Emerald Manuscript Central Support
Author Guide
Logging In to Your Author Centre .................................................................................... 2
Forgotten your Password? .............................................................................................. 2
The Welcome page ........................................................................................................ 2
The Author Centre ......................................................................................................... 3
The Manuscript Submission Process ................................................................................. 3
Step 1 – Type, Title and Abstract ................................................................................. 3
Step 2 – Keywords ..................................................................................................... 3
Step 3 – Authors and Institutions ................................................................................. 4
Step 4 – Details and Comments ................................................................................... 4
Step 5 – File Upload ................................................................................................... 4
Step 6 – Review and Submit ........................................................................................ 5
How to submit a revision ................................................................................................ 5
Step 1 – Authors response to reviewers’ comments ........................................................ 5
Step 2 – Type, Title and Abstract ................................................................................. 6
Step 3 – Keywords ..................................................................................................... 6
Step 4 – Authors and Institutions ................................................................................. 6
Step 5 – Details and Comments ................................................................................... 6
Step 6 – File Upload ................................................................................................... 6
Step 7 – Review and Submit ........................................................................................ 7
Approved papers ........................................................................................................... 7
Emerald’s Copyright Policy .............................................................................................. 7
Permissions checklist ..................................................................................................... 8
Ethics Guidelines ........................................................................................................... 9
Logging In to Your Author Centre
Each journal's Manuscript Central site has a unique web address (URL). Typically, you are
given that address in an email sent by the journal. If the address is hyperlinked, simply click
the link within the email, or you can enter the web address in the address field of your
browser and press the enter key on your keyboard. The URL will also be listed in the Author
Guidelines which can be found on the journal homepage.
Please note:
If you have an account on one journal you will still need to register on another site, but you
can use the same username and password. To create your account:
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Log on to the journals manuscript central site
Click on the create account link at the top right of the screen.
Follow the on-screen instructions, filling in the requested details before proceeding
Your username will be your email address and you have to input a password of at least 8
characters in length and containing two or more numbers
Click 'Finish' and your account has been created
To keep your account information current, use the Edit Account link in the upper right corner
(Create Account changes to Edit Account after your account is created). You can also change
your User ID and password here. In some cases, the journal may have already created an
account for you. When this happens, you will receive an e-mail with your username and a
temporary password.
Please note:
Please retain your new password information. For security reasons Manuscript Central will not
send your password via email.
You can log out of Manuscript Central at any time by clicking Log Out at the top right corner of
the page you are on. You will be returned to the Log In page.
Forgotten your Password?
Should you lose your password, enter your email address in the Password Help field and click
Go. The system will send an email containing a temporary password and instructions for
resetting your password. (Please note that your temporary password is only valid for 48
hours)
The Welcome page
When you log in, you are taken to the welcome page. Here you see links to all of the centres
you have permission for in this journal. Typically, authors are given both Author and Reviewer
permissions, although this varies by journal.
To access your author dashboard page, click the Author Centre button. Your author dashboard
page opens.
Instructions and Forms
Access journal-specific Instructions and Forms by clicking the link in the Resources box. The
Instructions and Forms link is also available on each page by clicking the tab in the upper right
corner of the page. This section contains useful information for authors and reviewers.
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The Author Centre
Through the author centre, you can submit a new manuscript or track the status of any
previous submissions, either as main author or as co-author.
Click the appropriate queue name in the My Manuscripts section. The information will display
at the bottom of the page.
The Manuscript Submission Process
To begin the submission process, click the star icon in the Author Resources
Section.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
• Each journal can ask for different pieces of information and different required fields from the
example shown in this guide. Journal-required fields are denoted by a red req symbol.
• Journals may vary the requirements based on manuscript type.
• Always follow journal instructions carefully when submitting manuscripts.
How to Submit a Manuscript:
Step 1 – Type, Title and Abstract
1. Manuscript type: select from the drop-down list of choices
2. Title: Enter a manuscript title or copy and paste one in
Click the Special Characters icon to insert any special characters
Click the Preview icon to preview the title
3. Abstract: Enter the abstract in the structured abstract format . Cut and paste into the fields.
For instructions on how to write a structured abstract please go to Instructions & Forms.
4. Click Save and Continue to move to Step 2
Step 2 – Keywords
Keywords are required for manuscript submission. You can either choose from a list of
keywords provided or enter your own.
