Submission Preflight (jbf-submission)
When to trigger
- Submitting this week — last check before pressing submit in Editorial Manager
- Unsure what Editorial Manager expects at initial submission
- Confirming anonymization, fee, and declarations are JBF-compliant
Process facts (verified 2026-06-20 on the official ScienceDirect guide)
- Elsevier; submission exclusively through Editorial Manager (via the journal homepage on ScienceDirect).
- A USD 350 fee applies to unsolicited new manuscripts, paid in Editorial Manager. It is non-refundable, and a paper may be desk-rejected without review even after payment. Waiver/discount codes exist for authors with limited means or from developing countries — request one pre-submission, then enter it in Editorial Manager.
- Review is double anonymized: an anonymized manuscript (no names, affiliations, or identifying acknowledgements) plus a separate title page.
- Provide editable Word/LaTeX source files; Editorial Manager converts uploaded article files into a single peer-review PDF.
- First submission has no strict reference-format requirement if references are complete and consistent; JBF's proof-stage style is numbered Elsevier references.
- Provide 1-7 English keywords. Keep JEL codes if useful for finance discoverability, but do not treat them as a current JBF hard rule.
- Abstract: concise/factual and ≤250 words.
- Highlights: encouraged, submitted as a separate editable file, 3-5 bullets, each no more than 85 characters.
- Data: Elsevier Option C applies. Deposit/cite/link research data or state why data cannot be shared; a data statement is required at submission.
- Generative-AI use must be declared. Free SSRN posting is offered (public once past initial desk review).
Preflight checklist
Cover letter skeleton (JBF-tuned)
Dear Editors,
We submit "[title]" for consideration at the Journal of Banking & Finance.
[1-2 sentences: finance question + setting, anchored in banking /
intermediation / markets / regulation]
[1 sentence: identification or design in plain terms]
[1 sentence: headline result with magnitude in finance units]
[1 sentence: contribution relative to the closest JBF-relevant strand]
The manuscript is not under review elsewhere; the fee/waiver, declarations,
and data availability statement are complete in Editorial Manager.
Highlights drafting (illustrative)
Elsevier Highlights are short result bullets: 3-5 bullets, each no more than 85 characters including spaces.
- "LCR adoption shifts large-bank lending toward short maturities" — good: result-forward.
- "We study liquidity regulation using a large panel" — bad: describes activity, not a finding.
- Lead every bullet with the finding; reserve one bullet for the policy-relevant magnitude.
Submission-day order of operations
- Final anonymization sweep: body text, acknowledgements, footnotes, file metadata.
- Fee path confirmed: budget approval for the USD 350 or the waiver code in hand.
- Declarations drafted offline (AI use, COI, funding, data availability) for pasting into Editorial Manager.
- Upload in order: separate title page, anonymized manuscript, Highlights, declarations.
- Record the SSRN opt-in decision and the suggested/excluded reviewer list.
Last-mile failures specific to JBF
| Failure |
Consequence |
Fix before submitting |
| PDF metadata shows an author name |
administrative unblinding bounce |
strip document properties on the anonymized file |
| Fee handled without budget approval |
submission stalls in Editorial Manager |
settle the USD 350 or the waiver code first |
| No data statement for licensed bank data |
declarations incomplete |
draft via jbf-replication-and-data-policy |
| Cover letter pitches only a "novel dataset" |
weak desk-screen signal |
re-pitch the intermediation mechanism via jbf-contribution-framing |
Anti-patterns
- Budgeting zero for the fee, or expecting a refund after a desk reject
- Leaving author identity in the manuscript or PDF metadata under double-anonymized review
- Forgetting the separate title page, or the AI-use declaration
Output format
【Anonymization】body + metadata clean; title page separate? [Y/N]
【Fee】USD 350 paid OR waiver code entered? [Y/N]
【Keywords/JEL】1-7 English keywords + optional JEL set? [Y/N]
【Declarations】AI use + COI/funding + data statement? [Y/N]
【Next step】await desk screen → jbf-review-process; R&R → jbf-rebuttal
Supplementary resources
Source: brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills → Journal-of-Banking-and-Finance-Skills/skills/jbf-submission/SKILL.md
1---2name: jbf-submission3description: Use when running the final pre-submission preflight for the Journal of Banking & Finance (JBF) via Elsevier Editorial Manager — the USD 350 submission fee, double-anonymized manuscript plus separate title page, 250-word abstract, keywords, Highlights, SSRN posting, data statement, and the generative-AI declaration. Final checks; it does not draft content.4---567# Submission Preflight (jbf-submission)89## When to trigger1011- Submitting this week — last check before pressing submit in Editorial Manager12- Unsure what Editorial Manager expects at initial submission13- Confirming anonymization, fee, and declarations are JBF-compliant1415## Process facts (verified 2026-06-20 on the official ScienceDirect guide)1617- **Elsevier**; submission exclusively through **Editorial Manager** (via the journal homepage on ScienceDirect).18- A **USD 350 fee** applies to unsolicited new manuscripts, paid