Introduction

The Emirati Journal of Business, Economics & Social Studies (EJBESS) is an international, peer- reviewed, open-access journal that publishes original research articles, systematic reviews, methodological papers, case studies, and policy analyses in the fields of business, economics, management, and the social sciences.

EJBESS operates under a Diamond Open Access model, ensuring that all content is freely and permanently available online without subscription fees or Article Processing Charges (APCs). This approach promotes equitable access to scientific knowledge and supports the global dissemination of research without financial barriers for authors or readers.

EJBESS maintains a transparent and internationally diverse Editorial Board composed of leading business, economics, management, and social sciences experts, ensuring a broad peer-review process. The complete list of members, including their names, institutional affiliations, editorial roles (e.g., Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editors, Section Editors, Advisory Board), and ORCID IDs, is publicly available at: https://ejbess.emiratesscholar.com/editorial-board.

The Editorial Board is responsible for:

• Overseeing the peer-review process to ensure fairness, rigour, and transparency.
• Maintaining high editorial standards and supporting the journal’s scientific integrity.
• Upholding the principles of editorial independence, ensuring that all decisions are made without influence from sponsors, publishers, or institutional affiliations.

EJBESS fully complies with the COPE Core Practices, and the composition of the Editorial Board is reviewed and updated annually to reflect the journal’s commitment to diversity, expertise, and global representation.

EJBESS is committed to the highest standards of editorial transparency, scientific integrity, and open science, fully aligning with:

• DOAJ – Principles of Transparency and Best Practice
• COPE – Core Practices
• Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI)
• ICMJE – Recommendations
• FAIR Data Principles

All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0): https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

1) Aim, Scope & Audience

What we publish: EJBESS advances theory and practice across business, economics, management, and social sciences, emphasizing emerging markets, innovation, and policy-relevant research. Illustrative themes (not an exhaustive list):

•  Business & Management: strategy; innovation; entrepreneurship; leadership; organizational behavior; operations.
•  Economics & Finance: international trade; development; monetary and financial economics; ESG and green finance; fintech.
•  Public Policy & Society: governance; labor markets; inequality; education; health economics; social impact.
•  Digitalization & Technology: big data; AI in business; blockchain; digital transformation; data governance.

Audience: researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, graduate students.

Editorial screening: out-of-scope submissions may be desk-rejected to save Reviewer time.

2) Article Types, Purpose & Word Limits

Flexibility: Tables/figures/supplements may sit outside the count at the Editor’s discretion.

3) Open Access & APCs (Reuse Rights)

• Model: Diamond Open Access — no paywalls, subscriptions, or article processing charges (APCs).
• License: CC BY 4.0 — reuse, redistribution, translation, derivatives with attribution: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Third-party material: Authors must secure or replace permissions with openly licensed content.

4) Language, Style & Inclusivity

• Languages: English or Arabic; keep consistent US/UK spelling.
• Style: Clear, concise, inclusive (e.g., “participants”, singular “they”).
• Inclusive language guideline: Linguistic Society of America (https://www.linguisticsociety.org/resource/guidelines-inclusive-language)
• Editing: Professional language editing recommended pre-submission.

5) Double-Blind Anonymization

Required for peer review.

• Remove names, affiliations, acknowledgements from main file.
• Write self-citations in the third person
• Remove document metadata
• Relocate grant IDs and institutional clues to the Title Page.
• Refrain from including personal URLs or identifiable repositories during the review.

Non-compliant files may be desk-rejected to maintain anonymity.

