Author Frequently Asked Questions

This section is for Frequently Asked Questions for authors. To make it easier to find the answer
you're looking for, the questions have been separated into common categories. Any which do not
fit into a category can be found below. If you're still not able to find what you are looking for
please contact manuscriptcentral@emeraldinsight.com, Emerald's ScholarOne Manuscripts help
email address.
The system has timed out. Why?
ScholarOne Manuscripts times out after 180 minutes with no activity, please remember to save
your work often to avoid losing any vital information.
How do I contact the editor?
Click on Submitted Manuscripts or Manuscripts with Decisions - your paper(s) will then appear at
the bottom of your Author Dashboard. The Editors name will be shown, these are hyperlinked.
Clicking on the Editors name will create an e-mail template which you can then use to contact the
Editor directly.
What is a cover letter?
A cover letter is read by the Editor(s) but it is not reviewed or published. The cover letter can be
used to provide additional information that may be useful to the Editor in evaluating your
manuscript.
How do I amend my personal details?
To keep your account information current, use the Edit Account link in the upper right corner of
the page (Only create account changes to Edit Account after your account is created). You can
also change your User ID and password here.

Account Queries
If I am registered on another journal do I need to register again?
Yes, each journal is a unique site. You can however keep the same username and password as
you use on the other journal.
If I am registered as a reviewer with this journal, do I need to create an author account?
This will depend on the journal; however, the majority of Emerald journals using ScholarOne
Manuscripts create an author and reviewer account simultaneously so you will have an author
and reviewer account with this journal.
If I was an author on the Jade system, do I need to register again?

Yes, you will need to create yourself a new account. (If you were a reviewer on Jade, you will
have been notified by e-mail if you have an account with ScholarOne Manuscripts.)
I have forgotten my password - what do I do?
On the log in page, there is a section called Password help. Type in your e-mail address and
press Go. A temporary password will be sent to your registered e-mail address. This is valid for
72 hours only. When you next log in, you will be asked to reset your password.
I am unable to log into ScholarOne Manuscripts. Why does the system not recognise my
User ID and/or password?
If you are sure that you have an account with this specific journal (you need an author account for
each journal you submit to), then most common login problems are caused by the following:

Mistyping the User ID or password

Be sure that your Caps Lock is not on. Your password is case-sensitive, so be sure you
are entering it using the proper case
If you are cutting and pasting the information, it is easy to accidently include extra
characters such as spaces. Try typing the information
Watch for common problem areas such as the distinction between the following:
The upper or lower case letter W (w, W) and the upper or lower case letter V (v, V)
The number zero (0) and the upper or lower case letter O (o, 0)
The number one (1) and the upper or lower case letter I (i, I)
Entering an outdated or incorrect User ID or password. When you change your primary
email address in the journal your User ID does not change automatically (you can
change it to anything you wish through the Edit Account tab at the top right of any page
after login)
ScholarOne Manuscripts does not send passwords via email, so you may have to enter
your email address ( known to that journal as your primary email address) in the
Password Help field on the Log In page. After clicking the Go button, you will receive an
email that provides a temporary one-use password and instruction on how to create a
new secret password
As noted in the Password Help email you receive, the temporary password has a 72 hour
expiration. If the expiration date is passed you will have to use the Password Help field
again to request a new temporary password
You should receive the Password Help email soon after requesting it.

Sometimes your email server may be running slow and it will take a while. Check your Spam or
Junk folder to see if it is in there.
Requesting the Password Help email more than once will reset the temporary password each
time, so you will have to use the most current Password Help email's temporary password to
continue.
When I tried to create an account, I got an error message saying an account with my e-mail
already exists. How do I get my user details because I cannot remember what they are?
E-mail is the unique identifier so you cannot have more than one account with the same e-mail
address. To get your user details, go to Password help on the log in page - add your e-mail
address and press go. You will be sent your username and a temporary password.

I created my author account but when I log in I also have a reviewer centre - am I a
reviewer?
This will be at the decision of the journal Editor. Your name will appear in the list of available
reviewers and if the Editor wishes to he can then invite you to review a paper. Your reviewer
centre will be empty until the Editor contacts you.