1. Search on this list: Enter a keyword and click Search. A popup box displays keywords to
match your search. Select the checkbox to mark the search as case-sensitive. Select the
keyword(s) and click Add
2. To add a keyword to your manuscript submission, select a word from the list box and click
Add. The selected keywords display in the fields to the right. Where possible we recommend
that you add at least 2 keywords from this list.
3. 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.
4. Click Save and Continue to move to Step 3
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Step 3 – Authors and Institutions
Enter or confirm your name and institution information and add any co-authors and their
information.
1. First check to see if a co-author already has an author account. To do this, type in their email address and click the Find button. All matching details are displayed. Click Add to my
authors. If your information is pre-filled, verify it for accuracy. (Click the Edit icon to edit the
information.)
2. If no author account already exists, enter co-author information in the fields. Click the
Special Characters icon to insert any special characters. If you are not the corresponding
author, you can mark which author is.
3. Click Add to my authors. The co-author displays in the My Authors section with your name.
4. Repeat steps 2 – 4 for all authors. Once all authors are added, you can amend the order in
which they are displayed by changing the numbers on the far left of the My Authors box.
5. Click Save and Continue to move to Step 4.
Step 4 – Details and Comments
This page is journal-specific includes an area for a cover letter, as well as any other required
submission information.
1. Cover Letter: This is optional. You can submit a cover letter in one of 3 ways:
• Type your cover letter in the text field
• Paste an existing cover letter into the field
• You can browse to and attach an existing file.
2. Other sections: Complete the fields as indicated.
3. Selecting an issue to submit to: If your journal has regional editors, they will be listed here
by name and by region. It is important that you choose the editor from the region you are
submitting from – unless you are submitting to a special issue.
If you are submitting to a special issue, select this issue from the dropdown list.
If neither option is available, select Regular issue
4. Click Save and Continue to move to Step 5.
Step 5 – File Upload
In this step you will upload all of your manuscript files.
1. File Upload: Click Browse to locate a file and select it for upload. (The maximum size limit
for file upload is 60 MB)
2. File Type: Select from the dropdown list of choices.
3. Click Upload files. It is recommended that you upload no more than 3 files at a time
(although you can upload more files by repeating steps 1 – 3). If the files are very large, the
server may timeout preventing uploading. You will not be able to upload the following file
types: exe, com, vbs, zip, docx For preferred file types please check the journal guidelines.
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4. You must upload 2 files: an anonymous article file (it must contain no author information)
and a separate title page (which contains all author contact information).
5. During upload, a Details popup window displaying file attributes appears for each file.
- Click Next to move to the next file.
- For image/figure files, name the file to link to the same name as it has in the main document
(e.g. Figure 1). You can also insert a caption/legend beneath it.
- Click Save at the end of the file upload process.
Files display in the My Files section. You can change the order of the files and edit details.
6. Click Save and Continue to move to Step 6.
Step 6 – Review and Submit
This is a final review step before submitting your manuscript. All sections must display the
green checkmark before you can click Submit to complete the submission process.
1. Review each section carefully for accuracy and completeness. A green tick appears next to
each item that has been completed correctly according to the journal’s standards. A red cross
indicates that you need to complete required fields. A yellow box at the end of this column
details the exact error.
Click Edit in the right column to return to that step.
2. The final step is to view the PDF version of your submission by clicking on the PDF button.
Please check the file carefully to make sure that it is complete and correct. The title page will
not show in the PDF, but all figure files uploaded should.
3. Click Submit. The system asks for confirmation of the submission. Click OK to submit the
manuscript. You will receive a successful submission confirmation along with your manuscript
ID number.
The manuscript displays in the Submitted Manuscripts column of your dashboard.
How to submit a revision
Log on to the online submission site and, in the 'Author Centre', click on 'Manuscripts with
Decisions' under 'My Manuscripts'. You will then see a list of all manuscripts you have
submitted where the editors have been able to make a decision.
Find the manuscript you wish to revise and click on the link 'create a revision' in the 'Actions'
column. This will initiate a revised-submission process that prompts you to respond to the
points made by the Editors and/or reviewers.
Continue to follow the seven-step submission process, providing information when prompted.
Step 1 – Authors response to reviewers’ comments
This is compulsory. You should state clearly how you have addressed all reviewers’ comments
referring directly to the reviewers’ comments. Please do not add any information which could
identify any of the authors as this information is sent to the reviewers if re-review is required.
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Step 2 – Type, Title and Abstract
Unless specifically requested to do so by the Editor or reviewers you will not need to make
changes to this section.
