Assign Manuscript Numbers

In the EM system a manuscript number is required for each new submission before the submission can be assigned to an Editor. Publications have the option of having manuscript numbers automatically assigned by the EM system or having them manually assigned by the Editorial Office.

Publications may determine the format of automatically assigned manuscript numbers.

Manuscript numbers for revised submissions

In addition, publications may choose to have a visual differentiation between the manuscript number of an original submission and a revised manuscript. The system features two options for configuring a suffix that is applied to manuscript numbers. Example: PICKL-D-17-00999R

Notification of manuscript number assignment

A publication can configure a letter to notify the Author when a manuscript number has been assigned to a submission.

TO CONFIGURE:

To select the assignment method and format, go to PolicyManager > General Policies > Set Manuscript Number Type.

Select the manuscript number assignment method:

Manually assign manuscript number: The manuscript number field for the new submission appears as a text box. The manuscript number must be entered by editorial staff before the submission is assigned to an Editor.
Automatically assign manuscript number at Author submission: The automatic assignment occurs when the submission process is completed.
Automatically assign manuscript number when an Editor is assigned: The automatic assignment occurs when the first Editor is assigned.

If one of the automatic assignment options is selected, a format setting must also be selected.

Default auto-increment format: This format consists of the publication acronym, followed by "D" and a two-digit year code, plus a five-digit number that is automatically incremented for each new manuscript. Example: PICKL-D-17-00999
Journal auto-increment format: When this format is selected, additional fields appear on the page for configuration.
1. Prefix: A prefix may contain letters, numbers, and the "." character. Current year merge fields may also be included.
2. Starting number: The number is appended to the prefix and incremented to create a unique number each time a manuscript number is assigned. (When a current year merge field is used in the prefix, the starting number reverts to 1 when the year changes.)
3. Minimum number of digits in starting number: Number of digits to be used in the starting number. Example: If "1" is the starting number and "5" is the minimum number of digits, then the first manuscript number assigned is "00001" preceded by the configured prefix.
A Preview button is available to see how configured formatting would appear.

To configure a suffix for revised submissions, go to PolicyManager > General Policies > Set Manuscript Revision Suffix.

Select the revision suffix format:

Append "R" to the manuscript number display: This format adds an "R" to the end of the manuscript number for every revised manuscript. Example: PICKL-D-17-00999R
Append the revision count to the manuscript number display: This format adds the revision number for the manuscript after the "R." Example: PICKL-D-17-00999R1

Note: These options for revision suffix are for display purposes only and do not change the actual manuscript number.

To configure a notification letter to the Author, first create the new letter in PolicyManager. Then go to ActionManager > Author Letters, and find the event, Manuscript Number Assigned (in the Editor Assigned section). Choose the new letter from the drop-down list. When finished, click Submit.

For details on letter configuration, see Create Letters.