Submission of Manuscripts

1. The 'Manuscript Information' primary task asks for author details, the manuscript title, abstract, other associated manuscript information and types/number of files to be submitted. Please note: if you are the corresponding author, please submit your details in the corresponding author fields; DO NOT re-enter the same details in the contributing author fields.
2. The 'Validate' primary task gives you the opportunity to check and verify the manuscript files and manuscript information uploaded. If you are submitting manuscript files separately, we create a merged PDF containing your manuscript text, figures and tables to simplify the handling of your paper. You will need to approve the merged PDF file, and a PDF or any other file not included in the merge, to submit your manuscript. You may also update and/or change manuscript files and manuscript information by clicking on the 'Change' or 'Fix' links respectively.
3. The 'Submit' primary task is the last step in the manuscript submission process. At this stage the Manuscript Tracking System will perform a final check to ensure that all mandatory fields have been completed. Any incomplete fields will be flagged by a red arrow and highlighted by a red box. Click on the 'Fix' link to return to relevant section for completion. Once your manuscript has been finalized, click on the 'Approve Submission' button to submit your manuscript for consideration. A 'Manuscript Approved' message will display on your author desktop to confirm the submission.

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ADOBE ACROBAT

Best results are achieved if you have access to Adobe Acrobat Reader (6.0 or above). The program is FREE and is downloadable from the link here. (Once the download is complete, you should amend the default settings. Select: Edit - Preferences - Web Capture, and select Open Web links: In Acrobat. This will open PDF files in Acrobat Reader rather than in your browser. The amendment will not affect functionality of either Acrobat Reader or your browser.) If the site replicates your details on screen, then your paper was successfully submitted. Once the files are submitted, the system will convert them to PDF. The conversion process can take up to 10 minutes before the PDF is ready for approval. Please note the manuscript will not move to the next stage and progress to the editorial office until you have approved the converted files.

GETTING HELP

If you need additional help, you can click on help signs available throughout the system and a box will appear with context sensitive help. If further assistance is required, then please contact the MTS helpdesk.

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MANUSCRIPT STATUS

After your manuscript is approved, you will receive an email acknowledgement. You can check the manuscript's status at any time in the review process by:

1. Accessing the system with your password or via the link provided in the acknowledgement email.
2. Clicking on the link represented by your manuscript tracking number and abbreviated title on your homepage.
3. Clicking on the "Check Status" link at the bottom of the displayed page.

This procedure will display tracking information about where your manuscript is in the submission/peer-review process. See Navigating the System in the Submission of Manuscripts section for more information.

REVIEWER RECOMMENDATIONS

Authors are required to suggest 3-5 reviewers who are especially qualified to referee the work and would not have a conflict of interest. Please include the reviewers' names, email addresses, and institutions on the online submission form. Manuscripts will be reviewed by at least two external reviewers for content, originality, importance to the field, appropriateness of statistical analysis, and derivation of conclusions. Authors should note, however, that manuscripts may be returned after initial review by the editorial office if the paper is deemed unlikely to be reviewed favorably by virtue of size restrictions and/or general interest for the readership. This rapid rejection process enables the author to promptly submit for publication elsewhere.

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LICENSE TO PUBLISH

The corresponding author must complete and sign the License to Publish (LTP) form upon acceptance of the manuscript and return it to the editorial office. Failure to do so will result in delays to the publication of your paper. This form can be found on our License to Publish/Open Access/Self-Archiving page. 

ACNP does not require authors of original research papers to assign copyright of their published contributions. Authors grant Springer Nature an exclusive license to publish, in return for which they can re-use their papers in their future printed work. Springer Nature’s author license page provides details of the policy and a sample form.

ADVANCE ONLINE PUBLICATION

The final version of the manuscript is published online in advance of print. AOP represents the official version of the manuscript and will subsequently appear unchanged, in print.