1. The manuscript must be compatible with the journal's focus.
2. The manuscript must make a new contribution to the literature.
3. The manuscript must be well-written and "tight." By tight, I am referring to the consistency of the entire manuscript. From the title to the justification to the research hypothesis to the methodology to the findings and the interpretation of the findings, there should be consistency.
I guess the most important factor is language, particularly for those English is the second/foreign language. Next, we must pay attention to the whole design. Sometimes, articles are not accepted for publication since the research design is not the right one. And finally, in my opinion, is the discussion section. To best of my knowledge, this part is difficult to be written for many of the authors. Thus, the whole article might not become a success!
I think New Original Novel work which make a impact on the subject always a good article. Language, research design, clear results, discussion and conclusion are complimentary objects for the article.