期刊名称：MIS Quarterly
 期刊简介(About the journal)
投稿须知(Instructions to Authors)
编辑部信息(Editorial Board)
About the journal
A peer reviewed scholarly journal, the editorial objective of the MIS Quarterly is the enhancement and communication of knowledge concerning the development of IT-based services, the management of IT resources, and the use, impact, and economics of IT with managerial, organizational, and societal implications. Professional issues affecting the IS field as a whole are also in the purview of the journal.
Instructions to Authors
Mission and Obtaining Feedback before Submission
All papers submitted to MIS Quarterly must relate to the journal’s mission, which is the enhancement and communication of knowledge concerning the development of IT-based services, the management of IT resources, and the use, impact, and economics of IT with managerial, organizational, and societal implications. Professional issues affecting the IS field as a whole are also in the purview of the journal.
The journal has a wide-ranging readership. Thus, papers submitted to MIS Quarterly should seek to communicate their content to as many readers as possible. Specialized terms should be defined clearly and briefly. Wherever possible, technical material should be placed in appendices. Authors should also assist readers in obtaining an intuitive grasp of the meaning of technical material.
MISQ does not formally provide pre-submission feedback to authors. Authors may approach a member of the editorial board personally for feedback, but only in the way that they may approach any scholar for feedback. The member of the editorial board may decline, and any such feedback from the editorial board member would not formally enter any part of the review process. A member of the editorial board who is approached for such feedback on a paper may also subsequently choose to exclude him/herself from serving in the formal review process for the paper. Any papers submitted to MISQ are deemed to have entered the formal review process.
It is absolutely essential that authors read the last several issues of MISQ to help them determine under which category their paper falls. This will also help authors in seeing and understanding the level of quality that is expected. It serves neither authors nor the review team if a manuscript is submitted prematurely. Getting feedback from experienced colleagues is a good way to ensure that a paper has reached a point where scarce journal resources can be effectively employed to refine it.
Review Basics
Type of Review: Double blind with respect to authors and reviewers; however, it is possible that a reviewer may have seen an earlier version of the research in the form of a conference paper, a paper presented at a research seminar, or a working paper. The associate editor and senior editor are aware of author identity. The authors are not aware of the identity of the associate editor.
- Number of External Reviewers: Most often three
- Average Time Required for Review: About three months
- Reviewers’ Comments to Authors: Yes
- Feedback to Reviewers: Yes, copy of reviews
- Fees Charged to Review Manuscript: No
- Percentage of Non-Refereed Articles: None
- Sponsorship: MIS Research Center (University of Minnesota) and the Association for Information Systems
Manuscript Categories
1. Research Article.
This category provides an opportunity for authors to:
- Make a contribution that is sufficiently original and significant so as to warrant a full-length article wherein the authors develop and present their arguments, solutions, and evidence.
- Ground their work in theory, whether it is a new theory being advanced and tested or an existing theory. Besides testing, authors may also be refining or challenging theories in a Research Article.
- Elaborate our understanding of digital phenomena and the role of information systems in solving high-impact business and societal problems.
- Present evidence of the verity of their claims.
Authors who are developing new theory but do not test that theory in the current submission should categorize their article as a Theory and Review Article. See below for a description of this category.
Authors who are proposing new methods on how studies can be conducted should categorize their article as Methods Article. See below for a description of this category.
Most submissions to and most papers published in the MIS Quarterly are Research Articles.
2. Research Note.
This category provides a forum for many types of concise research contribution. This category is typically half the length of a Research Article. Three examples of a wide variety of possibilities are:
- Empirical contributions that relate to topics that appear frequently in the MIS Quarterly and other top journals.
- Theoretical insights from the analysis of rich data on phenomena/problems that can trigger the development of theory.
- Discussions that relate to an important methodological issue (or issues) associated with a published article. The connections between a Note’s content and earlier published article(s) must be clear. Notes can arouse controversy and encourage dialogue on an important methodological issue.
