Developments in Corporate Governance and Responsibility: Scopus, Scope & Submission Guide

Quick Answer: What Is Developments in Corporate Governance and Responsibility?

Developments in Corporate Governance and Responsibility is an annual English-language book series published by Emerald Publishing in the United Kingdom. The ISSN International Centre records print ISSN 2043-0523 and online ISSN 2043-0531, with publication beginning in 2010. The supplied Scopus Source Record ID is 21100298210.

Emerald states that the series publishes in association with the International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility run by SRRNet. Each volume takes a different theme in the broad area of social responsibility, and the chapters are commissioned for the conference. The series is explicitly described by Emerald as indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, with volumes included in the Book Citation Index.

Researchers working on CSR, ESG, sustainability, governance, corporate accountability, social impact or adjacent interdisciplinary topics may find the series relevant. However, it should not be treated as a conventional open-submission journal. Before planning a paper around it, confirm the relevant volume, editor, invitation or call, contribution terms, institutional eligibility, and current indexing status.

Key Takeaways

• Publication type: an Emerald academic book series, not a conventional journal.
• Publisher: Emerald Publishing / Emerald Publishing Limited.
• ISSNs: 2043-0523 (print) and 2043-0531 (online).
• Scopus: Emerald states that the series is indexed in Scopus; supplied Source ID: 21100298210.
• Web of Science: Emerald states that the series is indexed in Web of Science and that its volumes are included in the Book Citation Index.
• Scope: themed global and interdisciplinary work on social responsibility, governance, sustainability and related business issues.
• Contribution model: Emerald describes chapters as commissioned for the associated CSR conference; do not assume ordinary unsolicited submission.
• Metrics and eligibility: verify the latest source metrics and your institution’s rules before using the series to satisfy PhD, promotion or funding criteria.

Journal Information at a Glance

What This Page Covers

• Series identity, publisher, ISSNs and publication model
• Aims, scope and subject fit
• Scopus and Web of Science visibility
• Available citation metrics and how to interpret them
• What the series actually publishes
• How contribution to a commissioned edited volume differs from journal submission
• Emerald book-chapter preparation and ethics requirements
• Open-access considerations and fees
• PhD and institutional eligibility checks
• Ethical manuscript preparation support from Contentxprtz

Methodology and Sources

This profile was prepared using the official Emerald series page, Emerald’s current book-author and publishing-ethics guidance, ISSN International Centre records, the supplied Scopus Source ID, and a university journal browser reporting Scopus metrics. Where an official series-wide acceptance rate, review duration, Impact Factor or standard APC could not be verified, this article says so rather than estimating a value.

Indexing, source coverage, metrics, fees, editorial teams and volume arrangements can change. For a high-stakes decision, recheck the official Emerald series page, the Scopus source profile, and the requirements of the specific edited volume before submission.

What Is the Scholarly Role of This Series?

The series is designed around themed edited volumes rather than a rolling journal issue model. Emerald says that each volume focuses on a different theme within the broad field of corporate social responsibility. Its stated purpose is to present current debates and research from global and interdisciplinary perspectives, encourage discussion across different backgrounds, and contribute to best-practice development.

That structure has practical consequences. A paper on “CSR” in general is not automatically a fit. A contribution normally needs to connect clearly with the theme and framing of a particular volume. Recent listed volumes illustrate the breadth: CSR, ESG and Sustainability, Social Aspects of Sustainability, Climate Change and Social Responsibility, Society and Sustainability, Social Responsibility, Technology and AI, Innovation, Social Responsibility and Sustainability, Corporate Resilience and Achieving Net Zero.

For readers, this means the series can bring together diverse perspectives under a coherent topic. For contributors, it means fit should be assessed at two levels: first against the long-term identity of the series, and then against the specific volume’s theme, editor brief and chapter plan.

Aims and Scope: What Research Fits?

Emerald’s description places corporate social responsibility at the centre of the series while deliberately allowing global and interdisciplinary approaches. The publication is concerned with research and debate that can connect scholarly analysis with organisational, managerial and societal relevance.