6) Title Page

Include only here (not in the blinded manuscript):

• Full title + running head (≤ 50 chars)
• Authors’ names, affiliations, ORCID (https://orcid.org/)
• Corresponding Author’s email and postal address
• Funding (funder, grant no.; Crossref Funder Registry if available)
• Conflicts of interest statement
• CRediT contributions (https://credit.niso.org/)
• Ethics declarations (IRB/REC approval; consent; GDPR)
• Preprint info (server, DOI/URL)

Template - CRediT table (example)

7) Manuscript Structure (With Practical Hints)

1. Title (10-20 words; informative)
2. Highlights (3–5 sentences; 80-120 words; contributions & novelty)
3. Structured abstract (200–250 words: Objectives, Methods, Results, Conclusions)
4. Keywords (5-10; plus JEL codes when relevant: https://www.aeaweb.org/econlit/jelCodes.php)
5. Introduction (gap, objective, contribution)
6. Literature Review (critical synthesis; not a list)
7. Methods (design, sample, instruments, power, exclusion, analysis plan; replicable)
8. Results (clear, coherent; integrate tables/figures)
9. Discussion (interpretation; compare literature; limitations; implications)
10. Conclusions (takeaways; future research)
11. References (APA 7; DOIs/URLs)
12. Appendices / Supplementary (if needed)

8) Data Sharing, Open Science & Reproducibility

Policy:

EJBESS supports Open Science and mandates a Data Availability Statement (DAS) in all manuscripts.

Authors are required to share data, code, and materials whenever possible, while adhering to ethical, legal, and GDPR restrictions.

Submissions lacking a DAS may be returned to authors prior to review.

What to include:

• Data: raw or processed datasets.
• Code: scripts for analysis, notebooks, environment files.
• Materials: surveys, protocols, questionnaires.
• Documentation: README, codebooks, licenses.

DAS templates (customise as needed):

• Open data: “Data and code are available at [repository], DOI: ____. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.”
• Restricted data: “Due to GDPR, de-identified data and code are available at [DOI/URL]. Full data on request under a data-use agreement.”
• Proprietary data: “This study uses proprietary data from [provider]. Metadata and replication code are available at [DOI/URL].”
• No data generated: “No new data were created or analysed in this study.”

Recommended repositories:

• Zenodo: https://zenodo.org
• OSF: https://osf.io
• Figshare: https://figshare.com
• Dryad: https://datadryad.org
• Harvard Dataverse: https://dataverse.harvard.edu
• ICPSR: https://www.icpsr.umich.edu

FAIR quick guide:

• Findable: deposit in a repository with a DOI and complete metadata.
• Accessible: provide stable links and clarify any restrictions.
• Interoperable: use open formats (CSV, JSON, Parquet) and include a codebook.
• Reusable: add a clear license and a README explaining context and citation.

Citation of research objects:

All datasets and software used or generated must be cited in the references with a persistent identifier (DOI/URL) and an explicit license.

A minimal replication package:

Empirical submissions should include a driver script (e.g., run_all.R / run_all.py), an environment file (requirements.txt / renv.lock / Dockerfile), and a README with precise steps to run.

9) Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Use & Disclosure

• AI tools cannot be listed as authors (COPE Guidelines).
• Authors must disclose the tool name, version, and purpose if AI has been used.
• Example disclosure:

  “We used OpenAI GPT-4 (v4.2, https://openai.com) to improve language clarity. The model was not used for data analysis, result generation, or hypothesis formulation. All outputs were reviewed and validated by the authors.”

• Reviewers must not upload manuscripts to public AI tools.
• Prohibited unless explicitly disclosed and validated by humans: generating or modifying data, statistical results, or images/figures with AI tools.
• AI usage logs:
  • When AI tools are used in any part of manuscript preparation, authors must keep interaction logs.
  • Logs must be provided upon request during peer review.

10) Ethics, Consent & Integrity

• Human studies: IRB/REC approval; informed consent; privacy safeguards.
• Animal studies: ARRIVE guidelines (https://arriveguidelines.org/)
• Plagiarism: screened with iThenticate/Turnitin.
• Image integrity: we may request originals; inappropriate manipulation leads to rejection/correction.
• Redundant publication/salami slicing: prohibited (COPE) (https://publicationethics.org/redundant-publication)
• Pre-registration and trial registration: where applicable, include pre-registration details (e.g., OSF, AsPredicted) and clinical trial registration numbers (e.g., ClinicalTrials.gov) in the manuscript.