A Research Note can also be thought of as a briefer form of the Research Article in the sense that the contribution may be at an acceptable level only because the research is presented in this more succinct format.
3. Methods Article.
This category is one where authors address methodological issues and introduce innovative methods related to the study of information systems. Logical presentation of ideas is critical in convincing the readership about the novelty in perspectives on how researchers should conduct research. Methods Articles may provide empirical evidence, such as simulations, or not, depending on the nature of the topic and the level of evidence required for that type of method. A Methods Article whose impact spans beyond the Information Systems discipline are welcome.
4. Research Commentary
For this category, senior scholars are invited by the EIC to discuss a research stream or methodological approach and offer important insights into where the field should go. A highlighting of seminal or key works that show how the topic has evolved is appropriate. Commentaries conclude with a set of research questions that are worth exploring in order to answer unanswered questions. Research Commentaries are refereed by selected MISQ editors.
5. Theory and Review Article
This category is for conceptual articles that develop novel theories and generate theoretical insights that advance the study and practice of information systems design, development, management, use, and consequences. Consistent with the MIS Quarterly‘s “big tent” strategic positioning that welcomes all perspectives to the study of information systems, the journal is receptive to different types of IS theories (for a discussion of different types of IS theories, see Gregor, S., The Nature of Theory in Information Systems MIS Quarterly (30:3), September 2006). It is also receptive to articles from a wide range of philosophical foundations and disciplinary orientations, including articles that bring together siloed theoretical perspectives and are constructively critical of established theory and practice.
Articles in this category can be of two types:
Theory-Generative Research Synthesis: Comprehensive review and synthesis of previously published research (around a theory, phenomenon, or concept) is used to generate theoretical insights and implications. These articles (1) act as repositories for the accumulated knowledge on important topics within the information systems field, and (2) clearly delineate the theoretical insights and the directions for future research that emerge from the literature synthesis.
Theory Development: Grounding in theory and/or practice is used to develop new IS theory. In contrast to theory-generative research synthesis, these articles do not engage in comprehensive review and synthesis of the literature (around a theory, phenomenon, or concept) to generate theoretical advances. Instead, they develop new IS theory through approaches such as
- Conceiving novel constructs and relationships pertaining to a phenomenon, problem, or solution.
- Drawing on a novel theoretical lens and elaborating it given the distinctive characteristics of the phenomenon, problem, or solution.
- Integrating multiple theoretical perspectives into a cohesive new IS theory (including integrative, inter- and intra-disciplinary theories).
- Falsifying assumptions of existing theories given the characteristics of novel phenomena, problems or solutions and refining theoretical perspectives for them.
- Challenging existing and advancing new philosophical foundations.
While preparing the manuscript, authors are invited to read the following MIS Quarterly editorials:
Authors are also encouraged to read prior Theory and Review articles published in MIS Quarterly.
6. Issues and Opinions.
This category provides a forum for the communication of well-developed and well-articulated position statements concerning emerging, paradoxical, or controversial research issues. An Issues and Opinions article may be described as rigorously argued and/or relying on scholarly evidence. Issues and Opinions submissions should open new areas of discourse, close stale areas, and/or offer fresh views on research topics of importance to the discipline. They should
- identify the issue(s) in terms that are easy to understand
- provide appropriate conceptual frameworks for the issue
- offer opinions and supportive arguments
- describe the implications of these opinions to research, practice, and/or teaching
- be supported, where appropriate, by empirical evidence
Category Lengths
Papers must be written concisely. The following are guidelines on maximum length (excluding tables, figures, appendices, and references):
1. Research Articles: 40 pages
2. Research Notes: 20 pages
3. Methods Articles: 35 pages
4. Research Commentaries: 30 pages
5. MISQ Theory and Review: 50 pages
6. Issues and Opinions: 25 pages
Submissions that have an excessive number of pages may have to be returned to authors for shortening before they are sent out for review.
