Submission Guidelines

Submission Process and Requirements

The Journal of Business Research in Emerging Economies (JBREE) welcomes high-quality theoretical, empirical, and conceptual research across all areas of business and management with a specific focus on emerging and developing economies.

The journal aims to publish rigorous, relevant, and impactful research that advances understanding of business phenomena in emerging markets, including but not limited to:

  • Firms operating in emerging economies
  • Institutional and market transitions
  • Innovation, entrepreneurship, and SMEs
  • International business in developing contexts
  • Sustainability, governance, and socio-economic development
  • Digital transformation in emerging markets

All submissions are initially assessed for scope fit, originality, methodological rigor, and contribution to knowledge. Manuscripts that do not meet minimum scholarly standards or fall outside the journal scope may be desk rejected.

Manuscript Length Guidelines

  • Full research articles: 7,000–10,000 words (including abstract, references, and appendices)
  • Conceptual papers: similar range depending on contribution depth
  • Research notes / short papers: 3,000–5,000 words

Authors are encouraged to be concise and ensure a strong contribution-to-length ratio. Overly long manuscripts without proportional contribution may be returned without review.

Submission Originality Requirements

Submitted manuscripts must:

  • Be original and not previously published in any form (including book chapters or conference proceedings unless substantially revised)
  • Not be under review elsewhere
  • Not be submitted simultaneously to another journal
  • Contain original theoretical and/or empirical contributions
  • Disclose any prior dissemination (e.g., working papers, conferences) in the cover letter

If data have been used in prior publications, authors must clearly explain how the present manuscript provides a distinct contribution.

Manuscript Preparation and Formatting

Title Page (separate file)

Must include:

  • Manuscript title
  • Author names, affiliations, and contact details
  • Corresponding author identification
  • Short running title (max 50 characters)
  • Acknowledgements (funding, presentations, contributors)

Abstract Page

  • Maximum 200 words
  • Must be standalone and non-identifying
  • Should include:
    • Purpose of study
    • Theoretical foundation
    • Methodology/data
    • Key findings
    • Implications

No citations are allowed in the abstract.

Keywords

  • 3–6 keywords required
  • First 3 must reflect core journal indexing terms
  • Additional keywords may be customized

Main Text Structure

Recommended structure:

  1. Introduction (problem, motivation, contribution)
  2. Literature Review / Theoretical Background
  3. Hypotheses Development (if applicable)
  4. Methodology
  5. Results / Analysis
  6. Discussion
  7. Conclusion and Implications

Formatting Requirements

  • Font: Times New Roman, 11-point
  • Double-spaced text
  • 1-inch (2.5 cm) margins
  • Left-aligned text
  • Page numbers required
  • Single space after sentences

Headings

  • Level 1: Bold, left-aligned
  • Level 2: Bold, title case
  • Level 3: Italic, indented

No more than three heading levels should be used.

Citation and Reference Style

  • Use APA-style referencing
  • Alphabetical reference list required
  • Ensure every citation appears in references and vice versa
  • Use “et al.” for 3+ authors after first citation
  • Include DOI where available

Statistical and Reporting Standards

  • Report exact p-values (not thresholds only)
  • Provide effect sizes where applicable
  • Clearly explain analytical procedures
  • Ensure transparency of methodology
  • Include robustness checks where relevant

Tables and Figures

  • Tables and figures must be numbered consecutively
  • Each must be referenced in the text
  • Place all tables and figures at the end of the manuscript
  • Each table/figure should:
    • Have a clear title
    • Be self-explanatory
    • Avoid excessive repetition of text
  • No embedded image-based tables
  • Statistical significance must be clearly indicated

Review Process

JBREE follows a double-blind peer review process, ensuring:

  • Reviewer anonymity
  • Author anonymity
  • Independent evaluation of quality and contribution

Manuscripts are evaluated on:

  • Originality and theoretical contribution
  • Methodological rigor
  • Relevance to emerging economies
  • Clarity and readability
  • Practical and policy implications

Editorial Policy Statement

The Journal of Business Research in Emerging Economies prioritizes research that:

  • Addresses business challenges in emerging and developing economies
  • Provides new theoretical or empirical insights
  • Connects local contexts with global business understanding
  • Advances interdisciplinary and policy-relevant knowledge

The journal particularly values research that:

  • Explains unique institutional contexts
  • Investigates transition economies and market development
  • Bridges theory and real-world business practice
  • Provides actionable managerial and policy implications

Purely descriptive studies, literature reviews without new insight, or regionally irrelevant work are generally not suitable.

Ethical Standards

All submissions must comply with internationally accepted publication ethics, including:

  • No plagiarism or data fabrication
  • Proper authorship attribution
  • Transparency in data collection
  • Ethical treatment of human subjects (where applicable)
  • Disclosure of conflicts of interest

The journal reserves the right to use plagiarism detection tools for screening submissions.

Data Transparency and Research Integrity

Authors are encouraged to:

  • Make datasets available where possible
  • Provide methodological transparency
  • Share analytical procedures upon request
  • Include a data availability statement in accepted papers

Where data cannot be shared, authors must provide a clear justification.

Copyright and Permissions

Authors are responsible for:

  • Obtaining permissions for third-party content (figures, tables, images, etc.)
  • Ensuring originality of all submitted material
  • Proper attribution of all copyrighted material

Accepted authors may be required to transfer copyright or agree to publishing rights depending on publication model.

Article Sharing and Open Access

Authors may:

  • Share pre-publication versions (as permitted by journal policy)
  • Deposit accepted manuscripts in institutional repositories after embargo (if applicable)
  • Opt for open access publication where available

Open access articles may be freely shared upon publication with proper citation.