11) Reporting Guidelines

See EQUATOR Network: https://www.equator-network.org/

Submission requirement: Authors must upload the completed reporting checklist (e.g., PRISMA, CONSORT, STROBE, CARE, SRQR, CHEERS) as Supplementary Material and cite the relevant guideline in the Methods section.

12) Citations & References (APA 7)

It means stylistic coherence and traceability. Each citation in the text must correspond to an entry in the bibliography that includes a DOI or URL when available.

Examples:

• Article: Smith, J. A., & Khan, R. (2020). Corporate ethics in emerging markets. Journal of Business Research, 114, 123-135. https://doi.org/10.xxxx
• Book: North, D. C. (1990). Institutions, Institutional Change, and Economic Performance. Cambridge University Press.

APA Guide: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references

13) Tables, Figures & Artwork

Authors must adhere to the guidelines below when preparing figures, tables, and other visual materials to ensure high-quality publication standards, accessibility, and compatibility with indexing services.

Placement and numbering

• Place figures and tables as close as possible to their first mention in the text.
• Number figures and tables sequentially (e.g., Figure 1, Table 1) and ensure all are referenced in the manuscript.
• Provide clear, descriptive titles and, where necessary, explanatory footnotes.

Resolution and file standards

• Preferred formats:
  • PNG or TIFF for raster images
  • EPS for vector graphics
• Minimum resolution: 300 dpi for all figures to ensure compatibility with Crossref, repositories, and indexing services.
• Avoid low-resolution images, embedded screenshots, or non-editable figures.

Accessibility

• Figures must include descriptive captions explaining the content, methodology, and any abbreviations used.
• Do not rely on color alone to convey meaning; use patterns, labels, or contrast variations to improve accessibility for all readers.
• For complex figures, authors should provide short alt-text descriptions to support screen readers and enhance accessibility compliance.

Tables

• Submit tables in editable formats (e.g., Word table or Excel).
• Do not include tables as images, unless essential.
• Keep formatting minimal and avoid merged cells where possible.

Third-party content and permissions

• Authors are responsible for obtaining written permissions for any copyrighted material (e.g., images, diagrams, tables) used in the manuscript.
• Proof of permissions must be provided upon acceptance; otherwise, such material may be removed before publication.
• Authors are encouraged to use openly licensed content whenever possible (e.g., CC BY or CC0 materials).

Integration with repositories and metadata

• Figures and tables should be uploaded as separate, high-resolution files and embedded in the manuscript to facilitate indexing and archiving.
• Provide clear file names, e.g., Figure1.png, Table1.docx, to ensure accurate metadata assignment in Crossref and preservation repositories.

For further guidance on accessible design, authors may consult the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1): https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/

14) Preprints & Self-Archiving

• Preprints are allowed on SSRN, arXiv, OSF, Research Square.
• During double-blind review, refrain from including self-identifying preprint links in the main file.
• After acceptance, update the preprints with the EJBESS DOI and link them to the Version of Record.
• Green OA: Authors may deposit the accepted manuscript in institutional/disciplinary repositories under CC BY 4.0 with a citation to the VoR.

EJBESS distinguishes between the Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) and the Version of Record (VoR):

• The AAM is the version of the manuscript accepted after peer review but before copyediting, typesetting, and final publication. Authors may deposit the AAM in institutional or disciplinary repositories under CC BY 4.0, as long as it is clearly labeled as “Author Accepted Manuscript” and includes the full citation and DOI of the VoR.
• The VoR is the article's final, citable, published version, assigned a Crossref DOI, fully typeset and archived by EJBESS. The VoR is the only authoritative version and should be used for all formal citations.

EJBESS deposits the VoR into trusted repositories such as Crossref, Zenodo, and CLOCKSS to guarantee permanent preservation and easy discoverability.

15) Authorship, Contributions & Changes

• CRediT taxonomy required (Title Page).
• Authorship changes (add/remove/reorder) after submission require written consent from all Authors and Editor approval; changes may need a correction notice after publication.
• Authorship disputes are managed according to COPE flowcharts; evaluation may be temporarily halted until the issue is resolved.

