Manuscript Submission Guidelines

ASWQ Manuscript Submission Guidelines

Accountability in a Sustainable World Quarterly (ASWQ) is the first peer-reviewed sustainability journal to deliver academic content to broader business and academic audiences. The goal of the journal is to form a firm foundation for the exchange of ideas about pressing questions, which have the potential to be answered/informed by academic research.

The founding editors of ASWQ recognize the continued urgent need for dialogue among academics and non-academics about sustainability, accountability, measurement, assurance of the measures, data to inform (responsible) investment decisions, and accountability in setting personal, corporate, and public sector goals. ASWQ aims to meet this need.

The goals are to

(1) build and strengthen the links between academia (both teaching and research) and practice

(2) encourage younger academics by providing an opportunity to present their work to both other academics and non-academics

(3) provide opportunities for non-academics to communicate with academics and influence their work.

As an interdisciplinary journal, ASWQ publishes pieces related to climate change, ESG, CSR, and sustainability reporting, including non-technical summaries of original research findings to expand their impact on the broader business world. Submission of non-academic-friendly versions of research published in the leading academic journals is encouraged. Consistent with the goals of ASWQ, the publication of these summaries increases the impact of the original work by exposing it to a broader readership base. The pieces sought are between 2,000-4,000 words long and written by academics and non-academics, with the intended readership comprising both groups.

ASWQ advances the creation and dissemination of knowledge and understanding of topical, practical relevance issues by publishing rigorous, peer-reviewed research and thought pieces written by cutting-edge academics and non-academics. The main focus of the peer-review process will be on the authenticity of the results, claims, and conclusions in the paper.

  • The most important features of published papers are topics related to climate change, ESG, CSR, and sustainability reporting provided that:
  • The findings are of interest to and useful for accounting and investment non-academics
  • The findings have inference and application to an accounting and investment management audience beyond a particular region or sector
  • The exposition is not excessively theoretical or technical, although some technical presentation may sometimes be necessary
  • The arguments incorporate practical considerations, such as implementation, relevance to regulators and standard setters, implications for preparers, auditors, and users of reports, etc.
  • Where possible, alternative and supported opinions will be published in the same or consecutive issues. In addition to work not published elsewhere, submissions may be non-technical expositions of technical work published in journals where the primary audience is academics.

Submission of Manuscripts

Manuscripts are submitted via email to asw@nd.edu.

A non-refundable submission fee of $200 is payable online via credit card and must be received before submitting your paper. Please ensure the email address you use when making the payment is correct.

Once you have completed the payment process, you will see a confirmation web page and receive an automatic email. The confirmation number must accompany the submission of your paper. Any paper received without the accompanying confirmation number will not be considered for review.

ASWQ Refund Policy: If a submission does not meet the required specifications, ASWQ reserves the right to desk reject it. The submission fee is non-refundable.

Assistance: For assistance regarding the journal or the submission process, email asw@nd.edu.

 

Instructions for Authors

Editorial Procedure: Our editorial process involves anonymous peer review. Authors' identities are kept confidential from reviewers. Authors must ensure anonymity by removing identifying information from their manuscript and accompanying files. This includes names, affiliations, and any potentially revealing details. Instead, a separate Title Page should be provided with author information and acknowledgments. Authors should avoid citing their work in a manner that could disclose their identity. Ensure all relevant source files are in their original, editable file format.

Manuscript Submission: Work may be a summary of previous work submitted elsewhere. Submissions published after the paper has been accepted for publication in a purely academic journal reference this underlying paper. Summary work must reference the original research and, if published, must reference the initially published work. Submission of a manuscript implies that all co-authors have approved its publication.

Permissions: All figures, graphics, tables, or quoted text published elsewhere must obtain permission from the copyright owner(s). If not directly recognized, materials will be assumed to originate with the author. ASWQ will not be responsible for obtaining reprint permissions.

Source Files: Please ensure all source files are in an editable format. Failing to submit the files in an editable format (such as Microsoft Word) will result in delays up to and including rejection. Please ensure all figures and tables are in the original, editable format.

