Systematically check the manuscript text, references, figures, tables, supplementary materials and PDF files before formal submission to reduce formatting errors and rework.
Check that the title page, abstract, keywords, introduction, methods, results, discussion, acknowledgements and references are complete.
Check structure first, then language details.
Check that citation style, author spelling, years, journal names, DOIs and in-text citations are consistent.
Avoid in-text citations missing from the reference list, or listed references never cited in the text.
Confirm that figure numbers, table numbers, captions, table notes and the order of in-text references are consistent.
For multi-panel figures, check that a, b, c labels match the caption.
Check TIFF, PDF, EPS or PNG formats, resolution and font embedding against the journal's requirements.
300–600 DPI is a common requirement, but follow the journal's author guidelines.
Prepare the main document, figure files, supplementary materials, cover letter and declarations.
Create a fresh final_submission folder before submitting to avoid uploading an old version.