Author accountability

All authors are collectively responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the submitted work. Each author should be able to identify which co-authors are responsible for specific parts of the work and must trust in the overall results.

16) Conflicts of Interest & Funding

• Disclose financial, institutional, personal COIs on the Title Page and in the manuscript.
• Provide the names of funders and grant numbers; use the Crossref Funder Registry when possible.

17) Peer Review Process — Steps, Timelines & Acceptance Rate

Workflow

EJBESS follows a double-blind peer review process to ensure fairness, rigor, and transparency:

1. Desk screening: the editorial team assesses scope alignment, ethics compliance, anonymization, plagiarism screening, and completeness of the Data Availability Statement.
2. Double-blind review: at least two independent reviewers with proven expertise in the relevant field evaluate each manuscript.
3. Additional review: conflicting reviewer recommendations may request a third expert review.
4. Editorial decision: decisions fall into four categories: Accept / Minor Revision / Major Revision / Reject.
5. Post-acceptance: accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting, proofreading, and typesetting before the Version of Record (VoR) is published.

Timelines & Service Metrics

• EJBESS is committed to editorial efficiency and transparency.
• Average timelines from submission to first decision and acceptance to publication are reviewed annually.
• The current acceptance rate is also reviewed annually.
• Updated metrics are published on the EJBESS website to ensure compliance with the DOAJ Principles of Transparency and Best Practice.

Reviewer Conduct

• Maintain strict confidentiality throughout the review process.
• Declare any conflicts of interest immediately.
• Provide objective, constructive, and evidence-based feedback.
• Do not upload manuscripts to public AI tools or external repositories during peer review.

18) Editorial Independence, Advertising & Sponsorship

• Sponsorships or institutional support are disclosed on the website and do not influence editorial decisions.
• The Editor-in-Chief has complete editorial independence.

Advertising & commercial content

EJBESS does not accept advertising, advertorials, or sponsored content. Any sponsorships or institutional support are disclosed and do not influence editorial decisions.

19) Misconduct, Sanctions & Post-Publication Updates

• Allegations (plagiarism, data fabrication, peer-review manipulation): investigated according to COPE guidelines.
• Sanctions can involve rejection, correction or retraction, notifying institutions or funders, or temporary submission bans.
• The Version of Record (VoR) is the only version that should be cited.
• Corrections Framework (COPE):
  • Minor errors: correction needed
  • Significant errors: erratum/addendum
  • Integrity concerns: expression of concern
  • Proven misconduct/unreliable findings: retraction

COPE retraction guidelines: https://publicationethics.org/retraction-guidelines

20) DOIs, Machine-Readable License & Metadata Quality

Each article receives a Crossref DOI (https://www.crossref.org/).

EJBESS deposits rich structured metadata with Crossref, including:

• Authors + ORCID, affiliations + ROR, funders + Funder IDs, license URL, references, and dataset DOIs (Crossref/DataCite relations).
• The URL for the CC BY 4.0 license is included in the article, and metadata is used to ensure machine readability.

21) Digital Preservation

EJBESS ensures long-term digital preservation via multiple redundant solutions, including:

• Zenodo for open data archiving
• CLOCKSS for full-text preservation
• Crossref DOIs ensuring permanent citation links

Preservation policies are reviewed annually to guarantee data integrity.

22) Privacy & Cookies (GDPR)

• Processing reader/Author data complies with the site’s privacy and cookie policies (links on the website).
• Submission data is used solely for editorial purposes.
• GDPR resource: https://gdpr.eu/

23) Complaints & Appeals

A written acknowledgement will be sent within 5 business days of receiving any complaint or appeal.

• Appeals: submit within 30 days to Editor@ejbess.org with a reasoned letter; reviewed by an independent Senior Editor; decision within 45 days.
• Complaints / Ethics concerns: send an email to research.integrity@ejbess.org; handled confidentially following COPE flowcharts: https://publicationethics.org/guidance/Flowcharts

24) Indexing & Abstracting

EJBESS is actively working towards inclusion in leading indexing and abstracting services, including DOAJ, Scopus, Web of Science, EconLit and RePEc.

