Services Requested: Expert Review, Scholar Editing, Formatting, Submission 

Result: Journal acceptance and publication 

Journal Lab by Lexcode offers a wide range of services that help researchers prepare their research manuscripts based on their needs. Whether researchers require copyediting services or a more comprehensive selection for manuscript preparation, Journal Lab has options that can cater to its clients’ preferences.   

For clients who are interested in publishing their studies in international journals, Journal Lab has Scholar Editing (SE), Formatting (FOR), and Submission (SUB) services aimed at preparing the manuscripts’ contents and formats to match the target journal following their guidelines. Submission assistance is provided when requested; Journal Lab’s editors assist clients during submission and resubmission, especially when journals require content-related revisions. For this particular project, an Expert Review (ER), one of Journal Lab’s nonediting services, was also requested. 

Below are some of the challenges, solutions, and results of one such project handled by Journal Lab through its various services.  

Client’s Title and Background: 

• A PhD researcher from a renowned university in South Korea 

Services Requested:  

• Expert Review (ER)  
• Journal Lab taps into the expertise of a researcher in the relevant field of study to provide valuable feedback and suggestions to clients to help them revise their manuscript content-wise through an Expert Reviewer’s report. Journal Lab’s editors can also edit and revise these reports to improve their coherence for clients, if necessary, as well as interact with the expert reviewer to request clarifications regarding their comments and recommendations.  
• Scholar Editing (SE)  
• An assigned Journal Lab editor reviews and edits a manuscript to improve its grammar, use of English, and logical presentation of ideas. The editor can also directly offer their suggestions to the client, especially if they can provide ideas on how to impart a study’s ideas and findings better to relate them to the study’s overall objectives.  

• Formatting (FOR)  
• Manuscripts are prepared following a target journal’s recommended layout, including any additional files required for submission. These include cover letters detailing some key information about the study’s background, findings, implications, and relevance to the target journal’s aims, scope, and readership. 
• Submission (SUB)  
• Manuscripts are submitted to the client’s journal of choice. Editors also provide clients support during the resubmission process, especially for journals that require revisions.  

Manuscript’s Subject Category:   

• Social Studies – Archaeology  

Manuscript’s Research Purpose:   

• Support archaeological information on presumed casting remains by conducting a scientific investigation of the by-products found in the remains of Korean bronze bells.  

Target Journal:   

• Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences  

Timeline:   

• 6/02/2020: Project received, including services availed by the client  
• 6/10/2020: Completed manuscript preparation, including editing and formatting. ER report edited for coherence.  
• 1/20/2021: Received client’s revisions to the manuscript after incorporating the ER report information for the client to review  
• 4/27/2021: Submitted manuscript to client’s target journal  
• 11/05/2021: Received information from the journal concerning the journal’s feedback on the client’s manuscript  

• 11/11/2021: Completed follow-up revisions from the client, including drafting a response letter to be submitted with the revised manuscript  
• 11/23/2021: Minor revisions made to incorporate the client’s changes in citations and figure image information following the journal’s revision request before publication  
• 12/07/2021: Manuscript published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences  

Challenges:  

• Provide a concise summary of the study’s background, aims, methods, results, and implications through the manuscript’s abstract  
• Summarize and highlight the gaps in knowledge the study aims to fill  
• Establish its main arguments and hypotheses  
• Engage literature related to the study’s main topic   

• Reflect the study’s significance, implications, and recommendations for future research  

Solutions:  

• Revised the data presentation method used in the abstract to mention the key aspects of the study’s background information, methodology, results, and conclusions  
• Restructured the manuscript’s content to highlight its significance to archaeology   
• Highlighted the study’s purpose by identifying related literature and using them to justify the study  
• Recommended reevaluating cited references for their relevance to the study and suggested providing citations where necessary with an expert reviewer   
• Suggested well-defined research questions to provide a more focused discussion of findings to relate them to the study’s aims  

Results:  

• Clarified the comments and suggestions from the expert reviewer to the client  

• Prepared manuscript according to target journal’s guidelines, including additional files like cover letter and disclosures  
• Assisted clients during the submission and revision processes  
• Accommodated additional revisions from the client before manuscript resubmission  
• Confirmed successful publication of client manuscript