Uploading papers
Is there a file size limit and do you restrict file types?
The maximum size limit for file upload is 60 MB.
You will not be able to upload the following file types: exe, com, vbs, zip. For preferred file types
please check the journal guidelines.
I've received my reviewer comments, how do I submit a revised paper?
Log in to your Author Centre. Go to Manuscripts with Decisions - click Create Revised
Manuscript. The system transfers all of the information you provided for your original paper. You
can amend the relevant files and other details accordingly.
At the file upload stage, delete your original article file and upload your revised article file (the
system keeps a copy of your original submission)
I can't submit my revision because I have run out of time, what do I do?
You should contact the editor as soon as you can and ask for an extension.
I clicked the back button to see what I had already completed, but when I went back to
where I'd just been it hadn't saved the information. Why?
You must not use the back button on your browser to navigate through the journal site. If you
need to go back to check any information you should navigate using the numbers at the left hand
side of the page or by using the Next or Previous buttons located and the top and bottom of each
submission page. Using the on screen navigation ensures that all your information is saved.
I am using Microsoft Word 2007. I am having conversion problems when I upload the
.docx file.
Sometimes the .docx files do not currently convert properly. If this happens, please resave it as a
lower version of Word (File > Save As > Save as Type: choose a .doc type from the list of
choices).
I have submitted a paper and the Editor has not received it. Why?

Go to your Author Account and check your Unsubmitted Manuscripts queue. If you have saved a
draft of your manuscript rather than submitting it, the article will not have been sent to the editor.
Check your fields for accuracy and click Submit.

Structured abstracts and keywords

Why should I write a structured abstract?
Structured abstracts help the Editor in their preliminary review of a paper and will certainly help
the journal reviewers get an overview of a paper even before conducting the review.
Structured abstracts act like signposts, they provide:
1. Consistency and clarity
2. Much easier evaluation of abstracts when confronted with a list of them
3. Speed to any literature search saves time therefore.
4. A format where it is easy to isolate sections and therefore read about the key elements of a
paper
5. A unique approach which sets Emerald abstracts apart from others
6. Real support when seeking academic support materials depending on the identified needs e.g.
research papers employing particular types of research methods
7. Useful information in libraries identifying texts for library users or directing them to Emerald
8. More efficient evaluation of papers at the abstract level
9. Transparency of the valuable content of the database acting as a clearer shop window
10. Ease of reading.
11. Particular benefits for practitioners being able to select quickly those papers with explicit
practical implications
12. Benefits for researchers being able to select quickly those papers that may help them
design their own research agenda and see what has already been done.
13. A major benefit in that one can pick out quickly the new angle/value of a paper.
14. Best practice from the medical and scientific fields but adapted for our readers' and
researchers' needs within the management and business field.
15. A clear framework for extracting, summarising and emphasising pertinent information for
people in management
16. Encouragement and a requirement for authors and researchers to provide stronger links
between research and practice something that both government and other funding bodies
support.
How to write a structured abstract
Emerald introduced structured abstracts to all journals in 2005. This development was
undertaken as part of our strategy of continuous improvement in the delivery and dissemination of
papers. Use of structured abstracts ensures that better information is supplied and that there is
more consistency across the journals and database. Ultimately, readers and researchers
searching the database are more likely to access the paper when the abstract provides useful
information. In the past, author-written abstracts were very variable both in terms of content and
quality. Structured abstracts ensure we no longer have this problem.
In an electronic environment, abstracts are more important that they have ever been. Sometimes
this snippet is the only thing a reader or researcher will see and it is the one chance we have of
persuading them to download the full text of the paper.

To produce a structured abstract for the journal and Emerald database, please complete the
following fields about your paper. There are four fields which are obligatory (Purpose, Design,
Findings and Value); the other three (Research limitations/implications, Practical implications and
Social implications) may be omitted if they are not applicable to your paper.
Abstracts should contain no more than 250 words. Write concisely and clearly. The abstract
should reflect only what appears in the original paper.
Purpose of this paper

What are the reason(s) for writing the paper or the

aims of the research?
Design/methodology/approach
How are the objectives achieved? Include the main
method(s) used for the research. What is the
approach to the topic and what is the theoretical or
subject scope of the paper?
Findings
What was found in the course of the work? This will
refer to analysis, discussion, or results.
Research limitations/implications (if
If research is reported on in the paper this section
applicable)
must be completed and should include suggestions for
future research and any identified limitations in the
research process.
Practical implications
What outcomes and implications for practice,
(if applicable)
applications and consequences are identified? Not all
papers will have practical implications but most will.
What changes to practice should be made as a result
of this research/paper?
Social implications (if applicable)
What will be the impact on society of this research?
How will it influence public attitudes? How will it
influence (corporate) social responsibility or
environmental issues? How could it inform public or
industry policy? How might it affect quality of life?
What is original/value of paper
What is new in the paper? State the value of the
paper and to whom.

