Scientific Medical Writing - Writing an Effective and Succinct Cover Letter: A Practical Guide - Résumé

Sep 13, 2026

Scientific medical writing requires careful preparation from manuscript drafting to journal publication, with the submission process as a decisive stage. The cover letter, also called the enclosed or motivation letter, is the first document read by the editor-in-chief and strongly shapes decisions to reject, request peer review, or proceed. This narrative review synthesizes recommended structure and content, outlining essential elements such as editor and journal details, submission information, ethical statements, authors’ agreement, and contact data.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The role of the cover letter in submission

Digitalization and perceived redundancy

Methods

Narrative review approach

Results

Required elements and additional declarations

Emphasizing manuscript uniqueness

Conclusion

Guideline adherence for acceptance

SCIENTIFIC MEDICAL WRITING Writing an effective and succinct cover letter: A practical guide Rédiger une lettre de motivation efficace et concise: Un guide pratique Haifa Hachfi1*, Melek Kechida2*, Rania Kaddoussi3*, Hedhemi Rejeb4, Wafa Alaya5, Saida Hidouri6**, Helmi Ben Saad7** 1. Department of Rheumatology, Farhat Hached Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia 2. Université de Monastir, Hôpital Fattouma Bourguiba, Service de Médecine Interne et Endocrinologie, Faculté de Médecine de Monastir, Tunisie 3. Department of Pneumology, Fattouma Bourguiba Hospital, Monastir, Tunisia 4. Department of Pneumology, Abdelrahman Mami hospital, Ariana, Tunisia 5. Department of Endocrinology, university hospital Tahar Sfar, Mahdia, Tunisia 6. Université de Monastir, Hôpital Régional de Zaghouan, Service de chirurgie pédiatrique, Laboratoire de recherche LR12SP13 « Pathologie malformative de l’enfant » . 7 . Université de Sousse, Faculté de Médecine de Sousse, Hôpital Farhat Hached, Laboratoire de recherche LR12SP09 « Insuffisance cardiaque », 4000 Sousse, Tunisie. *These authors contributed equally as first author **These authors contributed equally as senior author AbstrAct Introduction: The cover letter is a critical component of medical journal submissions, often influencing acceptance decisions. However, authors frequently underestimate its importance. This narrative review aimed to provide guidance for authors on writing effective and succinct cover letters. Methods: We conducted a narrative review of literature on the recommended structure and content for drafting a cover letter. Results: An effective and succinct cover letter should include the names of the editor in chief and journal, submission details, ethical statements, authors' agreement, and contact information. Additional elements such as declarations of conflicts of interest, funding sources, and permissions may also be necessary. The cover letter should emphasize the manuscript's uniqueness without merely duplicating the abstract. Conclusion: Cover letters remain pivotal for manuscript acceptance and must adhere to specific guidelines. Key words: Cover Letter; Editorial Process; Manuscripts as Topic; Medical Writing; Peer Review; Research résumé Introduction: La lettre de motivation est un élément crucial des soumissions aux revues médicales, influençant souvent les décisions d'acceptation. Cependant, les auteurs sous-estiment fréquemment son importance. Cette revue narrative vise à fournir des conseils aux auteurs pour rédiger des lettres de motivation efficaces et concises. Méthodes: Nous avons effectué une revue narrative de la littérature sur la structure et le contenu recommandés pour la rédaction d'une lettre de motivation. Résultats: Une lettre de motivation efficace et concise doit inclure les noms de l'éditeur en chef et de la revue, les détails de la soumission, les déclarations éthiques, l'accord des auteurs, et les coordonnées de l’auteur correspondant. Des éléments supplémentaires tels que les déclarations de conflits d'intérêts, les sources de financement et les permissions peuvent également être nécessaires. La lettre de motivation doit mettre en avant l'originalité du manuscrit sans simplement dupliquer le résumé . Conclusion: Les lettres de motivation restent essentielles pour l'acceptation des manuscrits et doivent respecter des lignes directrices spécifiques. Mots clés: Évaluation par les pairs; Lettre de motivation; Manuscrits en tant que sujet; Processus éditorial; Recherche; Rédaction médicale Correspondance Helmi Ben Saad Laboratory of Physiology. Faculty of Medicine of Sousse. Street Mohamed Karoui. Sousse. Tunisia. Email: [helmi.bensaad@rns.tn](helmi.bensaad@rns.tn) LA TUNISIE MEDICALE-2024; Vol 102 (12): 988-994 DOI: 10.62438/tunismed.v102i12 .5438 This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) whic

FAQs

Why is the cover letter important in medical journal submissions?

The cover letter is typically the first document read by the editor-in-chief and forms a main basis for decisions to reject the manuscript or send it for external peer review.

What key elements should a strong and concise cover letter include?

It should include the editor-in-chief and journal names, submission details, ethical statements, authors’ agreement, and the corresponding author’s contact information.

How should authors present the manuscript’s value without duplicating the abstract?

The cover letter should emphasize the manuscript’s uniqueness and contribution without simply repeating the abstract’s content.

Sep 13, 2026

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