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name: publication-prep description: "Prepare manuscripts for journal submission. Use when: (1) Writing research papers, (2) Selecting target journals, (3) Formatting manuscripts, (4) Ensuring reporting guideline compliance, (5) Preparing submission materials." allowed-tools: Read, Write, Grep version: 1.0.0

Publication Preparation Skill

Purpose

Prepare complete, submission-ready manuscripts following journal requirements and reporting guidelines.

Manuscript Components

1. Title Page

• Informative title (<20 words)
• Author names, affiliations
• Corresponding author contact
• Word count
• Funding, conflicts of interest

2. Abstract

• Structured (Background, Methods, Results, Conclusions)
• Within word limit (typically 250-300)
• Keywords (3-6 terms)

3. Introduction

• Background and rationale
• Literature gap
• Study objectives/hypotheses

4. Methods

• Study design
• Participants
• Procedures
• Measures
• Statistical analysis

5. Results

• Participant flow
• Descriptive statistics
• Primary outcomes
• Secondary outcomes
• Effect sizes with CI

6. Discussion

• Summary of findings
• Comparison to literature
• Limitations
• Implications
• Conclusions

7. References

• Formatted per journal style
• Complete and accurate

8. Tables and Figures

• Self-contained
• Publication quality
• Referred to in text

Reporting Guidelines

• RCTs: CONSORT checklist
• Systematic Reviews: PRISMA checklist
• Observational: STROBE checklist
• Diagnostic: STARD checklist

Journal Selection

Consider:

• Scope and fit
• Impact factor
• Open access vs subscription
• Review speed
• Acceptance rate

Submission Checklist

• Manuscript formatted per journal guidelines
• Reporting checklist completed
• All co-authors approved
• Ethics approval documented
• Data availability statement
• Funding disclosed
• Conflicts of interest declared
• Cover letter written
• Suggested reviewers (if allowed)
• Supplementary materials prepared

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Version: 1.0.0