manuscript
nounPronunciation: /ˈmænjəˌskrɪpt/
Also written as: MS
A written or typed document submitted to a journal for potential publication, containing original research or scholarly work.
Full Definition
In academic publishing, a manuscript refers to the author's version of a research paper or scholarly article submitted for editorial consideration and peer review. It includes all components such as abstract, introduction, methodology, results, discussion, and references, formatted according to journal guidelines. The manuscript undergoes various stages from initial submission through revision cycles until final acceptance or rejection. Modern manuscripts are typically submitted electronically through online manuscript management systems, though the term retains its historical connection to handwritten documents.
Plain English
A research paper or article that scholars write and send to academic journals hoping to get it published.
In Editorial Context
The primary unit of editorial workflow requiring tracking through submission, review, revision, and decision stages, with version control and correspondence management throughout the process.
Etymology & History
Originally referred to handwritten documents before printing, adapted to academic publishing to distinguish author submissions from published articles.
Meaning expanded from literal handwritten documents to include typed and digital submissions while retaining the concept of unpublished author work.
Usage
"The editorial assistant logged the new manuscript into the journal's tracking system and assigned it a unique identification number."
Usage note: In publishing contexts, distinguish from 'article' (published version) or 'paper' (can refer to either unpublished or published work).
Context: academic publishing, editorial workflow, scholarly communication
Region: international
Also known as
Contrasted with
Don't confuse with
Article typically refers to published work, while manuscript refers to unpublished submissions; preprint is a specific type of manuscript made publicly available before peer review.