worlddev-submission

Submission Preflight (worlddev-submission)

When to trigger

• "Submitting tomorrow" — last check before uploading to Elsevier Editorial Manager
• Unsure which files and declarations the WD submission requires
• Confirming the manuscript is correctly anonymized for double-anonymized review
• Confirming abstract, keywords, and structure meet WD/Elsevier requirements

Process facts (检索于 2026-06；以官网为准)

• WD is Elsevier's multidisciplinary development-studies journal (ISSN 0305-750X; online 1873-5991), founded 1973, published monthly. Submission is through Elsevier Editorial Manager (verify the live link). Editors as of 2026: Jampel Dell'Angelo and Angelika Rettberg (待核实 — re-confirm on the journal page).
• Review model: double-anonymized. Author and reviewer identities are mutually concealed — this drives the anonymization requirements below.
• Abstract ≤250 words, single unstructured paragraph; 3–6 keywords in English; abstract must stand alone (no undefined abbreviations, no in-text references).
• Article length / word limit: 待核实. WD full articles are substantial; confirm the current maximum on the live Guide for Authors before relying on any number — do not assume a short limit borrowed from a sibling title.
• "Your Paper Your Way": initial submission formatting is flexible (single file, references in any consistent style accepted at first round); strict Elsevier reference formatting is applied at revision/acceptance. Re-verify.
• Open-access option available (APC) alongside the subscription route; exact fees and waivers (e.g., Research4Life country waivers) are 待核实.
• Declarations expected per Elsevier policy: declaration of competing interests, funding sources, CRediT author-contribution statement, data-availability statement, and ethics/consent approval for human-subjects research.

Preflight checklist

Anonymization (double-blind — do this first)

• Title page with author names/affiliations is a separate file; the manuscript itself is identity-free
• No "in our previous work" / self-citations phrased to unmask; third-person where unavoidable
• Acknowledgments, funding IDs, and identifying local-institution names removed from the blinded file
• Data-availability statement is review-safe (no identifying repository URL until acceptance)
• File metadata / properties scrubbed of author name

Format & style

• Abstract ≤250 words, single paragraph, stands alone; 3–6 keywords
• No significance asterisks; standard errors / confidence intervals reported in exhibits
• Tables and figures legible at print size; grayscale- and color-blind-safe; maps clearly classified
• Effect sizes in interpretable, development-relevant units
• References in a single consistent style (Elsevier formatting can wait for revision); confirm length against live limit (待核实)

Files & declarations for Editorial Manager

• Blinded main manuscript + separate title page
• Cover letter: development contribution, fit for WD (not JDE/WBER/JDS/EDCC), and why it suits a multidisciplinary readership
• Declaration of competing interests; funding statement; CRediT contributions
• Data-availability statement (matched to reality; review-safe)
• Ethics/IRB approval and consent statements for human-subjects or qualitative fieldwork
• Suggested/opposed reviewers if the form invites them (span the relevant disciplines)
• Confirm not under review elsewhere; AI not listed as an author

Anti-patterns

• Uploading a manuscript that unmasks the authors (self-citation, acknowledgments, identifying institutions, live repo link)
• Asterisks for significance, or numbers with no development-relevant interpretation
• Abstract over 250 words or that lists methods without the development finding
• A cover letter that pitches the paper as JDE-style methods rather than WD-style development relevance
• Asserting a word limit, fee, or editor name not confirmed on the live page (mark 待核实)

Output format

【Anonymization】blinded file + separate title page; no unmasking? [Y/N]
【Abstract】≤250 words + 3–6 keywords + stands alone? [Y/N]
【Exhibits】no asterisks; units interpretable? [Y/N]
【Declarations】COI / funding / CRediT / data statement / ethics ready? [Y/N]
【Cover letter】states WD development contribution + sibling boundary? [Y/N]
【Volatile facts】word limit / fees / editors re-verified or marked 待核实? [Y/N]
【Next step】submit via Editorial Manager → worlddev-rebuttal for the decision letter

Supplementary resources

• templates/checklist.md — submission self-check
• templates/manuscript_template.md — lightweight manuscript scaffold
• ../../resources/official-source-map.md — official URLs and volatile facts