How do I publish my notes, and how long does it take?
Posting is a breeze! First, you’ll need to register an account so we can verify you are an academic author.
If you register with a @cam.ac.uk email address: Your account is approved instantly. You can log in, click “Submit a Scribble”, paste your Google Doc link, and your notes will go live right away.
If you use another institutional email: Our team does a quick manual review to approve your account registration. This doesn’t take long! Once approved, you’ll receive an email, and you can then log in and instantly publish your first Scribble.
What are some types of notes I can add?
Annotations, addenda, summaries, additional results, thoughts – anything goes, as long as it is professional and appropriate. You could:
- Reference a specific page, subheading or figure from your published paper and add deep-dive commentary directly below it. A good format to use is: “[Page Number on the PDF version] – [Subheading] – [First few words of the relevant line]…”.
- Answer all the questions you get about your paper – such as advice for replicating experiments – so people will bother you less.
- Provide anything you couldn’t include in the paper, such as supporting experiments and negative results.
- Discuss the concepts behind the project, your journey, or just how you think your work should be interpreted, because the publisher’s word limit wouldn’t let you.
How secure is Manuscribbl?
Manuscribbl uses industry-standard SSL encryption to keep your connection completely secure. When it comes to your notes, we never have access to your private files. You are simply sharing a “View Only” link to one specific document, meaning you maintain 100% control over your data.
Can I edit or delete my submitted notes?
Absolutely. Because you are linking to a live Google Doc, you can continuously edit, update, or add to your notes directly from your own Drive at any time. The changes will instantly be visible to readers — no need to re-upload anything! If you ever want to change the link itself, or completely remove your notes from Manuscribbl, you can do so at any time from your account. There is zero pressure and absolutely no permanent commitment.
Does Manuscribbl moderate submissions?
We will periodically make sure that any notes posted are by the actual authors of the paper.
We also want Manuscribbl to be a helpful, frank, and welcoming space for the academic community. To keep the platform safe and valuable for everyone, we reserve the right to remove any posts or links that contain disrespectful, offensive, or inappropriate material. Let’s keep it professional, insightful, and kind!
Will posting notes here conflict with my publisher’s copyright?
You aren’t uploading or distributing the published paper here, you are simply sharing additional notes and commentary. To ensure you are respecting publisher agreements, please do not upload final figures, tables, or copy-paste large, verbatim blocks of text from the published paper. Instead, simply reference the section you are talking about (e.g., “[Heading] – [Subheading]” or “Fig. 2”) and write your notes below it. Publisher agreements can vary. If you are concerned, we recommend doing a quick check of your specific publisher’s terms.