Guideline for Article Contributions

Editors at EBR will work to ensure that articles to be published in the magazine say something new or different with unique perspectives. Articles should not somehow offer prescriptions to CEOs on what to do and what not to do or sometimes how to manage their enterprise.

EBR articles will be written by experts whose authority comes from careful analysis, study, and experience. Articles should be written in clear, simple and jargon-free language in about 1100 words. Articles should represent thought-provoking, often unforeseen ideas in the business and public sector areas. In case the word limits exceed 1100, prior consultation may be needed with editors.

EBR editors have strong desire for substantive, stimulating and well-written articles. They require articles on topics readers are unlikely to find in other publications.

Articles submitted to the Editorial Team of EBR should therefore be able to adequately answer the following questions:

What is the central message of the article? What is important, useful, new, or intuitive about the ideas covered in the article? Why do managers at middle and higher level need to know about it?
How can ideas/information in the article be used in today’s business or public sector management?
For which kinds of business would it work especially well?
What research has been conducted to support the argument in the article?
On what previous work/s (either of your own or of others) does this idea build?
Source of your authority? What academic, professional, or personal experience will you draw on?

The article certainly need not be written in question-and-answer format. The important point is to cover the topics the questions raise. In doing so points should be linked with ample real-world examples. Some of the questions editors ask when evaluating articles are:

Is this idea new or does it offer a new or different and useful perspective on an existing idea?
Is the author trying to tell readers something informative or something that helps increase awareness on issues relevant to private and public sector development?
Is the article persuasive in its approach?
Does the article address an issue that indeed matters to business owners, leaders and managers or public sector officials?
Could ideas raised in the article be put into practice?
Are there good illustrations? Have adequate examples been used to elaborate ideas?
Is the language used simple? And how about the flow of ideas and coherence?

This entails that articles submitted to EBR need to explore a given subject in-depth. This in turn requires rigorous presentation of details in the issue to be addressed. EBR editors are interested to make sure that articles help business leaders and public sector managers establish an intellectual agenda for discussion – and change – within their organizations. EBR articles should be thorough about giving credit to all direct quotations, paraphrased statements, and borrowed ideas.

EBR editors should know any financial relationship article writers may have with organizations cited for examples in articles that they submit for publication. Whether the relations are on consulting basis, employment, share or membership at any level, it is very important to EBR to make sure that articles published are neutral.

With consultation with the writers, articles submitted to EBR may undergo editing and rewriting. This will essentially be for clarity of ideas and managing space in the magazine.