Submitting

Submitting refers to presenting material or requests to an authority, platform, or process for review, processing, or approval. The term is used in many domains, including academia, publishing, government, and online services. The word derives from Latin submittere, meaning to let down or yield.

In academic publishing, manuscript submission involves sending a paper to a journal or conference, following formatting guidelines, including title page, abstract, keywords, figures, and supplementary material. Submissions are typically accompanied by a cover letter and are subject to editorial screening and peer review. Authors may be asked to revise and resubmit, or may receive an outright accept or reject decision.

In online operations, submitting often means completing a form and submitting data or documents through a web portal. A submission usually requires certain fields, attachments, and consent to terms, and is followed by a receipt confirmation and status tracking.

In grants, competitions, or job applications, submissions are proposals or entries that must meet deadlines and eligibility criteria; selection depends on evaluation criteria and may require multiple rounds.

In legal or regulatory contexts, submissions to agencies may include filings, petitions, or notices; these usually must comply with procedural rules and filing deadlines.

In data management, researchers may submit datasets to repositories with metadata, licensing, and versioning requirements.

Best practices include reading guidelines, ensuring completeness, avoiding plagiarism, confirming receipt, keeping records, and respecting privacy and consent. Common issues include missing documents, incorrect formats, and late submissions.