We hosted a webinar on June 18, 2025 on the topic of how to publish business and management research. We received many questions during the session, which we weren’t able to answer within the allotted time. So, for those who attended the webinar, or those who’d like insight into writing a compelling academic manuscript, we’ve collated our answers to the questions below.
If you’re interested in watching the recording of this webinar or exploring one of our previous webinars, complete the form at this link and receive immediate access to our full library of webinar recordings.
Research and Collaboration
1. Are there any communities, groups, or forums for connecting with like-minded researchers?
There are many ways to connect with researchers in your field or who share your interests. Your institution’s department is a great place to start. Stay in touch with your colleagues and ask them what groups they are involved with. As you establish your network and start building connections, start discussions about your research ideas with them to gauge their interest in co-authorship.
Conferences are another way to network. Look up the conferences in your field and discover how you can attend or get involved. For more information on how to make the most of conference attendance, visit Career and networking resources.
Professional and academic societies are also a great way to grow your network. Ask your colleagues what societies they or others in your field might be involved in. Search independently for societies or groups that align with your research interests.
Build your brand by establishing an online presence. Create profiles on academic websites and include links to them in your CV, professional websites, or social media accounts. Some sites you might consider are:
Academia.edu - A social networking service which enables academics to create profile pages and to connect with other users around the world with the same research interests.
AuthorAID - A pioneering global network that supports over 25,000 researchers in low- and middle-income countries to build their confidence, knowledge and skills in publishing and communicating their research.
Kudos - A platform dedicated to driving research performance through effective communication, within and outside of academia. It exists to help academics promote their work and reach a broader audience.
ORCID - A free, unique, persistent identifier (PID) for individuals to use as they engage in research, scholarship, and innovation activities.
ResearchGate - A professional network for scientists and researchers. It helps researchers connect and makes it easy for you to share and access scientific output, knowledge, and expertise.
Sage Policy Profiles - A free-to-use tool that enables researchers to discover how their work is impacting policy. Sage Policy Profiles lets researchers easily see specific citations of their work in policy documents and then illustrate and share that work’s impact graphically. The tool is powered by Overton, which hosts an extensive repository of global policy documents, guidelines, think-tank publications, and working papers.
Web of Science - Web of Science is an international citation network. YOu can create a researcher profile to track your publications, citation metrics, handling editor work, and peer reviews for journals, conferences, and funders, all in one place.
2. As a new PhD researcher, should publications ideally be co-authored with a more experienced researcher?
This is not necessary for every journal and also depends on how comfortable you feel writing a paper about your research. If you feel it would be useful to partner with more experienced researchers on a paper, follow that instinct. You’ll also want to check the submission guidelines as they may have guidance, mentorships, or requirements for PhD student submissions.
3. Is a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) based on request?
Not all journals publish Systematic Literature Reviews (SLRs) and not all journals request submissions. This varies widely across journals but should be explicitly stated in the submission guidelines whether they accept or request SLRs. You might also look at published articles to check whether the journal has published SLRs in the past. If it is unclear, reach out to the journal’s editorial team.
4. I am using research methods common in other fields like psychology. Will the novelty of the method be a problem?
It depends on the journal. Read the submission guidelines for the journal to determine if they have methodology requirements. Interdisciplinary journals or journals with an interdisciplinary scope may even welcome psychology research methods. You’ll want to explain why you chose that method and how it adds value or solves a problem that traditional methods in your field do not.
Publishing and Metrics
5. Is there an objective metric to check article/journal fit for a better experience for both authors and journals?
The best way to determine if a journal is a good fit for your paper is to read the Aims & Scope, submission guidelines, journal description, and published articles.
6. As a practitioner, should we publish based on our dissertation and continue researching, or should we add to journal topics with supporting research?
Dissertations are one of the generally acceptable forms of prior publication for Sage Journals, meaning excerpts or material from your dissertation that have not been peer reviewed can be used in a submission to a journal: https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/prior-publication. Please also review the individual journal’s submission guidelines for specific policies regarding acceptable forms of prior publication. Here is further information on converting a thesis/dissertation into a manuscript from our Sage Perspectives blog: https://www.sagepub.com/explore-our-content/blogs/posts/sage-perspectives/2025/06/20/converting-a-thesis-dissertation-into-a-manuscript
7. As a practitioner, how can I pursue research and publications despite my disconnect from academia?
Many business and management journals ask for practical implications to be included in scholarly publications. Journals may also have shorter-form article types available for submission, such as commentaries on topical issues in the field or invited Editorials.
