Note from the publisher

Citation

Peters, J. (2004), "Note from the publisher", Assembly Automation, Vol. 24 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2004.03324aaa.004

Note from the publisher

During 2003 Emerald developed its corporate publishing philosophy. We did this through discussion with readers, contributors and editors and we would like to share it with you. We believe that our approach to quality makes us different and unique amongst scholarly publishers. It is based on six core principles, which together form our distinctive philosophy:

1. 1.

   We put quality at the centre of our approach to scholarly publishing. All papers published by Emerald go through a quality-assured peer review system; in all but a few practitioner-focused journals this takes the form of double-blind peer review. All papers published by Emerald are expected to make, in some way, an explicit original contribution to the existing body of knowledge. All papers published by Emerald are accessible to a wide range of students, scholars and practitioners in the fields in which we publish. All papers published by Emerald are beneficial in some way – to researchers; practitioners, or both:

2. 2.
   • •

     In 2001 we were audited and certified as “Committed to Excellence” following a European Foundation for Quality Management self-assessment exercise.

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     We retained our status as an ISO 9000 certified organisation, and our Investors in People (IIP) certification.

   • •

     More than 30 Emerald journals are listed in the ISI Citation Index.

3. 3.

   Continuous improvement of reader, author and customer experience. We continue to invest in enabling technology to increase efficiency and effectiveness in content provision, customer service and management. We benchmark against others and against our own standards. We are as clear as possible in our policies, measures, targets and achievements and we do not hide shortfalls, but confront and learn from them:

4. 4.
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     Emerald papers go through a further post-publication “review” which assesses them on readability, originality, implications for further research and practice. We publish this information, and it can be used as search criterion, on the Emerald database.

   • •

     In 2002 we were judged as providing Best Customer Support by the scholarly library publication, The Charleston Advisor.

   • •

     We provide high levels of dissemination of our authors’ work – nearly 1 million papers per month are downloaded and read by subscribers to the Emerald on-line portfolio.

   • •

     In 2004 we will be introducing an on-line submission and peer review system which will speed up the publication process.

5. 5.

   Internationality. We operate in a trans-national world of scholarly ideas and we believe that this should be reflected within our publications. Working with our authors, we set targets for international representation of authors and editorial team members, and measure against them:

6. 6.
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     In the past six months we have published more than 50 themed issues with a specific international focus

   • •

     In the first half of 2003, papers from 60 different countries were published.

7. 7.

   An interdisciplinary approach. We set targets, and ask for, papers and special issues on interdisciplinary approaches, and new/emergent themes. This gives us better, stronger, and more vibrant journals, and a clear leadership position in our industry:

8. 8.
   • •

     In the first half of 2003 we published more than 20 themed issues dealing with interdisciplinary approaches to a subject or industry

   • •

     We encourage themed issues on leading edge and innovative research topics, and in the past six months published 35 such issues.

9. 9.

   Supporting scholarly research: The Literati Club. We help remove the barriers to publication. We conduct workshops for researchers on publishing issues. We provide help and advice to new researchers. We offer a service for authors whose first language is not English. Our staff regularly present papers at conferences on scholarly publishing themes:

10. 10.
    • •

      Our scholarly community Web site, the Literati Club, disseminates information about how to write for publication more successfully – we seek to make the process more transparent.

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      The Emerald Research Register, an online forum for the circulation of pre-publication information is designed to help researchers gain advanced recognition among their peers by publicising their research at the earliest opportunity.

    • •

      Each year, we distribute grants to researchers working on improving the scholarly publishing dissemination process, and to encouraging scholarship in the developing world.

    • •

      We conducted research workshops at 11 universities and conferences, had papers accepted at nine academic and other conferences, and supported six academic conferences worldwide.

11. 11.

    Integration of theory and practice. We ask editors and review board members to focus where applicable on application, and beneficial implication for practice. We do so because this gives a clear message to our core supplier and consumer markets – the applied researcher, the reflective practitioner, the students of business and their teachers, the business and management school:

12. 12.
    • •

      All of our journals will publish a majority of papers that have a direct application to the world of work.

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      More than 1,000 university libraries worldwide subscribe to the Emerald portfolio, including 97 per cent of the Financial Times Top 100 Business Schools.

John PetersDirector of Author Relations - Emerald