Strong thematic areas may include

• Corporate social responsibility and responsible business
• Corporate governance, accountability and stakeholder relationships
• ESG strategy, reporting and organisational decision-making
• Sustainability governance and sustainable business practice
• Climate responsibility, net-zero strategy and environmental governance
• Social impact, inclusion, human rights and employee responsibility
• Ethics, corporate conduct and governance failures
• Social entrepreneurship and community-oriented business models
• Technology, artificial intelligence and social responsibility
• Corporate resilience, risk, responsibility and long-term value creation
• Social and environmental accounting, disclosure and reporting
• Policy, institutional and cross-country perspectives on responsible organisations

Because each volume has a specific theme, these are not a permanent checklist of accepted topics. A technically strong paper may still be unsuitable if it cannot be integrated into the intellectual purpose of the planned volume.

What may be a weak fit?

Work that is purely technical, operational or disciplinary with no meaningful connection to governance, responsibility, sustainability, social impact or the relevant volume theme may be difficult to position. Similarly, a generic literature review that merely mentions ESG or CSR without a clear contribution is unlikely to become stronger simply because those keywords match the series title.

Is It Scopus Indexed, and What Does That Mean?

Yes. Emerald’s official series page states that Developments in Corporate Governance and Responsibility is indexed in both Scopus and Web of Science. The source record supplied for this article gives Scopus Source ID 21100298210. Emerald also states that volumes from the series are included in the Book Citation Index.

For researchers, indexing can improve discoverability, but it does not automatically answer institutional eligibility. Some universities count Scopus-indexed book chapters; others require articles in journals, specific quartiles, continuous active coverage, or a particular Web of Science index. A PhD regulation may say “Scopus publication” while an internal interpretation narrows that phrase to journal articles only.

Practical check: before accepting an invitation or relying on the chapter for a formal requirement, show your supervisor, research office or promotion committee the exact source type, ISSNs, Scopus Source ID and proposed volume. Ask for written confirmation when eligibility matters.

Current Metrics: Use Them Carefully

Book-series metrics are easy to misread because many websites label all indexed sources as “journals.” A Wageningen University & Research journal-browser entry reports Scopus Journal Metrics for 2024 of CiteScore 0.8, SJR 0.133, SNIP 0.000, and Q4 within Business, Management and Accounting (all). These values are useful as dated reference points, not permanent attributes.

Do not convert those metrics into an “Impact Factor.” A Journal Impact Factor is a separate Clarivate metric, and no current JCR Journal Impact Factor was verified for this book series. Similarly, quartile can vary by database, category and year. Always state the year and metric source when using a ranking in a CV, proposal or publication decision.

What Types of Contributions Does It Publish?

In practical terms, the series publishes book chapters within themed edited volumes. Emerald’s series description says the chapters are commissioned specifically for the associated conference. Individual chapters can contain empirical, conceptual, review, policy, case-based or applied work, depending on the theme and editor brief; recent Emerald records include reviews, case studies, bibliometric work and empirical analyses.

This is different from a standard journal menu of “research article,” “review article” and “short communication.” The relevant unit is the chapter and the governing requirements are those of the edited volume and Emerald’s book workflow.

Recent volume themes are a useful fit test

A researcher studying employee turnover through CSR practice could plausibly fit a CSR/ESG-themed volume; Emerald’s 2026 volume includes a case-study chapter on that relationship. The same volume also includes work on integrated reporting and firm financial performance and on ESG factors in the South African retail sector. This illustrates the series’ combination of managerial relevance, responsibility themes and international settings.

Can You Submit Directly? Understand the Contribution Pathway

This is one of the most important points on the page. Emerald says that every volume contains commissioned chapters written specifically for the conference. No conventional public journal submission portal for unsolicited articles was identified for this series.

