Digital Business Journal: Scopus, Scope, Metrics & Submission Guide

Quick Answer: What Is Digital Business?

Digital Business is a peer-reviewed, open-access Elsevier journal in business and management. Its official scope centers on digitalization, digital technologies, digital business models and the changing nature of organizations and work. Elsevier says the journal welcomes contributions from business, economics, marketing and sociology, with relevant work also coming from computer science and information-technology management.

The journal is indexed in Scopus and has Scopus Source ID 21101149706. Elsevier’s journal page currently displays a CiteScore of 12.4 and an Impact Factor of 7.2. The journal publishes original research articles, reviews and short communications and accepts theoretical, empirical, critical, comparative and case-study approaches using qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods.

Researchers should consider Digital Business when the manuscript’s central contribution concerns how digital technologies reshape business models, strategy, entrepreneurship, platforms, ecosystems, operations, organizational capabilities, work or value creation. Before submitting, verify the current Guide for Authors, APC, indexing and metrics, and compare the paper with recent articles to determine whether the contribution matches the journal’s active research conversation.

Key Takeaways

• Publisher: Elsevier B.V.; the journal began publication in 2020.
• ISSN: 2666-9544 (online); Scopus Source ID: 21101149706.
• Indexing: Elsevier lists Scopus, DOAJ and Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), among other services.
• Current headline metrics: Elsevier displays CiteScore 12.4 and Impact Factor 7.2.
• Open access: the journal is fully open access; Elsevier currently lists an APC of USD 2,040 excluding taxes.
• Article types: original research articles, reviews and short communications.
• Scope fit matters: manuscripts should make a substantive contribution to digital business rather than merely mention a digital technology.
• No acceptance guarantee: journal acceptance depends on editorial assessment and peer review, not editing or submission support.

Journal Information at a Glance

What This Page Covers

• Digital Business aims and scope and the types of research that fit it
• Scopus, DOAJ and Web of Science-related indexing information
• CiteScore, Impact Factor, SJR, SNIP and quartile interpretation
• Article types, peer review and open-access publishing arrangements
• Submission preparation and practical manuscript-readiness checks
• Common reasons a manuscript may be a weak fit
• Ethical publication support that Contentxprtz can provide without guaranteeing acceptance

Methodology and Sources

This profile was prepared by prioritizing authoritative journal information: the official Digital Business journal page, Elsevier’s journal insights and special-issue information, the ISSN International Centre record, the Scopus source identifier supplied with this task, and institutional journal-profile reporting for Scopus-derived 2024 SJR, SNIP and quartile data. Where an official acceptance rate or other exact value could not be verified, this guide says so instead of estimating it.

Journal metrics and policies are time-sensitive. A CiteScore, Impact Factor, quartile, APC, editor list or publishing-time indicator can change between reporting cycles. Researchers using these facts for institutional compliance should verify the live source immediately before submission.

What Is Digital Business as a Research Journal?

Digital Business sits at the intersection of business research and technological change. Its distinctive focus is not technology in isolation, but the organizational, strategic, economic and societal consequences of digitalization. This makes it relevant to scholars studying how firms create and capture value through digital technologies, how platform ecosystems evolve, how employees and managers adapt to digital transformation, and how emerging technologies reshape business practices.

The journal is multidisciplinary within a business frame. A paper may draw from information systems, economics, marketing, sociology, entrepreneurship, innovation studies or technology management, but the manuscript should still explain why the findings matter to digital business. For example, an AI study centered only on algorithmic performance may be better suited to a computer-science journal; the same technology examined through business-model innovation, organizational capability, customer value, governance or strategic decision-making could be a much stronger fit.

The journal’s recent content reinforces this applied-yet-theoretical orientation. Published work has addressed IoT integration and business models, workplace surveillance, digital maturity, initial coin offerings, virtual brand communities, data-driven business-model innovation, auditor adaptability in the digital era and blockchain-enabled transformation.

Digital Business Aims and Scope

Elsevier describes the journal as publishing work on the digitalization of business, the impact of digital technologies on business models and the implications for the future of work. The scope is deliberately broad but not unlimited. It welcomes theoretical, empirical, critical, comparative and case-study research and permits qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method designs.