Click Save and Continue to move to Step 3
Step 3 – Keywords
Unless specifically requested to do so by the Editor or reviewers you will not need to make
changes to this section.
Click Save and Continue to move to Step 4
Step 4 – Authors and Institutions
Enter or confirm your name and institution information and add any co-authors and their
information. Importantly, if any of the authors have changed their contact details please
update their details.
Click Save and Continue to move to Step 5.
Step 5 – Details and Comments
Unless specifically requested to do so by the Editor or reviewers you will not need to make
changes to this section.
Click Save and Continue to move to Step 6.
Step 6 – File Upload
The files from your original submission will be carried over. Before you upload your
revised files DELETE the original files.
1. File Upload: Click Browse to locate a file and select it for upload. (The maximum size limit
for file upload is 60 MB)
2. File Type: Select from the dropdown list of choices.
3. Click Upload files. It is recommended that you upload no more than 3 files at a time
(although you can upload more files by repeating steps 1 – 3). If the files are very large, the
server may timeout preventing uploading. You will not be able to upload the following file
types: exe, com, vbs, zip, docx For preferred file types please check the journal guidelines.
4. You must upload 2 files: an anonymous article file (it must contain no author information)
and a separate title page (which contains all author contact information).
5. During upload, a Details popup window displaying file attributes appears for each file.
Click Next to move to the next file.
Click Save at the end of the file upload process.
For image/figure files, name the file to link to the same name as it has in the main document.
You can also insert a caption/legend beneath it.
Files display in the My Files section. You can change the order of the files and edit details.
6. Click Save and Continue to move to Step 7.
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Step 7 – Review and Submit
This is a final review step before submitting your manuscript. All sections must display the
green checkmark before you can click Submit to complete the submission process.
1. Review each section carefully for accuracy and completeness. A green tick appears next to
each item that has been completed correctly according to the journal’s standards. A red cross
indicates that you need to complete required fields. A yellow box at the end of this column
details the exact error.
Click Edit in the right column to return to that step.
2. The final step is to view the PDF version of your submission by clicking on the PDF button.
Please check the file carefully to make sure that it is complete and correct. The title page will
not show in the PDF, but all figure files uploaded should.
3. Click Submit. The system asks for confirmation of the submission. Click OK to submit the
manuscript. You will receive a successful submission confirmation along with your manuscript
ID number. The ID will now have .R1 to indicate that it is a first revision (.R2 for second
revision etc)
The manuscript displays in the Submitted Manuscripts column of your dashboard.
Please note:
Once you begin a revision, it moves into the "Revised Manuscripts in Draft" queue in the My
Manuscripts section of your author dashboard. To continue, click the link and then click the
"Continue Submission" icon in the manuscript display at the bottom of the page.
You must submit the revision within the specified deadline. If you do not think you will
be able to do this you must ask the Editor for an extension. Once the deadline has passed you
will not be able to submit a revision and may have to submit your paper as a new submission.
If the Editor agrees to an extension, you will be able to proceed with the revision as outlined
above.
Approved papers
When your paper is accepted for publication you will be e-mailed to let you know. Your paper
will move to the Manuscripts with Decisions section of your author centre. You will also be
asked to complete an online copyright form. A link to this form is with the paper in your author
centre.
All authors on the paper will be sent the copyright form and we recommend that all authors
complete the form online, however, we only require the submitting author to complete the
copyright form. The information on the copyright form will be used to send the author the
published version of their paper and therefore it is imperative that we have full and correct
contact details.
If for any reason you are not able to complete the copyright form, please contact the journal
Publisher – their details are on the journal homepage on the Editorial Team page.
Emerald’s Copyright Policy
Emerald Group Publishing Limited seeks to retain copyright of the articles it publishes, without
the author giving up their rights to use their own material. Authors are not required to seek
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permission to re-use their own work. As an author you can use your paper in part or in full,
including figures and tables (except where copyright is owned by a third party, in which case
you must seek permission again) if you want to do so in a book, in another article written for
us or another publisher, on your website, or any other use, without asking us first. We believe
that this copyright policy benefits our authors by ensuring that we can:
 Develop our electronic publications and their delivery to meet customer needs and create
maximum dissemination of authors' work
 Protect authors' moral rights and their work from plagiarism, unlawful copying and any
other infringement of copyright
 Recoup copyright fees from Reproduction Rights Organisations to reinvest in new initiatives
and author/user services. Emerald Publishing Group Limited will provide a research
grant/award of 25% of copyright fee revenue up to £25,000 per annum to its author
community. Emerald is registered with The Copyright Licensing Agency in the UK and The
Copyright Clearance Center in the USA.