That means researchers should not prepare a manuscript on the assumption that they can upload it to a standard journal system. A more appropriate pathway is to identify the current or forthcoming volume, determine the editors and conference relationship, and establish whether contributions are invited, commissioned, or supported by a specific call. If you have no invitation or call, contact the relevant editorial or conference channel before investing heavily in formatting.

Manuscript Preparation: What Emerald’s Book Guidance Requires

Once a contribution is formally part of an edited volume, the volume editor’s instructions take precedence. Emerald’s general book-manuscript guidance provides a useful baseline. For individual chapters, Emerald specifies a chapter structure including title page information, author affiliations, a running head, abstract, main text divided with clear headings, acknowledgements where relevant, appendices where relevant, references, figures and tables.

Emerald’s current guidance asks edited-collection chapters to include an abstract of up to 250 words and up to six keywords. Figures, tables and illustrations should be clearly labelled, numbered consecutively and cited in the text. Authors must also manage permissions for third-party material and supply relevant consent documentation where identifiable interviewees, organisations or case studies require it.

Publication-readiness checklist

• Confirm that the editor has accepted or requested your contribution before final formatting.
• Match the chapter’s central argument to the volume theme, not only to the series title.
• Use the editor’s requested length, referencing style and delivery format.
• Prepare a concise abstract and discoverable keywords.
• Make the chapter structure readable with short, descriptive headings.
• Check tables, figures, permissions and source attribution.
• Verify every reference and DOI against the original source.
• Remove unsupported claims and distinguish findings from interpretation.
• Keep evidence of ethics approval, informed consent or organisational permission where required.
• Complete a final language, consistency and formatting review before delivery.

What Is Known About Peer Review?

Emerald’s general book programme states that book proposals are peer reviewed, and its book-author checklist for edited collections includes “proof of peer review.” However, a single series-wide chapter-review model and average review duration were not publicly stated on the series page. It would therefore be inaccurate to promise a fixed double-blind process, a fixed number of reviewers, or a standard turnaround time for every volume.

Prospective contributors should ask the volume editor how chapter review is handled: who reviews, whether reviewer identities are concealed, how many revision rounds are expected, what the editorial deadline is, and whether acceptance into the conference programme is separate from final chapter acceptance.

Open Access and Publication Fees

The series is not presented by Emerald as a fully open-access publication. Emerald does, however, offer open-access options for books and individual book chapters, including Creative Commons licensing for eligible OA publications. A standard series-specific APC or chapter charge was not publicly identified in the sources reviewed.

Authors should therefore avoid relying on fee figures from generic journal directories. If open access is required by a funder or institution, ask Emerald or the volume editor for the current chapter-level option, licence, eligibility and charge. Confirm whether funding agreements or institutional arrangements apply before making a financial commitment.

Publication Ethics and Research Integrity

Emerald states that it follows the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Its publishing-ethics guidance requires original work, appropriate citation, proper authorship, disclosure of conflicts of interest, permissions for third-party material, and documented consent or ethical approval where relevant. Simultaneous submission and fabricated or misleading research practices are inconsistent with those requirements.

Emerald’s current ethics policy also addresses generative AI. Authors should check the policy that applies at the time of contribution and be transparent about permitted uses. Tools used for language refinement must not become a substitute for the author’s scholarship, factual checking, interpretation or responsibility.

For case-based work in corporate governance and responsibility, ethical care can be especially important because chapters may discuss identifiable organisations, employee experiences, governance failures or stakeholder disputes. Anonymisation, consent, permissions, defensible evidence and careful wording can matter as much as citation style.

Would Your Manuscript Be a Good Fit?

A useful fit test asks five questions. First, does the work genuinely address responsibility, governance, sustainability or a related societal/business challenge? Second, can the study be tied directly to the theme of a specific volume? Third, does it add something beyond a descriptive summary? Fourth, is the intended contribution meaningful to an international or interdisciplinary readership? Fifth, do you have a legitimate route into the volume through an invitation, conference, editor or call?

Is It a Good Choice for PhD Scholars?

