What Makes an Effective Article - 10 Tips for Scholarly Publishing with an ACS Editor

Sep 21, 2026

Guide to writing and submitting an effective scholarly article for ACS journals, framed by an ACS editor’s perspective. Covers creating a useful outline with guiding questions and figure planning, selecting the most appropriate journal by matching scope and audience, and strictly following submission guidelines. Emphasizes ready-for-review formatting, complete cover letter requirements, and reporting analytical data with uncertainties, comparisons to standard methods, and sensor performance in intended complex samples, including support materials and author details.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

What makes an effective article

Editorial perspective and journal scope

10 tips for scholarly publishing

Tip 1: Create a useful outline

Tip 2: Choose the journal carefully

Tip 3: Read and follow the guidelines

What Makes an Effective Article --10 Tips for Scholarly Publishing with an ACS Editor Meng Li, Ph. D. 李萌博士 Development Editor, Analytical Chemistry & ACS Sensors Intro: American Chemical Society | 180 +
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| | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Local | International | Technical | Members | Countries | | Sections | Chapters | Divisions | | | “Advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and its people.” Provide information solutions ACS Publications’ goal is to deliver indispensable solutions to researchers who are addressing global challenges in the scientific community. Journals, Books and Resources ❑ Portfolio of 60+ peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of the American Chemical Society ❑ ACS Legacy Archives: Digital archive of all journal articles from 1879-1995 ❑ ACS Symposium Series ❑ ACS Guide to Scholarly Communication ❑ ACS Reagent Chemicals Provide information solutions ACS Publications by the numbers…* ❑ Most cited and/or impactful scientific journals in six core chemistry categories, according to the 2018 Journal Citation Reports® ❑ More than 55,000 peer reviewed articles published annually ❑ Over 33 million researchers engaged with over 1.2 million research articles ❑ Over 130 million article downloads from 6,000+ academic, government and corporate institutions ❑ 100,000+ original news stories * 2018 data What makes an effective article “Editors are interested in considering papers that are within their Journal’s Scope and will be well appreciated by their Readership” * * J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2014, 5, 2443−2443 10 Tips for Scholarly Publishing Tip 1: Create a Useful Outline • Gather data • Ask questions: WHY? WHAT? HOW? • Organize data by importance (not chronology) • Consider possible figures and their location in the text • Review your outline Start outlines early in a project; do not wait until the “end.” Tip 2: Choose the Journal Carefully Tip 2: Choose the Journal Carefully Consider the Journal Scope & Audience ACS Sensors is a peer-reviewed research journal that is devoted to the dissemination of new and original knowledge on all aspects of sensor science that selectively sense chemical or biological species or processes.…… Papers may focus on sensor development for commercialization or developing sensors that are used to provide new scientific knowledge. Articles may be entirely theoretical with regard to sensing, or they may report experimental results. Tip 3: Read & Follow the Guidelines [https://pubs.acs.org/page/ascefj/about.html](https://pubs.acs.org/page/ascefj/about.html) • Review Ready Submission: ACS journals have simplified their formatting requirements in favor of a streamlined and standardized review-ready format for an initial manuscript submission • Scope: new and original knowledge on all aspects of sensor science that selectively sense chemical or biological species or processes • Analytical data: All analytical data should include uncertainties, comparisons to a standard analytical method, and demonstration of the sensor’s performance in the complex samples for which the device is intended to be used • Cover letter: must include a clear statement of the objective of the study and justification of publication in ACS Sensors; further it should contain the full manuscript title, the name and complete contact information of the corresponding author, the name(s) of any other author(s), a description of any Supporting Information for Publication and/or for Review Only Material, 4 individuals competent to review the manuscript

FAQs

How should an outline be created for an effective scholarly article?

Gather relevant data, ask WHY/WHAT/HOW questions, organize information by importance rather than chronology, consider figure types and placement, and review the outline early rather than waiting until the project’s end.

What criteria should be used to choose the right journal?

Match the journal’s scope and readership, ensuring the topic fits the journal’s focus and that the manuscript aligns with how the journal disseminates new and original knowledge.

What must be included when following ACS submission guidelines for analytical data and cover letters?

Analytical data should include uncertainties, comparisons to a standard analytical method, and evidence of sensor performance in the complex samples the device is intended to handle. The cover letter must state study objectives and justify publication in ACS Sensors, and it must provide manuscript title, corresponding author contact information, other author names, and descriptions of supporting information or review-only materials.

Sep 21, 2026

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