 Provide an efficient service for permissions
Permissions checklist
Please note that Emerald requires you to clear permission to re-use any material not created
by you. Emerald is unable to publish your paper with permissions outstanding.
Please ensure you have done the following:
Cleared permission to use any material (including content freely available on
the web) not authored by you. This applies to
tables/illustrations/figures/photographs and excerpts of more than 400 words.
Please attach evidence to this form.
Included full references for all tables/illustrations/figures/excerpts. (Please
refer to the Author Guidelines for advice on correct acknowledgement).
Cleared permission with the copyright holder, if any adaptation is significantly
similar to the original material
Cleared permission with any company if you have included a photograph of a
logo or product.
Cleared permission with the creator(s) of any photograph(s), if not taken by
you.
Where possible, cleared permission with the subject(s) of any photograph(s).
Cleared permission to use any material authored by you, if you have assigned
copyright to another party.
Emerald is a member of the STM Association and participates in the reciprocal free exchange of
material with other STM members. This may mean that in some cases, authors do not need to
clear permission for re-use of content. Authors should check the STM website to find
participating publishers and follow STM’s permissions guidelines. See: http://www.stmassoc.org/copyright_and_legal_permissions_guidelines.php
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Ethics Guidelines
Emerald and our editors are fully committed to good publication practice.
Emerald is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics and supports the
application of consistent standards across the industry.
Authors submitting articles and chapters to Emerald agree to the following:
 The article/chapter has not been published before in its current or a
substantially similar form. Please refer to the Emerald Originality
Guidelines (http://info.emeraldinsight.com/authors/writing/originality.htm).
 The article/chapter is not under consideration with another journal.
 The article/chapter does not contain any unlawful statements and does
not infringe any existing copyright. For guidelines, please refer to Emerald’s
Originality Guidelines
(http://info.emeraldinsight.com/authors/writing/originality.htm)
 I/We have obtained the necessary permission from the copyright
holder/s to reproduce in the article, in all media in all countries, and
transmit via all reputable third parties, any materials including tables,
diagrams and photographs not owned by me/us. (Please attach any
permission documents.)
 “Proof of consent” has been obtained for studies of named organisations
and people. (Please attach any permission documents.)
 All authors have received a final version of the article/chapter, take
responsibility for the content, agree to its publication and the order of the
authors listed on the paper.
 Anyone that has made a significant contribution to the research and the
paper has been listed as an author. Minor contributors have been noted in
the Acknowledgements section.
 I/We have declared any potential conflict of interest in the research. Any
support from a third party has been noted in the Acknowledgements.
 I/We have read and have adhered to the journal author guidelines and
Emerald’s Originality Guidelines
http://info.emeraldinsight.com/authors/writing/originality.htm.
 I/We will only deposit our own version of the article/chapter (not the
Emerald branded version) in an institutional or subject repository. I/We will
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not deposit the final version of the article/chapter into a subject or
institutional repository until the article/chapter has been published by
Emerald.
 I/We will not permit others to electronically gather or harvest and save to
a separate server my/our article/chapter.
Authors submitting articles or chapters to Emerald journals and books do so on
the understanding that, should practice that contravenes our guidelines be
identified, their papers will be treated in the manner outlined below. The
authors also accept that, in serious cases of misconduct or when we do not
receive an appropriate apology, they will be subject to a suspension of
publication within Emerald journals and books for up to five years.
A correction notice will be placed on the online version of the article or chapter
and will appear in a forthcoming issue of the journal or volume in the book
series. A correction notice will take one of the following forms:
Correction notices
Erratum
An erratum indicates a publisher error or oversight that has normally been
introduced or has occurred in the publication process. An erratum will appear
on the online version of the paper at the abstract level in order to ensure
visibility for all readers, including non-subscribers. It will also appear on the
online version of the paper. Third party distributors will also be informed of the
requirement to add the erratum. In the case of a journal or book series, the
erratum will also appear in the forthcoming issue or volume.
Corrigendum
A corrigendum indicates an author error that has normally occurred prior to
the paper having been submitted for publication. A corrigendum will appear on
the online version of the paper at the abstract level in order to ensure visibility
for all readers, including non-subscribers. It will also appear on the online
version of the paper. Third party distributors will also be informed of the
requirement to add the corrigendum. In the case of a journal or book series,
the erratum will also appear in the forthcoming issue or volume.
