Pre-Submission Preflight (amj-submission)
When to trigger
- "We're submitting this week" — the last check before hitting submit
- Unsure what ScholarOne requires (anonymized manuscript, title page, cover materials)
- Need to confirm double-blind anonymization is complete
- Verifying the manuscript matches current AMJ/AOM formatting requirements
Always re-verify current limits and required files on the official AMJ submission page and the AOM Style Guide before submitting — specifics change. As of 2026-05-30 the verified key specs are below.
Verified AMJ/AOM specs (confirm current values)
- Length: full manuscripts have a 40-page maximum for the main body, which includes text, references, and appendices but excludes tables and figures. (AOM uses a page limit, not a word cap.)
- Formatting: double-spaced throughout (including references and notes), Times New Roman 12-point, 1-inch margins on all sides, pages numbered consecutively.
- Abstract: no more than 200 words.
- Keywords: three keywords supplied at submission.
- Submission portal: ScholarOne Manuscripts at mc.manuscriptcentral.com/AMJ.
- Review: blind review; desk review typically takes ~1-2 weeks, and AMJ targets developmental feedback to authors within roughly 60 days. Authors who submit are expected to reciprocate by reviewing for AMJ when asked.
- Style: APA conventions per the AMJ Style Guide for Authors (citations, reference list, headings, tables).
- Integrity: manuscripts are screened with iThenticate; no simultaneous submission; any preprint posted online must be removed during the review period.
- Fees: AOM charges no submission fee; immediate open access is optional and carries an APC of US$3,500 (AMJ is otherwise subscription-published). Verify current amounts.
- AI disclosure: any use of AI tools must be disclosed in the cover letter and the acknowledgements, with confirmation that you have read the AOM AI policy; AI cannot be listed as an author.
Pre-submission checklist
Anonymization (double-blind)
- Manuscript file contains no author names, affiliations, or acknowledgments
- Self-citations are worded neutrally ("prior research (Author, 2020)"), not "our earlier work"
- Acknowledgments, funding, and author bios live on a separate title page, not in the manuscript
- File metadata/properties scrubbed of author identity
- File names contain no author or institution identifiers
Format (verify against the current AOM Style Guide)
- Title page (separate): title, authors, affiliations, contact, acknowledgments, funding
- Abstract ≤ 200 words; three keywords supplied
- AOM/APA-style citations and reference list, alphabetized and complete
- Headings follow the AOM hierarchy; double-spaced, Times New Roman 12-pt, 1-inch margins
- Tables and figures placed/numbered as the portal requires; each self-contained
- Main body ≤ 40 pages (text + references + appendices; tables/figures excluded)
Files for ScholarOne
- Anonymized main document (manuscript + tables + figures, or as the portal specifies)
- Separate title page with all identifying information
- Cover letter to the editor (concise: fit, contribution, not under review elsewhere)
- Any required supplementary/online appendix files
- High-resolution figure files if requested separately
Declarations & ethics
- Human-subjects/IRB approval stated where applicable (separate from anonymized text)
- Data-availability/transparency statement as required by current policy
- No concurrent submission; prior conference/working-paper versions disclosed in the cover letter
- AI use disclosed in the cover letter and acknowledgements per the AOM AI policy (AI is never an author)
- Conflicts of interest and funding disclosed on the title page
- Authorship and contribution roles agreed by all authors
References & consistency
- Every in-text citation appears in the reference list and vice versa
- Canonical theory works for the focal domain are cited (a frequent reviewer check)
- Hypothesis labels, construct names, and table/figure numbers are consistent throughout
ScholarOne operation notes
- AMJ submits through ScholarOne Manuscripts at mc.manuscriptcentral.com/AMJ; create/keep your author account and ORCID current.
- Select the correct article type and the most fitting division/keywords so the manuscript routes to an appropriate action editor.
- You may be asked to suggest qualified, non-conflicted reviewers — propose people in the focal conversation without recent co-authorship.
- Upload anonymized files and the title page in the slots the system designates; preview the built PDF before final submission.
Anti-patterns
- Submitting with self-identifying language ("in our 2019 study") intact.
- Acknowledgments/funding left inside the anonymized manuscript.
- Reference list in a non-AOM default style straight from the reference manager.
- Missing data-availability/ethics statement, or undisclosed AI use, where the policy requires one.
- Inconsistent hypothesis labels or table numbers between text and exhibits.
- Letting the main body exceed the 40-page limit by forgetting that references and appendices count toward it.
Output format
【Anonymization】pass / fix: [...] 【Format vs. AOM guide】pass / fix: [...] 【Files ready】manuscript / title page / cover letter / supplements: yes/no 【Declarations】IRB / data availability / disclosures: complete? [...] 【References】citations↔list reconciled; canonical theory cited: yes/no 【Article type & division】selected ... 【Next step】await decision → amj-review-process; on R&R → amj-rebuttal
Resources
templates/manuscript_template.md— full AMJ manuscript skeleton (title page, abstract ≤200 words, three keywords, theory & hypotheses, methods, results, discussion, references) with verified AOM format specs- The full pre-submission self-check (anonymization / format / files / declarations / references / portal) is inline above in this skill
../../resources/external_tools.md— management-research data sources and analysis software (Mplus / R lavaan / HLM / Stata / SPSS PROCESS)../../resources/official-source-map.md— official AOM/AMJ URLs behind every verified fact in this pack (accessed 2026-05-30)
