Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal: Scopus, Scope & Submission Guide

What this guide covers

• Aims, scope & audience
• Indexing & metrics
• Article types & fit
• Submission formatting
• Peer review & timelines
• Open access & APCs
• Ethics & AI policy
• Publication-readiness checks

Methodology and sources

This profile prioritizes the official Emerald journal page, its author instructions, indexing and metrics display, Emerald's open-access and APC policy, and Emerald's publishing-ethics policy. The supplied Scopus Source ID and ISSN were used to match the correct journal; the Scopus source profile is linked for current verification. SCImago was used only for a directly verifiable dated SJR context.

Where a current authoritative value was not verified—such as an official Clarivate Journal Impact Factor—this guide does not substitute a third-party estimate. That distinction is particularly important for university or PhD publication requirements.

What Does Development and Learning in Organizations Publish?

The journal's role is to translate current thinking, research and organizational experience into concise content useful to leaders, managers, L&D professionals and researchers. Emerald describes a mix of original research with practical implications, ideas and viewpoints, international case studies, benchmarking-oriented material, short summaries of longer work and interviews with thought leaders.

That practitioner orientation affects manuscript design. A technically sophisticated study can still be a weak fit if the practical relevance to organizational development or learning is not explicit. Conversely, a well-grounded case study or action-research contribution may fit because the journal intentionally connects scholarship and practice.

Officially listed article classifications and categories

For the main author route, the submission system lists Authored Paper and Viewpoint classifications. Emerald further identifies categories including research paper, viewpoint, technical paper, conceptual paper, case study and literature review. The journal also provides a separate route for practitioner authors who want to share viewpoints, case experience or action-based work.

Understanding the Journal's Aims and Scope

DLO is built around the idea that learning at individual, group and organizational levels is central to organizational resilience, adaptation and innovation. Its official scope emphasizes new thinking and practical lessons that help organizations respond to economic, technological and societal change.

Emerald also invites work connected to selected UN Sustainable Development Goals when the manuscript makes a specific, actionable connection to organizational practice, especially SDGs 4, 5, 8, 10 and 16.

Potentially relevant research themes

Based on the verified scope, manuscripts may potentially address topics such as AI-enabled corporate learning, leadership development, coaching effectiveness, workplace learning, learning cultures, talent development, experiential learning, action learning, mentoring, social learning, organizational resilience, capability building, inclusive learning, knowledge transfer, HRD interventions, work-based learning and organizational-development practice. This is interpretive guidance, not an exhaustive official topic list.

Understanding Its Scopus Coverage and Journal Metrics

Emerald currently lists the journal as indexed in Scopus. The source supplied with this task identifies Scopus Source ID 145292. This can matter for researchers whose doctoral programme, funding body or employer specifically requires Scopus-listed outputs, but institutional rules should be checked directly because some institutions also impose category, quartile or document-type requirements.

Emerald also lists the journal in the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) Quality Journal List, Norwegian Register for Scientific Journals, AIDEA, Taylor & Francis Ergonomics Abstracts, ReadCube Discovery and ANVUR. Indexing lists change, so treat the official current page as the controlling source.

Publisher, Editorial Leadership and Recent Research Direction

Emerald Publishing publishes the journal. The current journal page names Dr. Angela Workman-Stark of Athabasca University as Editor, Emma Evans as Reviews Editor and David Pakes of Emerald Publishing as Commissioning Editor, supported by an international Editorial Advisory Board.

Recent and highly downloaded content highlighted by Emerald shows a strong interest in organizational adaptability, innovation capabilities, work-based learning and the impact of artificial intelligence on leadership, learning and HR practice. Examples highlighted on the journal page include work on resilience and dynamic capabilities, innovation competencies, work-based learning, AI-enabled leadership development and human-centred AI in corporate learning. For manuscript-fit assessment, those themes are more informative than merely matching a broad “business and management” label.

Is This Journal a Good Match for Your Research?

A strong fit usually requires both subject alignment and practice relevance. The manuscript should address a recognized DLO theme and make clear what managers, learning professionals, leaders or organizational-development practitioners can learn or do differently.

Journal-fit checklist

• Does the research question fall within DLO's stated coverage?
• Is the practical contribution explicit rather than implied?
• Does the journal publish the chosen article category?
• Can the core argument be presented effectively within a 1,000–1,500-word article?
• Do recent DLO papers show an audience for the topic or approach?
• Can the manuscript meet the structured-abstract and reference limits?
• Does the journal's Scopus/indexing status satisfy the author's institution?
• Are the open-access and fee implications acceptable?

Preparing and Submitting a Manuscript

Emerald's DLO instructions are unusually specific about concision. Academic articles should generally be 1,000–1,500 words, including headings, references and text in tables and figures; each figure or table is counted as 280 words. The structured abstract is additional and can be up to 250 words. Regular articles should normally keep references to a maximum of five, while literature reviews may use up to seven.