Manuscript Formatting: Please ensure your title page includes the title, name(s) of the author(s), affiliation(s), institution(s), and active email address for the corresponding author.

Abstract: An abstract is unnecessary, as the manuscript will be published in an article-style format. However, a short introduction at the beginning of the article is welcome.

Formatting: Manuscripts should be submitted in Microsoft Word whenever possible.

  • Use Calibri 10 pt font for text.
  • Use italics for emphasis.
  • Do not use field functions.
  • Do not indent text.
  • Use no more than three levels of headings.
  • Use the table function to make tables.
  • Abbreviations are to be defined at the first mention and used consistently throughout.
  • Include figures and tables inline in the manuscript for accurate placement reference.
  • Footnotes and endnotes are discouraged. Please incorporate those comments into the body of the manuscript.
  • Citations of a reference should be included in the reference list and hyperlinked to the source within the document.
  • Acknowledgements should be placed at the end of the primary document. Names of people and funding organizations should be written in full and hyperlinked when possible.
  • Save your file in .doc or .docx format.
  • Attach supplemental materials, including references and appendixes, in separate files.

References: Cite references in the text by name and year in parentheses and hyperlinked to the source document. If multiple references are cited, each should be separated by a semicolon (for example: Alford, 2023; Jones, 2024; Smith et al., 2021.) Authors are encouraged to follow official APA 7th edition guidelines.

Reference List: Listed references should only include works cited in the submitted manuscript and be alphabetized by the last name of the first author of each work. Additional authors should follow by first initial and last name. Journal names and book titles should be italicized. Include DOIs for each article, if available.

Tables, Figures, and Graphics: Supply all tables, figures, and graphics to be used in the manuscript electronically. Color illustrations are encouraged. All illustrations should be included inline in the text for placement reference. All possible care will be taken to print them as close to their original placement in the text. Please supply a one-line caption explaining the illustration. If your illustrations have been published elsewhere, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner(s). Ensure that all illustrations have descriptive captions.

Supplemental Information: We will accept supplementary files to be available online to accompany the article. This adds dimension to the article and is encouraged. Supplemental information should be submitted in PDF format and saved as the manuscript name and type of supplementation. For example: REFERENCES – ESG for a Sustainable Future. Please get in touch with asw@nd.edu to discuss any special formatting needs. Supplementary files will be published as received from the author without reformatting.

 

Review Process

Our editorial process involves anonymous peer review. Authors' identities are kept confidential from reviewers. Reviewers' identities are also confidential. Authors must ensure anonymity by removing identifying information from their manuscript and accompanying files. ASWQ assigns manuscripts to senior editors, matching expertise when possible. Authors are encouraged to suggest reviewers when submitting their manuscript for review. Reviewers will be assigned at the discretion of the senior editor.

 

After Acceptance

ASWQ will use software to screen for plagiarism of all submitted manuscripts. In addition, all accepted manuscripts will be edited for grammar and clarity. Proof sheets of the article, as they appear in the journal, will be delivered to the author for approval. It is the author’s responsibility to ensure the article is complete and all illustrations are accurate. Substantial changes in content are not allowed without the approval of the Editor in Chief. After online publication, further changes can only be made for the most egregious and minor errors, such as name misspellings.

All ASWQ articles are open-access. Open access is a global movement aiming to provide unrestricted online access to academic content like publications and data. A publication is considered open access when it is freely accessible without financial, legal, or technical barriers. This means anyone can read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, and use the information for education or other purposes within legal agreements. Unlike the traditional subscription model, where access is granted through paid subscriptions, open access makes research information available to readers at no cost to the author or the viewer. Open access enhances the visibility and reuse of academic research. The principles of open access are outlined in the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities (2003).

 

Desk Rejection

ASWQ reviews all new submissions to determine whether the manuscript is publishable. There are instances when a submission will not meet ASWQ’s requirements. In those instances, the manuscript will not be reviewed, and the author will receive a brief letter informing them of the desk's rejection. The submission fee is non-refundable.