8. Should we use a Gmail account or an institutional account for paper submission?
Institutional email accounts are recommended and preferred by editors as they are more easily verifiable.
9. Can the Introduction and Review of Literature be combined into one section?
This depends on the journal’s submission guidelines. Some journals have specific requirements for different sections, and others may be more lenient. The journal submission guidelines should state what sections and headings are required for your paper. When in doubt, reach out to the journal’s editorial office.
Peer Review
10. A doctoral student included his name in a reply to reviewers, violating the blind peer review policy. How can this mistake be corrected, or will his article be automatically rejected?
Typically, articles go through an initial screening prior to peer review to ensure the papers meet anonymization requirements. If the paper is not properly anonymized per the journal policy, it may be rejected before peer review. If the author has submitted their paper but it has not yet received a decision, they could reach out to the editors to request a withdrawal so they can properly anonymize their paper and resubmit.
11. Can I apply to be a reviewer at the early stage of my research work? Will I be accepted?
Early career researchers can start considering peer review opportunities once they have gained research and publishing experience. Reviewers are expected to have a deep understanding of the field and provide expert feedback to authors to help them improve their paper. Having experience with conducting, writing, and publishing research is key to becoming a strong reviewer.
If you are unsure whether you would be an appropriate reviewer for a journal, reach out to the journal’s editorial team to express your interest and find out more about what they look for when selecting reviewers. It is also beneficial to establish a relationship with the editors of the journal you wish to review for or publish in. Some journals may even have peer review or editorial board mentorship opportunities for early career researchers. Reach out to the journal’s editorial team if it is unclear whether these opportunities exist.
For more information on starting your peer review journey, visit Peer review: Why do it, and how to get involved ? and How to Review Articles.
12. What is Sage’s stance on using AI for paper reviews, and is it ethical to use a large language model for reviewing research?
The use of AI or LLMs for Editorial work presents confidentiality and copyright issues. The tool or model will learn from what it receives over time and may use it to provide outputs to others. It is important to approach use of Generative AI or LLMs carefully and check with the journal’s editor to confirm your use is appropriate.
Reviewers may wish to use Generative AI to improve the quality of the language in their review. If they do so, they maintain responsibility for the content, accuracy and constructive feedback within the review. Reviewers using ChatGPT or other Generative AI tools to generate review reports inappropriately will not be invited to review for the journal and their review will not be included in the final decision.
While LLMs can create a critical summary that would look like a review report, it is unlikely to be able to capture the reviewer’s experience as a researcher in the field, any local or contextual nuances of the study or indeed what impact the study may have on various populations. At Sage, we ask that Editors ensure the reviewers invited are aware of the confidentiality issues presented by generating a review report using language models or generative AI. (Using AI in peer review and publishing)
Our policy on the use of AI and LLMs in submissions can be found on our Publishing Policies pages: ChatGPT and Generative AI and Assistive and generative AI guidelines for authors.
13. What happens if adequate reviewers are not found? Is the paper rejected or given an editorial review?
Review processes vary by journal. Typically Editors or handling editors provide additional review needed if an appropriate peer reviewer is not available or able to review your manuscript. Editors may also utilize their Editorial Board for providing additional review.
14. If a paper is rejected by a journal but published on SSRN, can it be submitted to another journal after being retrieved from SSRN?
Each journal has their own policy regarding previously published work. Some journals may accept papers that have been posted on preprint servers like SSRN, while others may not. You may also be asked to provide the preprint ID at submission o rin your manuscript. The journal’s submission guidelines should state their policy on previously published work and whether they accept those papers. If it is unclear, reach out to the journal’s editorial team.
Promotion
15. What is and isn't allowed in publishing papers on Academia, ResearchGate, etc.?
Sage’s guidelines surrounding prior publication and acceptable forms of prior publication can be found here: https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/prior-publication.