Types of Papers MISQ Does Not Publish
MIS Quarterly has no a priori restrictions on the types of papers it publishes. If a Senior Editor deems a paper to be worthy of publication, this decision is the only remaining constraint for publication. For example, if an SE determines that a paper that develops or validates a research instrument makes a sufficient contribution, then the paper will appear in MIS Quarterly.
Scientometric papers will be considered, but the SEs at MISQ have historically required a large theoretical contribution in our Research Articles and so a simple journal ranking study, by itself, would be very unlikely to meet the standards of our Senior Editors. If a scientometric study addresses valuable professional concerns, it could find a home in the Issues and Opinions section, however.
Design science and economics of IS papers are especially welcome. The journal has prominent SEs in both domains who are ready to handle such papers.
Manuscript Guidelines
Address and Format
URL address for submissions: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/misq
Communications about your manuscript should be sent through this MISQ ScholarOne Manuscripts website. All authors of a paper must be copied on any electronic communications with the senior editor or staff in the office of MISQ.
Authors should not indicate on their resume or website that a paper is under review at MISQ. (The reason we ask this is to maintain anonymity during the review process.)
“Manuscripts and associated materials should be submitted electronically to the MISQ ScholarOne Manuscripts URL listed above. (Sample cover letter/e-mail)
Papers must be submitted in Word. Before using other formats, please contact the review coordinator through ScholarOne Manuscripts.
All text in manuscripts should be in 12-point Times Roman font. Papers should be DOUBLE SPACED, left-justified only — the entire paper, including the abstract and the appendices. (Note: 1.5 is NOT double spaced.)
Figures, tables, and exhibits must be embedded in the body of the paper, either immediately after the reference in the text or as soon as possible thereafter. If you are not referring to a table, figure, or exhibit in the text, it should not be included. Tables, figures, and exhibits should be in Arial font.
Grammar and Style
Use of high-quality grammar and style is essential. Authors should employ the services of a professional editor if they need assistance with grammar and style.
The following guidelines should be noted:
- When using citations in text, stress the point of what’s being cited, not who made the citation (for example, “…the Minnesota Golden Gophers basketball team was arguably the best team in the nation (Smith and Jones 1997)” rather than “Smith and Jones (1997) argue that the Golden Gophers were the best…”).
- Authors should limit the number of citations in the text. Only those that are essential should be included.
- Authors should limit the use of footnotes. These can be distracting to a reader who may only have a short time to scan an article.
Content and Structure
The following information should also be provided:
Page 1:
- Paper title.
- Abstract.
- Keywords: Select 5 to 10 words or phrases to be used for indexing, in consultation with a technical thesaurus, if helpful. These might include important terms from the title, their synonyms, or related words. Authors should use neither prepositions nor hyphens unless the hyphenated parts are always treated as a unit. Authors should use terms that are as specific as possible and whose meaning is generally known.
Page 2:
- Paper title.
- Beginning of paper.
Headings should be clearly delineated. Authors should show each heading’s level of importance as follows:
MAJOR HEAD
Separate line centered over text; bold, all caps.
First Subhead
Separate line centered over text; bold, upper/lower case.
Second Subhead
Separate line, flush left; bold, upper/lower case.
Third Subhead
On same line as beginning of text, flush left, bold, upper/lower case, followed by a colon.
Permissions
Permissions to use reprinted material, adapted material, and material owned by other parties are the sole responsibility of the authors. Permission for the MIS Quarterly to use the material must be obtained in writing prior to publication and provided to the Managing Editor. Authors are responsible for payment of permission fees.
Refinement of Papers
Authors are strongly encouraged not to submit “hot-off-the-press” papers. Instead, they should present their papers at workshops and conferences first to obtain feedback from their colleagues. They should refine their paper based on this feedback before submitting their paper to the MIS Quarterly. The contributions of colleagues who provide feedback can be acknowledged on the second page of the paper.