Retraction notice
A retraction notice will only be used in serious cases of ethical misconduct or
when research is seriously flawed and misleading. In normal circumstances,
the paper will remain in the online version of the journal or book. A retraction
notice will appear on the online version of the paper at the abstract level in
order to ensure visibility for all readers, including non-subscribers. It will also
appear on the online version of the paper. Third party distributors will also be
informed of the requirement to add the retraction notice. In the case of a
journal or book series, the retraction notice will also appear in the forthcoming
issue or volume. The retraction notice will be published as a separate item in
the forthcoming issue and assigned a DOI for future reference by researchers.
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Retraction notices will clearly state the reasons for the paper being withdrawn
in a factual manner.
It might be necessary to remove a paper completely from a database for legal
reasons. In these cases, a note to this effect will be presented on the online
table of contents.
If a retraction notice is required for an author’s work, Emerald reserves the
right to suspend publication of any future work by the author by up to 5 years.
Any submissions by the author during this period will not be considered by any
Emerald publication.
Note of clarification
A note of clarification will be used when a point needs to be emphasised or
clarified in the text but it does not constitute a correction.
Please note that any correction has to be highlighted as a stated erratum,
corrigendum or note of clarification and the text cannot be amended. This is in
order that the reader is aware of any changes to the text which they might
have cited or referred to in their subsequent research or practice.
Expression of concern
In cases where a conclusion is unclear or where we are unable to make a fair
decision due to conflicts of interest or lack of information, we will publish an
expression of concern regarding the paper. An expression of concern will
appear on the online version of the paper at the abstract level in order to
ensure visibility for all readers, including non-subscribers. It will also appear on
the online version of the paper.
Please note that Emerald reserves the right to not proceed with a case if the
complainant presents a false name or affiliation or acts in an inappropriate or
threatening manner towards Emerald editors and staff.
Guidelines in making decisions about ethical misconduct
Ethical issues include:
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Plagiarism
Redundant publication (dual publication or self plagiarism)
Authorship issues
Defamation/libel
Fabricated data
Unethical research and testing
Conflicts of interest
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There are different levels of interpretation of ethical misconduct. We present
the following considerations when adjudicating a difficult or disputed case. It is
important that we are consistent in our treatment of all cases.
Plagiarism
Emerald requires that all research submitted to one of the journals or books
are original and the author agrees to these terms when completing and signing
a record form. Please refer to the Emerald Originality Guidelines
(http://info.emeraldinsight.com/authors/writing/originality.htm) and the Committee on
Publication Ethics’ flowcharts for the processes that Emerald follows in cases of
alleged plagiarism in submitted or published articles. Please also refer to our
guidelines on re-using copyrighted materials within your paper at
http://info.emeraldinsight.com/authors/writing/permissions.htm.
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Very minor referencing errors, for example missing quotation marks for
one or two short clauses but the text fully referenced, would result in no
action.
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Minor referencing errors, for example 1 to 10 missing references for
small sections of text or less than 10% copying of a single text, would
result in a corrigendum.
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Major copying of more than 10% of a single text without sufficient
referencing would result in a retraction.
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Copying of ideas (rather than words) would result in a corrigendum or
note of clarification (subject to the author’s agreement). As there is no
copyright in ideas, it is unlikely that a full retraction notice would ever be
appropriate (especially if the previous work has been cited) unless the
author is in full agreement. Legally, there would be no defence for
retracting a paper for the copying of ideas.
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Insufficient acknowledgement of a work, hypotheses, or methodology,
for example the work has been referenced but the extent of the use of
the work not highlighted fully, would result in a note of clarification.
Redundant publication (dual publication or self plagiarism)
Authors are required to submit original content to Emerald publications. It is
only acceptable for research to be repeated if it leads to different or new
conclusions or for comparisons with new data. In all cases, it is important to
reference the previously published work. Please refer to the Emerald Originality
Guidelines (http://info.emeraldinsight.com/authors/writing/originality.htm) and the
Committee on Publication Ethics’ flowcharts for the processes that Emerald
follows in cases of alleged redundant publication in submitted or published
articles.
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Repeated research and findings which are fully acknowledged and fall
below 25% of the original paper are acceptable. It is important to check
that the scope of the paper and the conclusions do differ from the
previous research. If the repetition has not been sufficiently highlighted,
then a note of clarification may be required.
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If more than 25% of the paper has been copied without
acknowledgement of the previous research and without the inclusion of
new data or different conclusions, a corrigendum or retraction is required
depending on the severity of the case.
