Science is a tireless systematic pursuit of knowledge, where researchers, using established methods, invest their time and dedication to contribute to a better world.¹ Scientific communication is a precious way to disseminate the knowledge acquired by researchers to others interested in the subject and must be done in a clear, concise manner that conveys the authors’ intentions to the article’s readers. One of the most important ways to share the results of the quest for knowledge is through the publication of articles, which are scientific documents that describe research through the discussion of ideas, innovative methodologies, techniques, processes, and results in various areas of knowledge.²

Data from the Bori Agency indicate that Brazil, although it continues to hold fourteenth position in the ranking of the highest number of scientific article publications, experienced a decrease of 7.4% in article publications in 2022 compared to 2021.³ One of the main reasons for this reduction is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; however, Brazil was the country that experienced the most significant decline in article publications. Thus, it is crucial to understand the processes involved in the preparation and submission of articles and to contribute to higher acceptance rates.

The publication of scientific articles is one of the most important ways to subject the knowledge produced to peer review, an essential process for the production of accurate knowledge; it is also crucial for the community of interest regarding certain themes and objects of investigation.⁴ Nowadays, the main means of disseminating these articles are journals. Therefore, it is by means of journals that the information the author presents is transformed into scientific knowledge, which is in the public domain. If the article is adequately disseminated, it can be read, cited, and used by healthcare professionals in their daily activities.⁵

The process of article publication can be considered complex. Therefore, the purpose of this editorial is to address, in a practical manner, the main characteristics that lead a scientific article to be approved or rejected by a journal, thus serving as a guide for authors seeking to transform the results of their research into publications.⁶

The large volume of submissions to high-impact journals also reinforces the emphasis on effective communication of scientific work.⁶ The thorough evaluations by editors and reviewers require authors to pay greater attention not only to the content of their texts but also to how they are written.⁷ Therefore, it is not enough to simply publish; instead, authors must follow a series of steps to ensure that their text is evaluated and interpreted in the most appropriate manner.

Commonly, standout articles are those that have social and scientific relevance, innovative potential, originality, well-organized information, and up-to-date references.⁸ However, several authors, whose articles meet these highlighted criteria, sometimes have their work approved with reservations or rejected due to common errors that could have been prevented.⁹ The article submission process is a moment of excitement, but it requires calmness and attention to minimize errors. After the stage of meeting the criteria of the selected journal, an article proceeds to evaluation. The role of the editor-in-chief and associate editors of a journal is to select articles for publication through the peer review system, where experts in the field are asked to assess the scientific merit of an article submitted to the journal.⁸

It is in this review process that errors are found, errors that can determine whether an article gets approved or not. Not giving up on seeking the necessary adjustments during the peer review process is crucial for the success of scientific publication. There are reports of articles that were initially rejected but later led the authors to international awards. Understanding how to improve the article with the reviewers’ suggestions is an important part of the publication process. In Table 1, we list some points that lead to article rejection and should be areas of attention before submission.

Table 1

Wrong choice of journal and incorrect format	Article not aligned with the journal’s interests or does not match the content typically published by the journal. For example, submitting an opinion article to a research journal.
Not following the journal’s guidelines	Ignoring the journal’s requirements and submitting the document without corrections. However, a thorough reading of the guidelines prevents this error.
Inadequate writing	A subjective text hinders the reader’s ability to understand what is being presented. Expressing the subject matter in a simple, direct, clear, and concise manner is essential to avoid redundancy.
Incorrect way of presenting the results	Interpretative comments, missing/incomplete data, and values without thorough analysis are the main mistakes. Excluding these enhances the value of your text.
Insufficient description of the methodology	The methodology is crucial for understanding the whole study. Therefore, it should be well-detailed and properly related to the type of study addressed, significant sample size, statistical analysis, etc.
Duplication or significant overlap	Sometimes journals may temporarily reject a work due to a high volume of submissions on a particular topic.
Old results	Old research in which the results have already been published.
Low research quality	Articles with low methodological rigor, subjective content, and weak discussion.
Lack of key elements	In general, those that characterize quality research: convincing hypotheses, appropriate and well-described methodology, well-presented results, and in-depth discussion with relevant conclusions.
Suspected or confirmed plagiarism	There is no room for doubt. Therefore, it is necessary to write a text with originality.

Source: Adapted from Sullivan, 1999.⁹

However, after understanding the errors that lead to article rejection, it is necessary to grasp the proper methodology for writing and publishing a high-quality article.