MISQ References Format
Citation ordering and format should follow published MISQ articles. References must be complete, i.e., include, as appropriate, volume, number, month, publisher, city and state, editors, last name and initials of all authors, page numbers, etc. Below are some general directions:
- Sequence: Entries should be ordered alphabetically (in text and Reference section) according to authors’ or editors’ last names, or the title of the work for items with no author or editor listed.
- References in text: These must be included in Reference section and vice versa. References in text should be of the format (Jones et al. 1995; Smith 1996).
- References to items in periodicals: Author, year, title, journal, volume, number, month, pages. For authors, last names are given first, even for multiple instances.
- References to reports or proceedings: Author’s name and title of report (same style as above), report number, source, editor and/or publisher as appropriate, city and state/country of publisher OR full name of conference as appropriate, including date and pages.
- References to books: Author’s name (same style as above), year, title, city, state/country, publisher, page, or chapter.
- Use of et al.: Authors may not use “et al.” in the list of References. The names of all authors and editors must be listed. If you are using End Notes, please check your references to ensure that the settings are correct and that all authors are listed in the references.
- Number of references: The number of references should be kept to a minimum. Even for MISQ Review papers, only essential references should be used.
A few examples are:
Ackoff, R. L. 1961. “Management Misinformation Systems,” Management Science (14:4), December, pp. 147-156.
Bonini, C. P. 1963. Simulation of Information and Decision Systems in the Firm, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Chenhall, R. H., and Romano, C. A. 1989. “Formal Planning and Control Presence and Impact on the Growth of Small Manufacturing Firms,” in Job Generation by the Small Business Sector in Australia, W. C. Dunlop and A. J. Williams (eds.), Newcastle: Institute of Industrial Economics, pp. 71-89.
Blinding Your Manuscript
Our apologies. We haven’t quite gotten around to writing comprehensive blinding instructions for this page.
In general, make sure the names of the authors and/or their affiliations do not appear on the title page.
Do not refer to “my previous research” or “our previous research” and then give a reference to your own work. You may use your own work, but the sentence should be written “In previous research, Jones et al. (2011) discovered….”
You want to include all relevant references, but not make it obvious that you are self-citing. Identifying the reference as “Author (2011), for instance, is not acceptable. In the world of Google, this means I can find out who you are and it is no longer a blind submission.
Review Process
MIS Quarterly uses the following review process:
- Authors submit their paper electronically, along with a cover letter/e-mail that includes nominations and assurances (see below). The website for submission of manuscripts to MISQ is http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/misq. When referring to “system” below, we will mean this MISQ ScholarOne Manuscripts website.
- Authors who have not previously submitted papers to MISQ or reviewed for the journal will have to first register themselves on the system. Already being registered at another ScholarOne Manuscripts venue (such as ICIS, Management Science, or Information Systems Research) does NOT mean that you are automatically registered on the MISQ system. Each venue has its own registration directory and you will need to sign up separately for MISQ.
- Once logged into the MISQ ScholarOne Manuscripts website, you will be asked to answer a set of questions and upload your materials. After this is successfully completed, the review coordinator in the MISQ office will be notified and will contact the Editor-in-Chief who will assign the paper to a senior editor taking into consideration the author’s nomination and the senior editor’s workload. Once the senior editor agrees to handle the paper, the submission is officially transferred on the system to that editor.
- A senior editor first screens the submission. The senior editor evaluates whether the paper (1) addresses a topic and uses a genre that fits with the mission of MISQ and (2) has achieved a level of quality that justifies further evaluation by a review team.
- The senior editor then makes a decision whether to seek the assistance of an associate editor. If the senior editor has a high level of expertise in the topic of the paper, he/she may not engage an associate editor. Similarly, for submissions to the Issues and Opinions and MISQ Theory and Review categories, associate editors are not used in their role as AE, but they may be involved in the review process as a reviewer. If associate editors are engaged, however, they apply a second screening to the paper. Sometimes, the senior editor and associate editor may screen a submission in parallel.
- If submissions do not pass the initial screening(s), they are returned to the authors as inappropriate or rejected submissions.
- Papers that pass the initial screening are then sent to a panel of reviewers (usually two or three).