It can be relevant for doctoral researchers whose universities recognise indexed book-series chapters, especially when their work fits a themed volume and the chapter offers a strong scholarly contribution. But “Scopus indexed” should not be treated as a universal answer to PhD eligibility.

Some institutions distinguish journal articles from book chapters. Others impose quartile thresholds, require sources active during a defined period, or specify Web of Science journal collections rather than the Book Citation Index. Before using this series to satisfy a formal requirement, compare your university’s wording with the exact publication type and source profile.

A doctoral candidate should ideally retain screenshots or official records of the source profile, ISSNs, Source ID and indexing status close to the date of publication, because database coverage can change over time.

How to Prepare a Stronger, Series-Aligned Chapter

As a practical publication-readiness step, start with the intellectual architecture rather than formatting. Write a one-sentence explanation of how the chapter contributes to the volume’s theme. If that sentence is vague, the chapter is probably not aligned enough yet.

1. Study the volume concept. Read the editor’s brief and several chapters from recent volumes to understand tone, depth and interdisciplinary expectations.
2. Clarify the contribution. State what the chapter changes, adds, tests, explains or synthesises.
3. Build an evidence chain. Use authoritative and recent literature while preserving foundational sources where needed.
4. Connect theory and practice carefully. The series highlights practical relevance, but managerial recommendations should follow from evidence rather than being added generically.
5. Make international relevance explicit. A single-country or organisational case can still be valuable if the chapter explains what transfers, what is context-dependent and why.
6. Strengthen transparency. Describe methods, sampling, data sources, limitations and ethical safeguards proportionately.
7. Edit for chapter coherence. Ensure the abstract, introduction, headings, conclusion and title all communicate the same core contribution.

How Contentxprtz Can Support Publication Readiness

Contentxprtz can support researchers at the preparation stage without claiming influence over editorial decisions. Appropriate support may include manuscript assessment, academic editing, language polishing, chapter structure, reference and citation formatting, figure/table consistency, abstract refinement, response-to-editor editing and final publication-readiness checks.

For an edited-volume chapter, support is most useful when it preserves the author’s intellectual ownership while making the contribution easier for editors and readers to evaluate. It should never fabricate references, invent results, conceal authorship, misrepresent AI use, or promise acceptance.

At Contentxprtz, we don’t just edit; we help ideas reach their fullest potential. That means improving clarity and compliance while leaving the research claims, data, interpretation and final submission decisions with the author.

Explore Journal Publication Services

Authoritative Sources to Recheck Before You Publish

• Emerald: Developments in Corporate Governance and Responsibility
• ISSN International Centre: ISSN-L 2043-0523
• Scopus Source ID 21100298210
• Emerald book author guidelines
• Emerald research and publishing ethics
• Emerald open-access books and chapters

Final Journal-Selection Checklist

• I have confirmed that this is a book series, not a conventional journal.
• I have checked the exact current or forthcoming volume theme.
• I have a confirmed contribution route, invitation, commission or call.
• I have checked the latest Scopus source profile and coverage.
• I have verified whether my university accepts indexed book-series chapters.
• I have not confused CiteScore/SJR with a Journal Impact Factor.
• I have obtained current volume-specific formatting and deadline instructions.
• I have checked open-access terms and any charges directly with the publisher/editor.
• I have verified permissions, ethics, authorship and originality requirements.
• I understand that no legitimate editing or publication-support service can guarantee acceptance.

Summary

Developments in Corporate Governance and Responsibility is an established Emerald book series with print ISSN 2043-0523 and online ISSN 2043-0531. Emerald describes it as an annual, themed publication associated with the International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility and SRRNet, with commissioned international chapters. It is stated by Emerald to be indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, while the supplied Scopus Source ID is 21100298210.

Its strongest fit is for substantive work on corporate responsibility, governance, sustainability, ESG and related interdisciplinary themes that aligns closely with a particular volume. The key publication decision is not simply whether the source is indexed, but whether your research has a valid contribution pathway and whether the book-series format satisfies your academic requirements. Verify the current volume, indexing, metrics, fees and editorial instructions before committing your manuscript.