When to trigger
- The manuscript is finished and you are ready to submit
- You are unsure which track fits or what files ScholarOne expects
- You need to blind the manuscript and assemble the replication materials
- You are weighing the Open Option (gold OA)
Submission system and blinding
- Submit through ScholarOne Manuscripts at mc.manuscriptcentral.com/mksc.
- Regular submissions use double-anonymous review: remove author names, institutions, and acknowledgments from the manuscript; phrase self-citations in the third person.
- The cover letter is visible to the Editor and AE but not reviewers — use it for context, prior-review history, and self-overlap disclosure, while keeping the manuscript itself blinded.
Choose the right track
- Regular (Original Article) — no fixed length cap, but write succinctly.
- Frontiers in Marketing Science — Science-like, faster review, strict 6,000-word total cap (including references, tables, graphs, appendices); requires a major contribution on one primary dimension.
- Database — built around a novel dataset.
- Practice Paper / Practice Prize — requires a 500–1,000-word Impact Statement and uses a single-blind process; Science-to-Practice is a related track.
Format and front matter
- Double-spaced, single column, 11- or 12-point font, one-inch margins; Word or LaTeX (INFORMS style files), uploaded as Word or PDF.
- Abstract ≤ 200 words on the first page; 3–6 keywords (theoretical and methodological orientation).
- INFORMS author-year citations; alphabetical reference list.
- You may suggest 2 preferred Associate Editors and 3 preferred reviewers.
- Disclose any self-overlap with your published or under-review work and how this paper goes beyond it.
Replication package
Although the deposit is required on acceptance (Replication and Disclosure Policy), assemble it now: estimation code and a master script that reproduces every table/figure/counterfactual; for licensed data (NielsenIQ, Compustat, CRSP, Census), access instructions and linking/build code rather than raw data.
Fees / Open Option
No mandatory submission or publication fee for standard subscription publication. Open Option (gold OA) is optional: a one-time US$3,000 fee charged only after acceptance, before publication; it does not affect peer review.
Checklist
- Manuscript blinded (names, affiliations, acknowledgments, self-citations)
- Track chosen; Frontiers within 6,000-word total cap; Practice has Impact Statement
- Abstract ≤ 200 words; 3–6 keywords; INFORMS author-year + alphabetical refs
- Format: double-spaced 11–12 pt, one-inch margins; Word/LaTeX → Word/PDF
- Cover letter (Editor/AE-only) with self-overlap disclosure
- 2 preferred AEs and 3 preferred reviewers suggested
- Replication package assembled (code + licensed-data access/build)
- Open Option decision noted (US$3,000, post-acceptance, optional)
Anti-patterns
- Leaving author identifiers or "our prior paper" phrasing in a double-anonymous manuscript.
- Submitting an over-length Frontiers paper.
- Treating replication as an afterthought; "code on request."
- Confusing the single-blind Practice track rules with regular double-anonymous submission.
Output format
【Track】regular / Frontiers / Database / Practice
【Blinding】manuscript anonymized? self-cites third-person?
【Front matter】abstract ≤200w; 3–6 keywords; INFORMS format
【Handlers】2 preferred AEs + 3 reviewers; cover letter (Editor/AE-only)
【Replication】code + data access/build ready
【Fees】subscription (none) / Open Option US$3,000
【Next step】mksc-review-process