- Once review comments are returned to the editors, the associate editor assimilates them and makes an editorial recommendation regarding publication, revision, or rejection. The senior editor uses this recommendation as a basis for his/her final decision.
- Associate editors are guided by the recommendations of reviewers, but they do not necessarily comply with the majority recommendation of the reviewers. Instead, they are required to make their own judgment on the merits of a paper. Similarly, senior editors are guided by the recommendations of reviewers and associate editors, but they are required to make their own judgments on the merits of a paper.
- Senior editors make a final judgment on a manuscript and send their report plus a copy of the reports provided by the associate editor and reviewers to authors.
- The senior editor provides the associate editor and reviewers with a copy of the review reports they send to the authors. Authors’ names are removed from the copy of the review reports sent to the reviewers.
- MIS Quarterly strives to provide authors with timely, high-quality reviews. Nonetheless, a full review process may take approximately three to five months from receipt of the manuscript to the first editorial decision. A review process that takes place during December or January or during the northern hemisphere’s summer months may take longer (see below).
- Authors can access the status of their manuscripts as they pass through the review process via the system at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/misq. (For papers that entered the review process prior to August 1, 2008, contact the Review Coordinator at misqrevu@umn.edu).
At certain times of the year, authors should be aware that review processes tend to be slower. For instance, during December and January, many colleagues have end-of-semester responsibilities, and many attend the International Conference on Information Systems. In the southern hemisphere, many colleagues also take vacations. During July and August, many colleagues in the northern hemisphere attend conferences and take vacations. Many also finalize research papers during this period and thus the MIS Quarterly receives a large number of submissions.
Editor and Reviewer Nominations by Authors
Authors should offer nominations for both the senior editor and, where appropriate, an associate editor to handle their manuscript. Note that the editor-in-chief may play the role of a senior editor in this process.
Authors should nominate at least two choices of senior editor and associate editor. Nominees for senior editor and associate editor must be current members of the Editorial Board.
Authors should also offer reviewer nominations. Authors are encouraged to nominate four or more candidates for reviewers. A nominee for reviewer should be knowledgeable about the topics or methods found in the paper. An attempt will be made to select at least one of the reviewer nominations. In addition to the nominee’s name, please provide the nominee’s e-mail address and current affiliation.
On rare occasions, the editor-in-chief may consider an author’s nomination of a senior editor emeritus to serve as senior editor for the author’s manuscript. A key condition in assigning a senior editor emeritus to handle a manuscript is that he or she must possess the highly specialized knowledge, and this knowledge must be deemed necessary to evaluate the manuscript and the view of the associate editor and reviewers. The editor-in-chief will not approve such a nomination if a current senior editor is deemed to be able to handle the manuscript effectively. Approval of such a nomination also depends on the availability and approval of the senior editor emeritus. Authors who would like to nominate a senior editor emeritus must submit their manuscript and a justification for the nomination of a senior editor emeritus to the editor-in-chief. They should not personally approach the senior editor emeritus.
The editor-in-chief may exercise his or her discretion to choose any person (including a current associate editor) to act as a senior editor for a manuscript. Upon receiving a manuscript, a senior editor may forward it to the editor-in-chief with the recommendation that an acting or special senior editor be considered. Similarly, a senior editor might recommend to the editor-in-chief that an acting associate editor be considered. Because a colleague must be familiar with the MIS Quarterly ethos and reviewing culture if they are to serve satisfactorily as a special senior editor or associate editor, such appointments will be rare. The editor-in-chief must approve all such appointments. They will occur only if no member of the editorial board has the knowledge, skills, experience, or capacity to take responsibility for the paper.
The senior editors of the MIS Quarterly will consider carefully the nominees for reviewers and editors. Nonetheless, a senior editor may decline a manuscript and the review coordinator may ask another senior editor to handle the paper. Moreover, the selection of an associate editor is always at the discretion of the senior editor. Similarly, the selection of reviewers is always at the discretion of the senior and associate editors.