Core scope areas

• Digital platforms, digital ecosystems and digital labor platforms
• Digital technology, innovation, transformation, strategy and leadership
• Data-centric and big-data-driven business models and data monetization
• Blockchain-driven, platform-based, IoT-driven and intelligent digital business models
• Business-model innovation, design, development, valuation, change and dynamics
• Digital entrepreneurship, start-ups, lean concepts and agile development
• Financial technologies, social-network-driven models, crowdsourcing and crowdfunding
• Industry 4.0 technologies including IoT, cloud computing, machine learning and artificial intelligence
• Transformation culture, workforce qualifications and drivers of digital transformation
• Digital transformation’s social impact, sustainability and digital service design

For journal-fit purposes, the strongest manuscripts usually make the digital dimension integral to the research problem. A paper on leadership, marketing, operations or finance may fit when its contribution is specifically about digital transformation or digitally enabled business change. A conventional management study with only a brief technology variable may not be sufficiently aligned.

Interdisciplinary fit

The journal explicitly encourages work across business, economics, marketing and sociology and may include computer science and information-technology management where the research makes a business contribution. Interdisciplinary papers should translate technical findings into clear implications for organizations, markets, workers, customers, policy or business ecosystems.

Subjects and Research Topics Researchers May Consider

Researchers commonly evaluating Digital Business include scholars in business and international management, information systems, digital strategy, innovation, entrepreneurship, marketing, technology management and organizational studies. Potential topics include platform governance, generative AI adoption, digital capabilities, algorithmic management, fintech, blockchain, data monetization, digital customer experience, e-commerce ecosystems, digital sustainability and technology-enabled work redesign.

As a practical journal-selection step, avoid relying only on the broad aims-and-scope list. Review several recent papers that resemble your topic and method. If the closest papers consistently frame their contribution around digital business theory, strategy or value creation, your manuscript should make a similarly explicit connection.

Is Digital Business Indexed in Scopus and Other Databases?

Yes. Elsevier lists Scopus among the journal’s abstracting and indexing services. The supplied Scopus Source ID is 21101149706. Elsevier also lists the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), SCImago Journal Rank, the Norwegian Register, ANVUR, Publication Forum (JUFO) and the German Academic Association for Business Research (VHB).

The ISSN International Centre separately identifies Scopus and DOAJ among services covering the journal and confirms the online ISSN 2666-9544. Elsevier announced in September 2024 that Digital Business had been selected for inclusion in Web of Science. For authors whose institution requires a particular Web of Science collection or a current Scopus status, the live Clarivate Master Journal List and Scopus source profile should be checked before submission.

Digital Business Metrics: CiteScore, Impact Factor, SJR, SNIP and Quartile

Elsevier currently displays a 12.4 CiteScore and a 7.2 Impact Factor for Digital Business. These headline metrics provide useful context, but they should not be treated as permanent identifiers of journal quality. Citation metrics change annually and differ in calculation, coverage and purpose.

Institutional journal-profile data based on 2024 Scopus metrics report SJR 1.328, SNIP 2.129 and Q1 placement in relevant Business, Management and Accounting categories. Because quartiles depend on the category and reporting year, a researcher preparing a university submission record should capture the current database screen rather than copying an undated value from a third-party site.

Metrics can help with institutional eligibility and journal comparison, but manuscript fit, editorial standards, audience relevance and research integrity remain more important to a sensible submission decision.

Article Types Published by Digital Business

Elsevier’s official aims and scope identify three principal formats: original research articles, reviews and short communications. The journal also publishes special-issue content under appropriate article labels when calls for papers are open.

Original research should present a clear problem, sound method and defensible contribution. Review manuscripts should do more than summarize a topic; they should synthesize evidence, identify patterns or gaps and develop a meaningful research agenda. Short communications need a concise but substantive contribution appropriate to the journal’s scope. Authors should select the exact article type offered in the live submission system and check the current Guide for Authors for length and formatting rules.

Who Should Consider Submitting?

Digital Business may be appropriate for established academics, PhD researchers, early-career scholars and practitioner-researchers whose manuscripts address digitalization as a central business phenomenon. A doctoral candidate is not disadvantaged simply because of career stage; what matters is whether the manuscript provides a strong contribution, uses a credible method and fits the journal.

