brycewang-stanford Submission Preflight (popdevr-submission)
The last check before pressing submit on ScholarOne Manuscripts. PDR is double-anonymized, so the most common avoidable failure is a manuscript that still identifies its authors. PDR uses Free Format for the first round — strict formatting is deferred to revision — but the science, the anonymization, and the statements must be in order. Verify volatile specifics on the Wiley author page before relying on them.
When to trigger
- "Submitting tomorrow" — last pass before upload
- Unsure which files/metadata ScholarOne expects
- Confirming the manuscript is anonymized and the right article type/length is chosen
Process facts (verify volatile items on the official page)
- Owner / publisher: Population Council (owner) / Wiley (publisher); quarterly; founded 1975.
- Portal: ScholarOne Manuscripts (confirm the current submission link). 待核实.
- Review model: double-anonymized — remove all identifying information about all co-authors; do not name yourself as author in the text or metadata.
- Free Format (first round): simplified submission — references may be in any consistent style, with strict formatting (APA-style house style) applied at revision. Confirm current Free Format scope. 待核实.
- Article types: Research Article (typically ~8,000–10,000 words), Notes & Commentary (short), Data & Perspectives, Archives, Book Reviews (usually invited).
- Front matter: abstract + keywords (confirm the current abstract word limit on the author page). 待核实.
- Fees: no author fees — no submission fee and no article-processing charge (APC) under the standard model (open-access/Online Open options may carry a separate Wiley APC if chosen). Consistent with the Wiley author guidelines as of 2026-06-22; re-verify on the author page before submission. 待核实.
- ORCID + statements: ORCID for the submitting author; data availability statement; funding,
conflict-of-interest, and ethics declarations (see
popdevr-transparency-and-data).
Preflight checklist
Type & length
- Article type chosen and its length norm met (Article ~8,000–10,000 words; Note short)
- Abstract and keywords present (within the current limit — 待核实)
- Exhibit set kept tight; extended material moved to supporting information
Anonymity (double-anonymized)
- No author names, affiliations, or acknowledgments in the manuscript file
- No self-identifying references ("as we showed in…"); self-citations neutralized
- Identifying file metadata stripped (document properties, comments)
- Separate (non-anonymous) title page prepared as ScholarOne requires
Format & metadata (Free Format first round)
- References in one consistent style (APA-style applied at revision)
- Figures/tables self-contained and accessible (see
popdevr-tables-figures) - ORCID provided for the submitting author
Compliance & files
- Data availability statement drafted; materials staged for a FAIR repository
(see
popdevr-transparency-and-data) - Funding / conflict-of-interest / ethics declarations complete
- Confirmed: no submission fee or APC under the standard model (note any Online Open choice)
Anti-patterns
- Leaving author identifiers in the text, acknowledgments, or file metadata (breaks double-anonymized review)
- Sending a long paper to the Notes & Commentary track, or padding a Note to Article length
- Assuming a Wiley APC applies — under the standard model PDR has no author fees (verify)
- Skipping the data availability statement because "it's only needed at acceptance"
- Over-formatting the first round when Free Format is accepted (waste of effort; just keep it consistent)
Compliance pre-screen: what the desk checks first (by article type)
PDR's editors/committee screen for fit and rigor before review; getting the basics right keeps the focus on the science. Map your type to its norms (confirm current numbers on the Wiley author page):
| Item | Research Article | Notes & Commentary | Data & Perspectives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length (norm) | ~8,000–10,000 words | short | focused on the data/indicator |
| Abstract / keywords | required (limit 待核实) | required | required |
| Double-anonymized | required | required | required |
| Data availability statement | required | required | required (central) |
| ORCID (submitting author) | required | required | required |
Referee/editor pushback at the desk and the submission-side fix
- "Self-identifying references compromise the double-anonymization." -> Neutralize self-citations ("prior work [Author] showed" not "as we showed"), strip document-property metadata, split off a non-anonymous title page.
- "This Note exceeds the short-form norm." -> Trim to a focused Note or move it to the Research Article track; do not submit an over-length Note.
- "The data availability statement is missing." -> Stage the statement and FAIR-repository deposit now
(see
popdevr-transparency-and-data). - "Was this submitted through the right portal?" -> Use ScholarOne Manuscripts; confirm the current link on the Wiley author page.
Output format
【Type】Article / Note / Data & Perspectives (length norm met? Y/N)
【Anonymized】text + self-refs + file metadata clean? [Y/N]
【Abstract / keywords】present + within limit (待核实)? [Y/N]
【Free Format】references consistent (APA at revision)? [Y/N]
【Data statement + ORCID】drafted + repo staged + ORCID? [Y/N]
【Fees】confirmed no submission fee / APC under standard model? [Y/N]
【Next】await decision -> popdevr-rebuttal on R&R
Supplementary resources
templates/checklist.md— the pre-submission self-check as a copyable list../../resources/external_tools.md— reference managers, anonymization, FAIR repositories../../resources/official-source-map.md— official PDR / Wiley URLs behind every fact in this pack