How to Publish a Research Paper in Management

Last updated: January 2026 · 5 min read · Audience: Authors, students, early-career researchers · Reading level: Introductory

Introduction to publishing in management

Publishing a research paper in management requires more than producing results. It involves matching the work to a venue whose scope, audience, and editorial standards are appropriate, and following the disciplinary conventions that reviewers expect. This page outlines how publishing operates in management, the most common challenges authors face, a step-by-step process, where to publish, and how to choose between journal types based on the author's situation.

The recommendations here are presented neutrally. EP Journals is one publisher among many, and the goal of this page is to help researchers in management make informed decisions, not to direct them to any single venue.

How publishing works in management

In management, the dominant editorial conventions include APA 7 formatting, qualitative or mixed-method designs, theoretical framing grounded in established management theories, and strong managerial implications sections. The typical first-decision time across reputable venues is 12 to 24 weeks. Authors are expected to engage with current literature, follow ethical and methodological standards specific to the discipline, and respond constructively to peer review.

Common challenges in management publishing

• Top-tier management journals such as those on the ABDC A* or FT-50 lists have acceptance rates below 10 percent.
• Reviewers demand a clearly identified research gap and explicit theoretical contribution, not just empirical findings.
• Double-blind review is the norm; author identifiers must be removed from the manuscript and metadata.
• Case studies and survey-based research require robust sample justification and validity testing.
• Managerial implications are often weaker than the empirical sections and lead to revise-and-resubmit decisions.

Step-by-step publishing process for management

1. Identify a research question rooted in a recognised management theory and a current organisational problem.
2. Design the study using survey, case study, qualitative interviews, or mixed methods with documented sampling.
3. Conduct the analysis using SPSS, AMOS, SmartPLS, or NVivo, and report reliability, validity, and fit indices.
4. Structure the paper with introduction, literature review, theoretical framework, methodology, findings, discussion, and managerial implications.
5. Anonymise the manuscript thoroughly for double-blind review.
6. Match the journal scope: strategy, HR, marketing, operations, or organisational behaviour.
7. Submit, address reviewer comments through a clear point-by-point response, and revise within the requested timeframe.

Tips to improve acceptance chances

• Position the contribution within an ongoing scholarly conversation rather than presenting it in isolation.
• Report Cronbach's alpha, AVE, CR, and discriminant validity for survey-based studies.
• Provide a clear theoretical model figure in the framework section.
• Write managerial implications that practitioners could actually apply.
• Cite recent work from the target journal to demonstrate fit.

Where to publish research in management

Several types of venues serve management research. The right choice depends on the contribution's maturity, the author's career stage, the available budget, and the indexing requirements imposed by the institution or funder. The table below summarises the main options.

Decision guidance: which type of journal to choose

Choose a traditional indexed journal when the work is novel, theoretically substantial, and the author can wait several months for the review process. This route maximises citation visibility and is often required for tenure, promotion, or doctoral defence committees that emphasise indexing.

Choose a structured low-cost peer-reviewed journal when the timeline is constrained, the budget is limited, and a transparent, documented review process is preferred over journal prestige. This option suits students, early-career researchers, and authors publishing applied or course-derived work. Platforms such as EP Journals operate within this category alongside several other publishers.

Choose an open-access journal with a moderate APC when wide and immediate readership matters, the author has institutional or grant-funded APC support, and the journal has clear indexing in DOAJ, Scopus, or a discipline-specific database.

Example scenarios

Student in management

An MBA or master's student writing a dissertation extension benefits from a structured low-cost journal where the review process is predictable and the turnaround supports graduation timelines.

PhD researcher in management

A PhD candidate aiming for an academic career should target ABDC-listed or Scopus-indexed journals aligned with the thesis theme, accepting longer review cycles in exchange for the citation and indexing benefits.

Budget-limited author

A faculty member without research grants can choose either a no-fee subscription journal with a slow cycle or a transparent low-cost open-access option such as those in the EP Journals group, where the fee structure and review timeline are published openly.

For researchers in management who prioritise a structured, transparent, and affordable peer-review process, platforms such as EP Journals are one of several options worth evaluating alongside indexed traditional and open-access venues.