Potentially strong submissions include studies of digital transformation capabilities, platform ecosystems, digital entrepreneurship, AI-enabled business decisions, technology-driven organizational change, digital work, data-driven business models, blockchain strategy or sustainability impacts of digitalization. Researchers should be cautious when the paper is primarily about software engineering, algorithms or technical systems without a clear organizational or business contribution.

Journal-Fit Checklist Before You Submit

Manuscript and Submission Requirements

Authors should use the live Guide for Authors as the controlling source for manuscript preparation. Elsevier’s standard submission framework requires accurate author and affiliation information, a designated corresponding author, complete manuscript files, tables and figures, consistent citations and references, permissions for copyrighted material where needed, and required declarations.

Because journal instructions can change, this guide does not invent a word limit, abstract length or reference style that could not be verified directly from the current Digital Business guide. Before uploading, authors should check the exact requirements for title page, abstract, keywords, highlights, figures, tables, supplementary files, data statements and declarations shown in the current submission interface.

Practical manuscript-readiness steps

1. Read the aims and scope and identify the exact scope phrases your manuscript genuinely addresses.
2. Review recent Digital Business papers with similar topics or methods.
3. Rewrite the introduction so the digital-business problem, gap and contribution are explicit.
4. Check whether the method supports every major claim made in the discussion.
5. Confirm all citations and references against original sources and DOIs.
6. Prepare required authorship, funding, competing-interest, ethics and data statements as applicable.
7. Check the live Guide for Authors and submission portal immediately before upload.

What Is Known About Digital Business Peer Review?

Available Elsevier-linked information indicates that Digital Business uses a double-anonymized peer-review process. A journal special-issue page states that submissions judged suitable for peer review are reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. This means authors should prepare files so that manuscript anonymity is preserved where the current instructions require it.

Peer review is not merely a formatting step. Editors first decide whether a manuscript is suitable to send for external review. Scope mismatch, unclear novelty, weak methods or poor presentation can lead to an editorial rejection before full review. Authors can improve readiness by making the research problem and contribution easy to identify in the title, abstract, introduction and discussion.

Publishing Timelines: What the Journal Currently Reports

Elsevier’s current journal insights display approximately 3 days from submission to first decision, 39 days to a decision after review, 161 days from submission to acceptance and 3 days from acceptance to online publication. These are journal-level indicators and should not be interpreted as promises for a specific manuscript.

A complex revision, difficulty locating reviewers, special-issue workflow, author response time or editorial questions may make an individual paper faster or slower. Researchers working toward graduation, funding or promotion deadlines should plan with a buffer rather than treating the displayed timeline as guaranteed.

Open Access and Publication Fee

Digital Business is a fully open-access journal. Elsevier currently lists an article publishing charge of USD 2,040 excluding taxes. The journal page also notes participation in Elsevier’s GPOA program. Funding agreements, institutional arrangements, country-based eligibility, special-issue waivers or other policies can affect what an individual author actually pays.

Authors should verify the current fee on the official journal website before submission and determine whether their institution or funder covers the APC. A legitimate fee is a publishing arrangement, not a promise of acceptance; editorial decisions should remain independent of payment.

Editorial Leadership

The current Elsevier journal page prominently lists editors Payam Hanafizadeh, PhD of Allameh Tabataba'i University in Iran and Seongcheol Kim, PhD of Korea University in South Korea. Editorial boards change over time, so authors researching expertise or potential conflicts should consult the live editorial-board page rather than rely on an archived list.

Publication Ethics and Author Responsibilities

Digital Business is published within Elsevier’s publishing-ethics framework. Authors should expect policies covering originality, concurrent submission, authorship, competing interests, funding, research ethics, permissions, data and responsible use of generative AI. The exact declarations depend on the study and current Elsevier policy.

As a general publication-readiness principle, authors should ensure that every listed author meets legitimate contribution standards, no manuscript is simultaneously under review elsewhere, data and methods are reported honestly, citations are accurate, and any required ethics approval or informed consent is documented. Generative AI tools should not be listed as authors, and any required use disclosure should follow the journal’s current instructions.