A sample structured abstract

Title: Grade Inflation in the College ClassroomAuthor(s): Jan Tucker and Bari Courts
Journal: Foresight
Year: 2010 Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Page: 45
Purpose The purpose of this article is to assess the concept of grade inflation in higher
education institutions in an effort to determine its prevalence, causes, and strategies which can
be implemented to curtail it.
Design/methodology/approach A literature review of the problem is presented along with
several strategies as possible solutions to restraining the problem of escalating grades in the
college classroom.

Findings The problem of grade inflation has been a topic of concern for over a century and
there are no quick fixes or simple methods of reversing this trend but there are several
alternatives presented which could help curtail this trend.
Research limitations/implications Most of the research is based on anecdotal research. Very
little has been written on how to fix this problem.
Practical implications This paper brings this issue to the forefront in an effort to engage the
reader, college administrators and educators.
Social Implications This paper is the building block for future research on this topic. The culture
of the college classroom, teaching and learning could be affected by this issue. The hiring,
training and evaluation of college instructors could be impacted if colleges and universities
choose to investigate the issue of grade inflation at their institutions.
Originality/value The paper begins with an overview of previous research in this area and then
moves on to what is currently being implemented to curb grade inflation. The authors then
propose several methods and possible solutions which could be implemented to deal with this
problem.
My keywords aren't in the list, can I add my own?
Yes you can. If you are unable to find a keyword in the dropdown list you can type your own
keyword(s) in the list on the right hand side.

My Author Centre

I've received my reviewer comments, how do I submit a revised paper?

Go to manuscripts with decisions - click Create Revised Manuscript.
At the file upload stage, delete your original article file and upload your revised article file (the
system keeps a copy of your original submission)
I don't understand My Manuscripts - where do I find information about my paper?
Through the author dashboard, you can submit a new manuscript or track the status of any
previous submissions, either as main author or papers on which you have appeared as coauthor. Click the appropriate queue in the My Manuscripts section. Co-authored papers are
shown in a separate queue to papers which you have submitted.
If it is a new submission, look under the Submitted Manuscripts link. The information will display
at the bottom of the page. If you have received it back for revision or you have received a
decision e-mail from the Editor, look under the Manuscripts with Decisions link - this also includes
papers which have been rejected as well as those which have been accepted for publication.
How do I contact the editor?

Click on Submitted Manuscripts or Manuscripts with Decisions - your paper(s) will then appear at
the bottom of your Author Dashboard. The Editors name will be shown, these are hyperlinked.
Clicking on the Editors name will create an e-mail template which you can then use to contact the
Editor directly.

Co-Authors
This page details information for co-authors and also how to add co-authors to your paper.

When I tried to create an account, I got an error message saying an account with my e-mail
already exists. How do I get my user details because I cannot remember what they are?
E-mail is the unique identifier so you cannot have more than one account with the same e-mail
address. To get your user details, go to Password help on the log in page - add your e-mail
address and press go. You will be sent your username and a temporary password.
I am a co-author on a paper, is it possible for me to track a manuscript through the
system?
When a paper has been submitted with you as a co-author, you will receive an e-mail to let you
know it has been submitted. If you do not already have an author account one will be created for
you and your username and temporary password will be sent to you by e-mail. Once you have
your user details you can log in to check on the progress of this paper by clicking the Manuscipts
I have Co-authored link on the author dashboard.
How do I add multiple institutions for a co-author?
When adding an author on the Authors and Institutions step of the submission process, click the
link for "If you have multiple Institutions and Departments for this author, click here."
The Add More Affiliations popup opens. In the left column, enter an Institution, Department, City,
State, and Country.
You must enter data in fields marked with a req (required) symbol. Click the Add button in the
centre column. The information is added to the author's affiliations in the right column.
Click Save. If you need to add more affiliations, repeat the procedure. Add all institutions before
clicking the Add To My Authors button.
Note that you have the ability to delete an affiliation or reorder multiple affiliations.
How do I contact the editor?
Click on Submitted Manuscripts or Manuscripts with Decisions - your paper(s) will then appear at
the bottom of your Author Dashboard. The Editors name will be shown, these are hyperlinked.
Clicking on the Editors name will create an e-mail template which you can then use to contact the
Editor directly.

I am a co-author of a paper that has been accepted into a journal, but I have not received a
copyright form. Why?
If you are the co-author of a paper, Emerald will generally only ask that the copyright form is
completed by the corresponding author, as determined when you submitted the paper originally.