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If the paper is a verbatim copy of a previously published paper, a
retraction notice is required.
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If the same paper has been published in a different publication as a
result of multiple submission, a retraction notice is required.
Authorship issues
In multi-authored papers, it is important that all authors that have made a
significant contribution to the paper are listed. Those who have provided
support but have not contributed to the research should be acknowledged in
an Acknowledgements section.
Authorship issues fall into three main types:
 the exclusion of a contributor from the list of authors
 the inclusion of a named person who has not contributed to the paper or
does not wish to be associated with the research
 the order of the authors on the paper and the level of contribution that
they have made to the paper
Emerald will endeavour to facilitate a resolution to an authorship dispute.
However, as the research process is undertaken prior to the paper being
submitted to Emerald, it is not possible for Emerald or the editors to comment
on the level of contribution by each author. Please refer to the Committee on
Publication Ethics’ flowcharts for the processes that Emerald follows in cases of
authorship disputes in submitted or published articles. If the matter cannot be
resolved, Emerald will refer the matter to the authors’ institutions.
If all authors agree to a change to authorship on a paper, this will be
presented as a corrigendum. A retraction notice will only be published when
requested by all authors.
Defamation/libel
Emerald requires that authors obtain written ‘proof of consent’ for studies
about organisations or people.
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If inaccurate, unsubstantiated or emotive statements are made about
organisations or people in a submitted paper, Emerald reserves the right to
request changes to the text from the author or to reject the paper prior to
publication.
Critiques and reviews of products and services are acceptable but comments
must be constructive and must not be made maliciously.
If statements have been made in a paper that is published by Emerald and
found to be defamatory, a retraction notice will be published. In some cases
and when legally required, the paper will be withdrawn from the online version
of the journal or book. An apology will be published in a forthcoming issue of
the journal or volume of the book.
Fabricated data
Please refer to the Committee on Publication Ethics’ flowcharts for the
processes that Emerald follows in cases of fabricated data in submitted or
published articles. As the research is conducted prior to the paper being
submitted to an Emerald journal or book, it is not possible for Emerald or the
editors to adjudicate in all cases. We will endeavour to facilitate a resolution
and will refer the matter to the authors’ institutions when appropriate.
Unethical research and testing
An author must follow appropriate international and national procedures with
respect to data protection, rights to privacy, child protection and medical
testing on humans and animals. Authors must make available all consent
forms and requisite forms from the appropriate regulatory bodies to the editors
and publishers at Emerald. Emerald encourages all authors to demonstrate
how their research contributes to the benefit of society.
If research is found to contravene international or national procedures and this
is confirmed with the appropriate regulatory body, Emerald will publish a
retraction notice.
Conflict of interest
All conflicts of interest should be declared by the author, editor or reviewer.
Conflicts of interest include:
 A financial or personal interest in the outcomes of the research
 Undisclosed financial support for the research by an interested third
party
 A financial or personal interest in the suppression of the research
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A note to highlight the background to financial support for the research from
third parties or any other possible conflict of interest must be added to the
paper prior to review.
If a conflict of interest is suspected, then this should be reported to the editor
or Emerald. A concern regarding an editor should be raised with the journal
publisher or book commissioning editor at Emerald. Emerald will follow the
flowcharts presented by COPE in cases of a suspected conflict of interest.
For a full explanation of different conflicts of interest in the biomedical field,
please refer to: http://www.icmje.org/ethical_4conflicts.html .
In all cases, Emerald will:
1. Act professionally and efficiently. We will reply to letters and emails
within two working weeks of an initial complaint t explain the procedures
that will be taken.
2. Be completely fair and objective.
3. Always read the evidence in detail before taking the next step.
4. Always approach the accused party to establish their position before
making a decision or committing to a course of action.
5. Ensure that we provide sufficient time for all parties to respond.
6. Keep all parties informed of decisions, including the copyright owners,
editors and authors.
7. As members of the Committee on Publication Ethics, follow the processes
highlighted in the flowcharts presented by COPE
(http://publicationethics.org/).
8. It is Emerald’s responsibility to protect authors’ moral rights (to be
acknowledged as the author and not to be misrepresented) and to
ensure the correct record of the literature.
It will not be possible to please all parties in every case. Following a fair and
considered process, the final decision in any disputed case will rest with the
editor and Emerald.
Please note that Emerald reserves the right to not proceed with a case if the
complainant presents a false name or affiliation or acts in an inappropriate or
threatening manner towards Emerald editors and staff.
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