This comprehensive checklist guides authors through the final pre-submission process for manuscripts targeting the Strategic Management Journal (SMJ). It covers critical steps such as implementing double-blind anonymization, structuring the mandatory dual abstracts (research and managerial), verifying APA formatting, and ensuring all required files (cover letter, supplements) are prepared before submission.
Final check before clicking submit in ScholarOne Manuscripts
Unsure which files and metadata the system needs
Preparing the cover letter and reviewer suggestions
Before anything: verify the live guidelines
SMJ is published by Wiley on behalf of the Strategic Management Society (SMS). Submissions are handled through Wiley's workflow; legacy submissions and tracking live at ScholarOne Manuscript Central (mc.manuscriptcentral.com/smj). Per the SMJ Author Instructions (last updated 23 May 2025), there is no submission fee (verify) — open access via Wiley OnlineOpen is optional and only applies after acceptance. Page limits, fee/open-access options, and required statements are periodically updated. Verify the current Author Guidelines on the official SMJ page before submitting — do not rely on remembered numbers. Use this skill for the durable process; confirm volatile specifics yourself.
Manuscript readiness
Structure complete: intro, theory & hypotheses, methods, results, discussion, references
Contribution to strategy theory is explicit in the introduction
Endogeneity / identification is addressed in the body (the most-scrutinized element)
Two abstracts: a research summary (≤125 words, stands alone, no citations) and a managerial summary (≤125 words, plain practitioner language). This dual-abstract requirement is distinctive to SMJ — AMJ/ASQ require only one abstract
Five (5) keywords selected; manuscript length within current guidelines (full articles ~40 pages incl. tables/figures/references; short research articles ~20 pages — verify)
Tables/figures self-contained; secondary material in an online supplement
References in APA author-date style (e.g., "(Collins, 2005a, 2005b)"); every in-text cite appears in the list and vice versa
Anonymization (double-blind)
SMJ uses double-blind review. Before upload:
Author names, affiliations, and acknowledgments removed from the manuscript file
Self-citations phrased neutrally ("prior work shows (Author, 2021)"), not "in our earlier paper"
Funding/acknowledgment details placed only where the system requests them, not in the main file
File metadata/properties scrubbed of author identity
File names contain no author or institution names
No identifying data-provider or proprietary-dataset language that reveals the team
Files & metadata in ScholarOne
Anonymized main manuscript (with embedded or separate exhibits per guidelines)
Title page with author details (separate, non-anonymized) if required
Cover letter (see below)
Online appendix / supplementary materials, if any
Any required statements (data availability, conflict of interest, ethics) — confirm current requirements
Suggested reviewers (and any opposed reviewers), if the system invites them
Correct article type selected (Article vs. Research Note / short article vs. special issue)
Cover letter
Brief: state the title, the strategy contribution in 2–3 sentences, and why SMJ (not the SMS siblings SEJ or GSJ) is the right outlet.
Confirm the work is original, not under review elsewhere, and that all authors approve.
Note any special-issue call you are responding to.
Do not oversell or summarize the whole paper; a Co-Editor screens it first and an action editor reads the manuscript.
Anti-patterns
Submitting one abstract when SMJ requires both a research summary and a managerial summary
Leaving author identity in metadata or acknowledgments under double-blind review
A reference list still in a default citation-manager style, not APA author-date
A cover letter that pitches generic "management" relevance instead of the strategy (competitive-advantage / performance) contribution
Forgetting required statements (data availability / conflicts) the system mandates
Routing an entrepreneurship- or internationalization-first paper to SMJ when SEJ or GSJ fits better
Output format
【Guidelines verified on official page】yes / TO DO
【Dual abstracts】research summary [n≤125] / managerial summary [n≤125]
【Keywords】[5]
【Anonymization】pass / fix: [...]
【Files staged】main, title page, cover letter, supplement, statements
【Reference style】APA author-date conformed / fix
【Article type】Article / Research Note / special issue: [name]
【Reviewer suggestions】[n]
【Next step】smj-review-process (then smj-rebuttal on decision)
