review is not fully blind, that author details are complete and consistent with the body of the manuscript.