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Cover letter, declarations and ethics statements

Alongside the science itself, a manuscript carries a set of formal statements about who did the work, how it was funded and whether any interests could influence it. These declarations are not paperwork for its own sake; they are what allow readers and editors to trust the published record. Omitting them is one of the most common reasons a manuscript is returned before review. This page explains the usual declarations and what you should confirm on the journal's official pages.

The cover letter

A cover letter is a short message to the editor that accompanies the submission. It states what the paper is, why it fits the journal and why it would interest its readers. It is also the place to mention anything the editor should know, such as a related submission or a request for a particular handling route.

The letter should be brief and factual. A page of flattery helps no one, while a clear statement of the paper's contribution and fit is genuinely useful.

Authorship and contributions

Authorship should reflect a genuine intellectual contribution, and the order of authors should be agreed among the authors before submission. Many journals ask for a statement that sets out who did what. This is not a formality: disputes over authorship are among the most difficult problems in publishing, and a clear statement prevents them.

Anyone who contributed but does not meet the journal's authorship criteria usually belongs in the acknowledgements. Guest authorship, where a name is added for influence, and ghost authorship, where a contributor is omitted, are both integrity problems.

Conflicts of interest

A conflict of interest is any relationship that could reasonably be seen to influence the work, whether or not it actually did. Financial interests such as funding, employment or consulting are the most obvious, but personal and professional relationships can matter too. The standard approach is to disclose them so that readers can judge for themselves.

Disclosure is not an admission of wrongdoing. Declaring an interest is the normal and expected step, and the absence of interests should also be stated explicitly.

Funding and data

A funding statement records who supported the work and, where relevant, the role of the funder. Many funders require specific wording, and some require the work to be deposited in a repository. Separately, a data-availability statement explains where the underlying data can be found or why they cannot be shared.

These statements make the research more useful and more trustworthy. They also help others build on the work, which is usually the point of publishing it.

Ethics statements

Where research involves human participants or animals, the manuscript must state the approvals obtained and, for human participants, how consent was handled. Where identifiable data or images are used, consent to publish may also be required. The exact requirements vary with the study and the journal.

The ethics statement belongs in the manuscript as well as any submission form. Editors treat a missing statement as a serious omission, so it is worth confirming the wording before submitting.

The declarations at a glance

The table below lists the usual declarations and the question each one answers. The required set and its wording are set by the publisher and can change.

Preparing the statements

The most reliable approach is to gather all the information before you start writing the manuscript, rather than hunting for it at submission. Confirm the authorship order with all authors, collect funder details, and agree the data-availability plan. This avoids rushed decisions under deadline pressure.

• Has every author approved the submitted version?
• Is the authorship order agreed and accurately reflected?
• Are all interests disclosed, or absence of interests stated?
• Is the funding statement complete and correctly worded?
• Is the data-availability statement accurate and specific?

Declarations and trust

Declarations exist so that the published record can be trusted. They let readers weigh the work knowing who funded it and whether any interest might bear on it, and they give credit where it is due. A manuscript with complete, honest statements is easier for an editor to process and harder for anyone to challenge later.

Because the required declarations and their wording differ between journals and change over time, check the current instructions before you submit. Where a requirement is unclear, the editorial office can confirm what is expected, and the journal's official pages remain the authoritative source for all such rules.

A submission carries more than science: it carries statements about authorship, interests, funding, data and ethics that let readers trust the record. Complete them honestly and early, and keep them consistent across the manuscript and the submission system. The required set is set by the publisher, so confirm the current declarations on the journal's official pages.

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