Common Reasons a Manuscript May Be Unsuitable

• The paper discusses a technology but does not establish a meaningful digital-business contribution.
• The research question is too local or descriptive and does not explain broader theoretical or practical relevance.
• The literature review omits recent work on digital transformation, platforms, ecosystems or business-model innovation relevant to the study.
• The method cannot support the causal or general claims made in the conclusion.
• The manuscript is a technical computing paper better suited to an engineering or computer-science journal.
• The paper repeats well-established findings without a clear new context, mechanism, method or implication.
• Writing, structure, tables or references make the contribution difficult for editors and reviewers to evaluate.

How to Prepare a Stronger Digital Business Submission

A stronger submission begins with alignment. The abstract should quickly show the digital-business problem, method, key finding and contribution. The introduction should explain why the problem matters now, what the literature has not resolved and what the paper adds. Avoid claiming novelty simply because a technology or country has not been studied before; explain the mechanism, theory or decision problem the research advances.

Methodological transparency is equally important. Quantitative studies should justify sampling, constructs, measures, model choices and robustness checks. Qualitative studies should explain case selection, data collection, coding and interpretive procedures. Reviews should use a transparent search and synthesis method appropriate to their purpose. Mixed-method studies should explain why combining methods produces insight that one method alone would not provide.

The discussion should return to the journal’s audience. Explain how the findings refine understanding of digital business models, transformation, strategy, entrepreneurship, platforms, work or value creation. Practical implications should follow from the evidence rather than read like generic management advice.

Four Practical Journal-Fit Examples

Example 1: AI adoption in small firms

A survey showing that SMEs use AI tools is probably too descriptive by itself. It becomes more aligned when the paper explains how AI capabilities reshape value propositions, decision processes, customer relationships or business-model innovation and connects those findings to digital-transformation theory.

Example 2: Blockchain technology

A technical comparison of blockchain protocols may be outside the journal’s main business scope. A study of how blockchain governance affects business-model design, trust, supply-chain coordination or platform value creation is much closer to the journal’s published interests.

Example 3: Digital labor platforms

Research on gig work can fit strongly when it examines platform governance, algorithmic management, worker outcomes, digital labor markets or the strategic design of labor platforms and makes the business implications explicit.

Example 4: Digital sustainability

A study of technology-related emissions can fit when it explains how firms redesign digital business models, operations, ecosystems or value propositions to improve sustainability rather than treating environmental performance as detached from digital business strategy.

Submission Checklist for Researchers

• Confirm journal name, ISSN 2666-9544 and Scopus Source ID 21101149706.
• Recheck live Scopus/Web of Science status if required by your institution.
• Verify the current APC and any waiver or agreement before submission.
• Read the latest Guide for Authors rather than relying on old PDFs or third-party summaries.
• Compare the manuscript with several recent Digital Business articles.
• Check title, abstract and introduction for clear journal alignment.
• Confirm ethics, funding, authorship, competing-interest and data statements.
• Check tables, figures, supplementary files and reference consistency.
• Proofread language and formatting after all substantive revisions.
• Prepare a concise cover letter explaining fit and contribution without exaggeration.

How Contentxprtz Can Support Publication Readiness

Contentxprtz can support researchers with ethical manuscript preparation while keeping authors responsible for their research and final submission. Relevant support may include academic editing, proofreading, manuscript-structure review, journal-fit assessment, reference and citation consistency, formatting checks, cover-letter editing and reviewer-response polishing.

For a Digital Business submission, useful support often focuses on making the research question, contribution and journal alignment clearer; improving academic English without changing the author’s meaning; checking logical flow between theory, method, results and discussion; and identifying inconsistencies before submission. Contentxprtz does not guarantee acceptance, peer-review success, indexing, citation outcomes or publication.

Summary: Is Digital Business a Suitable Journal for Your Paper?

Digital Business is an Elsevier open-access journal with a clear focus on digitalization, digital business models, digital transformation, platforms, ecosystems, innovation and the changing nature of work. It is indexed in Scopus, carries the online ISSN 2666-9544 and uses Scopus Source ID 21101149706. Elsevier currently displays a CiteScore of 12.4, an Impact Factor of 7.2 and an APC of USD 2,040 excluding taxes.

The journal may be a strong option when your manuscript contributes directly to digital-business scholarship and can speak to an international business and management audience. The best decision comes from combining the official aims and scope with recent article comparison, current indexing verification, realistic assessment of methods and contribution, and careful compliance with the live Guide for Authors.