Manuscript structure and files

• Submit the article in Microsoft Word; a PDF may accompany it but cannot be the only article file.
• LaTeX can be used if an accompanying PDF is supplied.
• Provide a concise title; the journal encourages clear subheadings.
• Use a structured abstract with Purpose, Design/methodology/approach, Findings, Originality, Research limitations/implications and Practical implications; Social implications is optional where relevant.
• Provide up to 12 short keywords.
• Funding sources must be acknowledged, including the funder's role in the research process.
• Author names and affiliations are entered in ScholarOne; material that could reveal identity should not remain in the anonymous manuscript.

References, tables and figures

References must use a recognized Harvard style; Emerald's own Harvard format is accepted. The journal asks authors to verify completeness, accuracy and consistency and to include a DOI where available. Tables should be supplied separately, numbered with Roman numerals and clearly located in the manuscript. Figures must be high quality and numbered consecutively, with clear captions and appropriate attribution.

How to submit

The corresponding author must submit directly through the journal's ScholarOne system accessed from Emerald. Emerald explicitly says submissions should not be made by email or through third-party agents or proxy services. Authors should create the required account, add ORCID where available and follow the journal's live submission checklist.

What Happens After You Submit a Manuscript?

Every submission first goes through editorial screening. Emerald says the editor may decline or return a manuscript that does not fit the aims and scope or whose language or manuscript quality is too low. For academic contributors, suitable submissions are sent to at least two independent referees for double-anonymous peer review. Practitioner contributions instead undergo editorial review.

1. Complete the manuscript and journal-fit check.
2. Submit directly in ScholarOne.
3. Editorial and technical screening takes place.
4. Academic papers proceed to at least two independent referees if suitable.
5. The editor may request minor or major revisions, accept, or decline.
6. Accepted papers proceed to licensing, production, copyediting and typesetting.
7. The corresponding author reviews proofs.
8. The final version of record is published online, typically as EarlyCite before issue assignment.

Publisher-reported timelines and acceptance rate

Emerald currently reports 22 days to first decision for submissions between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, 25 days from acceptance to publication based on the previous 12 months (last updated April 2025), and an acceptance rate of 30.8% for submissions in that same April 2024–March 2025 window. These are historical journal-level indicators, not promises for a new manuscript.

Responding to reviewers

As a practical publication-readiness step, answer each reviewer comment point by point, identify exactly where the manuscript changed, give evidence-based reasons for any respectful disagreement and make sure the response letter and revised manuscript remain consistent. This is general good practice rather than a DLO-specific guarantee of outcome.

Open Access, APCs and Publication Charges

DLO is a hybrid journal. Authors can choose gold open access, in which the version of record is immediately open under a CC BY 4.0 licence, or publish through the conventional subscription route. Emerald also offers green open access/self-archiving of the accepted manuscript without an embargo under its current policy.

For 2026, Emerald lists the standard hybrid-journal gold-OA APC as £3,222 / US$4,351 / €3,710, plus VAT where applicable. The publisher states that an APC is charged only when an author chooses gold OA and after acceptance; there is no ordinary submission or review fee for the non-gold route. Institutional agreements, vouchers or funding arrangements may change what an individual author pays, so confirm eligibility and price immediately before submission.

Publication Ethics and Emerald's Generative-AI Policy

The journal follows Emerald's publishing-ethics framework and the publisher states that it acts in accordance with COPE principles. Submissions must be original, not simultaneously under consideration elsewhere, properly attributed and compliant with authorship, conflicts-of-interest, permissions, consent and research-ethics requirements. Emerald may use Crossref Similarity Check when assessing originality.

Emerald's current AI policy is stricter than many generic publishing summaries. Generative-AI copywriting of new submission text is not permitted. The publisher does permit generative AI for copy-editing an author's existing original text to improve language, grammar, formatting or structure, subject to accountability and transparency requirements. LLMs cannot be listed as authors. Emerald also prohibits reviewers and editors from uploading confidential submissions to generative-AI tools for evaluation or decision-making.

Pre-Submission Checklist for DLO Authors

How Contentxprtz Can Support Publication Readiness

For a journal with a short word limit and strong practice orientation, publication readiness involves more than correcting grammar. The manuscript needs a focused contribution, clear organizational implications, compact structure, accurate references and close alignment with the live author instructions.

Contentxprtz can support journal-scope alignment review, manuscript assessment, academic editing, ESL language polishing, title and abstract refinement, journal formatting, reference consistency, figure/table language review, cover-letter editing and reviewer-response editing. Any assistance should preserve the author's own research and comply with Emerald's current AI and authorship policies.

Contentxprtz does not control editorial decisions and does not guarantee journal acceptance or publication. The purpose of professional support is to help authors present their own work more clearly, accurately, ethically and consistently with applicable journal requirements.