in Editorial Manager. It is **non-refundable**, and a paper may be **desk-rejected without review** even after payment. **Waiver/discount codes** exist for authors with limited means or from developing countries — request one pre-submission, then enter it in Editorial Manager.19- Review is **double anonymized**: an **anonymized manuscript** (no names, affiliations, or identifying acknowledgements) plus a **separate title page**.20- Provide editable Word/LaTeX source files; Editorial Manager converts uploaded article files into a single peer-review PDF.21- First submission has no strict reference-format requirement if references are complete and consistent; JBF's proof-stage style is numbered Elsevier references.22- Provide **1-7 English keywords**. Keep JEL codes if useful for finance discoverability, but do not treat them as a current JBF hard rule.23- **Abstract:** concise/factual and **≤250 words**.24- **Highlights:** encouraged, submitted as a separate editable file, **3-5 bullets**, each no more than **85 characters**.25- **Data:** Elsevier Option C applies. Deposit/cite/link research data or state why data cannot be shared; a data statement is required at submission.26- **Generative-AI use must be declared**. Free **SSRN** posting is offered (public once past initial desk review).2728## Preflight checklist2930- [ ] Anonymized manuscript (no identity in body or PDF metadata; self-citations neutral)31- [ ] Separate **title page** (authors, affiliations, corresponding author, acknowledgements, funding)32- [ ] Consistent references; 1-7 English keywords; optional JEL codes; Highlights (3-5 bullets, <=85 characters each)33- [ ] Abstract is concise/factual and <=250 words34- [ ] Fee path settled: pay **USD 350** or enter an approved waiver/discount code35- [ ] Declared any **generative-AI** use; opted into **SSRN** posting if desired36- [ ] Suggested/excluded reviewers; cover letter (question, design, headline result, JBF fit)37- [ ] COI/funding disclosures; not under review elsewhere; data statement plus deposit/link or non-sharing reason (see jbf-replication-and-data-policy)3839## Cover letter skeleton (JBF-tuned)4041```42Dear Editors,43We submit "[title]" for consideration at the Journal of Banking & Finance.44[1-2 sentences: finance question + setting, anchored in banking /45 intermediation / markets / regulation]46[1 sentence: identification or design in plain terms]47[1 sentence: headline result with magnitude in finance units]48[1 sentence: contribution relative to the closest JBF-relevant strand]49The manuscript is not under review elsewhere; the fee/waiver, declarations,50and data availability statement are complete in Editorial Manager.51```5253## Highlights drafting (illustrative)5455Elsevier Highlights are short result bullets: 3-5 bullets, each no more than 85 characters including spaces.5657- "LCR adoption shifts large-bank lending toward short maturities" — good: result-forward.58- "We study liquidity regulation using a large panel" — bad: describes activity, not a finding.59- Lead every bullet with the finding; reserve one bullet for the policy-relevant magnitude.6061## Submission-day order of operations62631. Final anonymization sweep: body text, acknowledgements, footnotes, file metadata.642. Fee path confirmed: budget approval for the USD 350 or the waiver code in hand.653. Declarations drafted offline (AI use, COI, funding, data availability) for pasting into Editorial Manager.664. Upload in order: separate title page, anonymized manuscript, Highlights, declarations.675. Record the SSRN opt-in decision and the suggested/excluded reviewer list.6869## Last-mile failures specific to JBF7071| Failure | Consequence | Fix before submitting |72| --- | --- | --- |73| PDF metadata shows an author name | administrative unblinding bounce | strip document properties on the anonymized file |74| Fee handled without budget approval | submission stalls in Editorial Manager | settle the USD 350 or the waiver code first |75| No data statement for licensed bank data | declarations incomplete | draft via jbf-replication-and-data-policy |76| Cover letter pitches only a "novel dataset" | weak desk-screen signal | re-pitch the intermediation mechanism via jbf-contribution-framing |7778## Anti-patterns7980- Budgeting zero for the fee, or expecting a refund after a desk reject81- Leaving author identity in the manuscript or PDF metadata under double-anonymized review82- Forgetting the separate title page, or the AI-use declaration8384## Output format8586```87【Anonymization】body + metadata clean; title page separate? [Y/N]88【Fee】USD 350 paid OR waiver code entered? [Y/N]89【Keywords/JEL】1-7 English keywords + optional JEL set? [Y/N]90【Declarations】AI use + COI/funding + data statement? [Y/N]91【Next step】await desk screen → jbf-review-process; R&R → jbf-rebuttal92```9394## Supplementary resources9596- [`../../resources/external_tools.md`](../../resources/external_tools.md) — data sources and Stata/R/Python packages for empirical banking & finance97- [`../../resources/official-source-map.md`](../../resources/official-source-map.md) — official JBF URLs behind every fact in this pack9899---100101**Source:** [`brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills`](https://github.com/brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills) → `Journal-of-Banking-and-Finance-Skills/skills/jbf-submission/SKILL.md`
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