Proofing and publication: Ensuring accuracy in your manuscript
Take the final steps toward publication by reviewing your proofs, approving the final version and tracking your article’s progress.
How to navigate the proofing and publication process
Once your manuscript has been accepted, you’ll receive proofs of your paper. Proofing is a quality control step that involves reviewing your content to ensure it is presented exactly as intended. Returning your edits promptly prevents delays and keeps your article on track for publication. The two key areas of proofing and publication are outlined below with links to our resources.
Proofing your article
Once your manuscript enters the production phase, it undergoes professional typesetting. The corresponding author will receive proofs — formatted versions of your article, which need to be reviewed prior to publication.
The timeframe for proofing varies between journals, with most delivering proofs within two weeks of the acknowledgement letter notifying final acceptance. This timeline may extend if your journal has additional post-acceptance copy editing steps or if you need more time to respond to requests for further information.
Proofs are delivered through different methods depending on your journal, with most journals now using Elsevier’s Proof Central. The proofing process involves careful review of formatting consistency, figure quality, reference accuracy, and any special characters or equations to ensure everything appears as intended after typesetting.
Most journals provide a specific deadline for proof corrections, typically ranging from 48 hours to one week. Meeting this deadline ensures your corrections are included and your article is published on schedule.
Tracking your accepted article
After proof approval, your article heads toward final publication. Elsevier’s Article Tracking service provides the quickest and easiest way to monitor your article’s progress through the publication process. Registering with the Article Tracking service enables you to create a personalized homepage called “My Tracked Articles,” with links to detailed tracking information for all your Elsevier publications.
Beyond status updates, you can view bibliographic information (once available), link directly to the published version of your article on ScienceDirect and monitor your Scopus citation count.
Frequently asked questions
Support with proofing and publicationAccess to the proofs of your article differs between journals. To see the proofs of your article, you’ll need:
To be the corresponding author of your article.
To have received the proof email. The proof email contains the link to our online proofing system or contains the proofs of your articles as attachments in the email. You’ll receive the proof email as soon as your article has been typeset.
Depending on your journal, there are three ways to access the proofs of your article:
Via Proof Central. You’ll receive a link to access Proof Central in your email.
Via NEPTUNE (a web-based proofing framework for LaTeX authors). Authors can edit LaTeX sources as in any standard editor with extra features.
Via SkyLaTeX. You’ll receive a link to access SkyLaTeX in your email.
Directly to your email. You’ll receive the PDF proofs of your articles as a link or as attachments in your email.
It isn’t usually possible to make any corrections to your article after you have submitted your proofs because your article should be ready for publication at this stage. However, in case there is a critical error that must be corrected, the corresponding author can contact Elsevier via the Journal Article Publishing Support Center and request a correction.
Missing the deadline may result in publication proceeding without your corrections or potential publication delays. Contact the Journal Article Publishing Support Center immediately if you cannot meet the deadline to discuss possible extensions.
Once published online, your article receives a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) and becomes accessible through the journal's website. You’ll typically receive links and information about accessing your article, which will be discoverable on ScienceDirect, the world’s largest collection of peer-reviewed scientific and medical research.
Summary
Proofing and publication represent a significant milestone in your research journey. By carefully reviewing proofs, responding promptly to production teams and tracking your article’s progress, you ensure your research is presented just as you intended.
Once you’ve completed this stage of the publishing journey, you’re ready to move on to the next: Sharing and promoting your article.