Author Checklist
Initial Submission
- Read detailed submission guidelines on MISQ website.
- Prepare electronic version of cover letter. This is required and includes nominations for senior editor, associate editor, and reviewers; also suggest appropriate category, such as “Research Articles,” “Issues and Opinions,” etc. For information on how to make nominations, see Editor and Reviewer Nominations by Authors. A sample cover letter/e-mail is also provided here. Note in the cover letter if the manuscript has been presented at a conference or published in conference proceedings or as a working paper. Verify that your manuscript has not been published by nor is under review at another journal or as a book or book chapter.
- Prepare electronic version of manuscript in Word or WordPerfect for PC. Use the Times Roman font for the body of the paper; use Arial (or Helvitica) in figures and tables. Note: If paper is accepted, graphics (usually figures) must be in PowerPoint (preferred) or GIF format, using the Arial (or Helvitica) font.
- Double space the body of your manuscript.
- Include an abstract.
- Include keywords.
- Ensure that references are complete, match text, and follow MISQ format.
- Check all electronic documents for viruses.
- Revisions (All Subsequent)
- Prepare electronic version detailing your responses to reviewer/editor comments in Word or WordPerfect for PC.
- For manuscript, follow initial submission guidelines above.
Accepted Papers
- Prepare electronic version of author biographies in Word or WordPerfect.
- Check that the manuscript contains a cover sheet with all author names, affiliation, full address, and e-mail.
- Be sure that your manuscript contains an abstract and keywords.
- Include a page with acknowledgements and author biographies. If you have acknowledgments, they must be added at this stage.
- Obtain permission in writing to reprint any copyrighted material from another source. Obtaining permission, including any fees, is the sole responsibility of the author(s). A copy of the reprint permission must be provided to the MIS Quarterly office. Frequently material that authors identify as being an adaptation really needs reprint permission. If you have any questions, contact MISQ at misq@umn.edu. You may be asked to provide a copy of the original material.
- All authors must sign a transfer of copyright before paper can be published. See the copyright section on MISQ.org for further information. You will be provided with a copyright transfer form with the page proofs (galleys).
- Upload submissions at the MISQ ScholarOne Manuscripts.
Please contact Jennifer Syverson, the review administrator, with any questions:
- E-mail: Please contact the review coordinator, Jennifer Syverson, at misqrevu@umn.edu with general submission questions. However, if you have a question regarding a specific manuscript that has been submitted using ScholarOne Manuscripts, please log into ScholarOne Manuscripts and submit your questions from within the system so that we can capture all communications pertaining to specific manuscripts. To send correspondence on a specific manuscript, go to your author center in ScholarOne Manuscripts and locate your manuscript through the My Manuscripts links. There is an e-mail link for both the review coordinator and the senior editor in the status column for each manuscript. Please use those links for all correspondence regarding your manuscript so that all communications between you and the editors and staff at MISQ can be captured by the system. You can register on MISQ‘s ScholarOne Manuscripts website even if you have not previously submitted a paper or reviewed a paper at MISQ.
- Phone: (612) 624-2029
- Fax: (612) 626-5185
Accepted Papers
In addition to the copyright release form, authors of papers accepted for publication will be asked to provide short author biographies of 60 to 100 words. These may include present position, titles, degrees, experience, major publications or presentations, research interests, and areas of professional expertise.
The final version of the accepted paper, including a title page that includes author names, affiliations, and e-mail addresses, and the author biographies must be sent directly to the production manager (degro003@umn.edu).
Submitting Manuscripts
All manuscripts should be submitted through MISQ ScholarOne Manuscripts
Multiple manuscript submissions: If the same manuscript is submitted multiple times as a different paper, authors will be charged $500 for the second and each subsequent “new” submission. A manuscript is assigned a number upon the initial submission that is used for tracking purposes.
Editorial Board
Editor-in-Chief
Arun Rai
Georgia State University
Senior Editors
*No longer accepting new submissions.
Associate Editors
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