Researchers submitting work to a journal hope for reviewers to recognise the originality and value of their findings. However, before even reading your paper, there are certain things that reviewers check before assessing the content. And this usually applies to all kinds of reviewers, from journal editors reviewing your initial submission’s suitability to external peer reviewers assessing the scholarly integrity of your work. Therefore, it is important for authors to be aware of what reviewers check before reading your paper.  

In this article, we will cover what these elements are, from abstracts and opening sentences to consistent usage of terminology. 

1. If your abstract works as a standalone summary 

Reviewers most defintely check your abstract ebfore reading your paper. Here, they hope to get a concise overview of your research thesis. An effective abstract will provide the reader with the relevant information needed to understand your argument, and, if successful, persuade them to go onto read the full paper. 

An abstract should function as a standalone summary of your work. If your abstract does not clearly explain the problem, methods, main results, and significance in that order, reviewers may already have a negative impression. Furthermore, most users and indexing databases only read your abstract, so it needs to be self-contained in its communication of meaning. 

For more information on abstract composition, see our article on how to write an abstract that gets your paper read. 

2. Your opening sentence 

It may feel unfair, but a lot of judgements about a paper are made by reviewers upon reading the first sentence. This is because the first sentence is not just an opening that frames the problem or provides context. It is also a statement of intent, establishing the stakes of your paper.  

An opening such as “Research on species resistance in English oaks has grown significantly in recent years” may tell readers what is known, but it does not expand on the implications of such information. Instead, an opening like “Global warming has altered ecosystems to yet-unknowable degrees, which means that research on species resistance in English oaks is now more important than ever” provides not only context but reframes how readers think about your topic by outlining its significance and relevance. Importantly, opening sentences like this encourage readers to care about what it is you are addressing.  

3. Figure quality 

Figures play an increasingly important role in scientific communication, helping improve research impact on social media and ensuring clarity in press releases, communications, and even governmental policy briefs.  

Many reviewers look at your figures right after reading your abstract. Low-quality images, inconsistent fonts, missing labels, or colour schemes that do not work in greyscale all suggest the submission was rushed. Figures represent your data and are just as important as your methods section. 

It is important you follow best practices for creating high-quality figures, some of which include:  

• Choosing the format most appropriate for your dataset; 

• Label axes and curves clearly and correctly; 

• Values, results, and terminology should be consistent with those used in the main text; 

• Define the font, text size, and colour scheme; 

• Ensure that your figure is of a high-quality resolution (MDPI recommends a minimum resolution of 600 dpi).  

4. How recent your references are

The recency of the references you use in your paper shows that you are engaging with current developments in your area of expertise. If your reference list does not include anything from the last two years, reviewers may think that your literature review is incomplete or that your paper is outdated, especially if these reviewers work in fast-moving fields like artificial intelligence or reneweable energy. If your paper has undergone many revisions during the peer review process, check whether any important references are now out of date. 

Do not privilege recency completely, however. Whilst some papers may be more recent, they might not be the most appropriate to refer to in the context of your argument. Instead, make sure that your references strike a balance between recency and relevance.  

5. Consistent use of terminology 

Using several different terms for the same idea in your paper, even if each is correct, can confuse readers. It may make reviewers wonder if you understand the differences or if the paper was pieced together from different drafts. Use correct terminology relevant to your field to ensure clarity and avoid misinterpretation. Doing a quick search-and-replace before submitting can catch most of these issues. 

Consistently using the right terminology, which includes choosing relevant keywords, helps increase the discoverability and visibility of your research paper. Search engines and academic databases rely on exact keyword matching. For example, academic databases like PubMed and MEDLINE use standardised vocabularies when indexing your paper to optimise retrievability through search functions. Make sure your terminology matches subject specificity and overarching search trends.  

Getting your paper ready for review 

Need help getting your paper ready for review? At MDPI Author Services, we specialise in helping researchers prepare their manuscripts for publication. Our Academic Editing Service provides subject-specific expertise and in-depth technical refinement during the manuscript preparation phase by PhD specialist editors over four rounds of editing, helping to improve the scientific content and structure of the paper as the author is guided from pre- to post-publication. This service includes a review of your paper’s terminology.  

Also available is our Rapid Editing Service. This provides all features of the Standard Editing Service, in addition to an average 10-hour return, weekend editing, cover letter editing, reviewer response check, and free re-editing.  

As part of MDPI’s 30th anniversary celebrations, we are also offering a discount of CHF 30 off our Rapid and Academic Editing Services. Use code ‘MDPI30’ when ordering to apply the discount. Click here for a free quote.  

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