Updates on indexing status are published on the journal website for transparency.

• EJBESS assigns Crossref DOIs and deposits comprehensive metadata to enhance discoverability.
• The DOAJ application follows these transparency policies; other indexing services such as Scopus are pursued separately.
• We do not consider ourselves included in services until those services confirm it.

25) Transparency Checklist

EJBESS follows the DOAJ Principles of Transparency and Best Practices in Scholarly Publishing and follows the COPE Core Practices.

Authors, Reviewers and editors are encouraged to consult these guidelines to ensure full compliance with international standards regarding:

• Open access and reuse rights
• Licensing and copyright protections
• Editorial Board Transparency
• Peer Review Procedures
• Data sharing and research reproducibility
• Ethics, conflicts of interest, and research integrity
• Complaints and appeals procedures

EJBESS regularly reviews its policies to ensure alignment with the DOAJ and COPE frameworks and the highest standards of editorial transparency, integrity, and best practices.

Direct reference: DOAJ Principles of Transparency and Best Practice: https://doaj.org/apply/transparency/
COPE Core Practices — https://publicationethics.org/core-practices

26) Submission System, File Types & Practicalities

Submission Platform

Manuscripts must be submitted through CiteScholar (https://citescholar.com), a user-friendly online submission system. Authors upload their files, enter required metadata such as title, abstract, author affiliations/ORCID, and track their submission status in real time. CiteScholar also supports efficient peer-review workflows and offers 24/7 assistance for both authors and editors.

CiteScholar automatically captures structured metadata, such as ORCID IDs, funding details, dataset DOIs, and license URLs, ensuring precise indexing through Crossref and DOAJ.

Accepted File Types

• Manuscript text: DOCX or LaTeX (with a compiled PDF version included for reviewer convenience)
• Figures: high-resolution PNG, TIFF, or EPS (minimum 300 dpi recommended)
• Tables: editable formats preferred (e.g., Word table or Excel)
• Supplementary materials: datasets, replication packages, and large files should be uploaded as supplementary files with clear labeling.

Reviewer Suggestions / Exclusions

Authors can propose or exclude potential reviewers through the submission system, including a brief explanation. Ultimately, the decision rests with the editors, who may accept or override these suggestions based on their expertise, conflicts of interest, or workload.

Third-Party Submissions

Submissions sent through agencies or third parties not authorized by EJBESS are not accepted. Authors must submit directly via CiteScholar to maintain transparency and ensure ethical oversight.

27) After Acceptance - Proofs & Changes

All post-publication updates, such as corrections, retractions, or expressions of concern, are linked to the Version of Record (VoR) and managed following the COPE Retraction Guidelines.

• Proofs: Only minor typographical/layout fixes are needed.
• Substantial changes: require editorial approval (or re-review).
• Name Changes Policy: Authors can request updates to their names or identities after publication. We adhere to COPE standards and update metadata while maintaining the scholarly record.

28) Ownership & Governance

Publisher

The Emirati Journal of Business, Economics & Social Studies (EJBESS) is published by the Emirati Scholar Platform, an independent academic publishing entity committed to open-access dissemination of scholarly research.

Registered Office

Emirati Scholar Platform

[Insert full legal entity name and complete postal address]
Email: editor@ejbess.org

Editorial Governance

All editorial decisions are made independently by the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board based solely on the scientific merit of the submitted work. Sponsorships, institutional affiliations, advertising agreements, or external funding sources do not influence the editorial process.

Transparency & Accountability

The full list of Editorial Board members, including names, institutional affiliations, editorial roles, and ORCID IDs, is publicly available at: https://ejbess.emiratesscholar.com/editorial-board

The composition of the Editorial Board is reviewed annually to ensure international diversity, subject expertise, and equitable representation. The publisher’s ownership structure and editorial independence policy comply with the DOAJ Principles of Transparency and Best Practice and the COPE Core Practices.

Contact Points

• General inquiries: editor@ejbess.org
• Research integrity & ethics: research.integrity@ejbess.org
• Technical support (submissions): support@ejbess.org