International Journal of Educational Management: Scopus, Metrics & Submission Guide

Key Takeaways

• Publisher: Emerald Publishing; the journal has been published since 1987 according to the ISSN record and bibliographic history.
• Scopus: the journal is ranked by Scopus; supplied Source ID 144741.
• Current publisher-reported metrics: 2025 CiteScore 6.0; 2025 Impact Factor 2.4; 2025 five-year Impact Factor 2.4.
• Review: double-anonymous; suitable manuscripts are normally sent to at least two independent referees after editorial screening.
• Acceptance rate: Emerald reports 11.2% for submissions from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
• Manuscript length: current guidance specifies 5,000–8,000 words, including abstract, references, tables/figures text and appendices.
• Access model: Emerald offers gold and green open-access routes; a gold-OA APC applies after acceptance and should be checked at the point of submission.

Journal Information at a Glance

What This Page Covers

• Aims, scope and topic fit
• Scopus and indexing
• Current metrics
• Article types
• Manuscript format
• Peer review and timing
• Open access and fees
• Publication-readiness checks

Methodology and Sources

This profile was prepared from the journal's official Emerald page and author guidelines, the ISSN Portal record, and the supplied Scopus Source ID. Publisher information was given priority for current editorial policies, metrics, review information and manuscript requirements.

Journal metrics, editorial teams, fees, indexing coverage and policies can change. Researchers should therefore treat this page as a publication-readiness resource and reconfirm time-sensitive facts on the official journal, Scopus and Clarivate pages immediately before submission or before using a metric for university, funding or promotion requirements.

What Is the International Journal of Educational Management?

IJEM sits at the intersection of education and management. Its subject is not education in the broadest possible sense; rather, it examines how educational institutions, systems and leaders are organized, governed and improved. The official journal description emphasizes the effective management of the educational process and the practical application of new ideas across different contexts.

This makes the journal relevant to scholars studying schools, universities, education systems and other learning organizations through a management lens. Typical questions may concern leadership, strategic decision-making, institutional improvement, organizational capacity, resource allocation, policy implementation, governance, staff management, change processes, accountability, technology-enabled delivery and the relationship between research and practice.

Its international orientation also matters. A manuscript based in one country is not automatically unsuitable, but the paper is stronger when it shows why the problem, theory, method or managerial implications travel beyond a single local setting. Authors should make the contribution visible to an international educational-management readership rather than assuming that a locally important problem will automatically be globally relevant.

Journal Aims and Scope

Emerald states that IJEM responds to continuing changes in the structure and philosophy of education and to the pressure on educational managers to use resources effectively and choose appropriate management strategies. The journal specifically highlights four areas: innovation in educational management, development of educational delivery mechanisms, creation of environments where resource management produces efficient outcomes, and sharing new initiatives that have international application.

In practical terms, that scope can support research on educational leadership and administration, organizational and institutional change, management strategy, resource and workforce management, quality and performance, educational delivery models, policy implementation, and the managerial implications of innovation. Both school and higher-education contexts can fit when the manuscript's central question is managerial rather than purely pedagogical.

The journal also publishes work that connects research and practice. That does not mean every paper must be immediately prescriptive. Conceptual, empirical and review work can be relevant when it advances understanding of educational management and explains implications for leaders, institutions, systems or policy actors. A strong submission should make the management problem explicit in the title, abstract, literature review and discussion.

Subjects and Research Themes That May Fit

Is IJEM Indexed in Scopus and Other Major Databases?

Yes, the journal is ranked by Scopus. Emerald's journal page explicitly lists Scopus among its ranking services, and the supplied journal record identifies Source ID 144741. Emerald also lists the journal as ranked in the Emerging Sources Citation Index from Clarivate.

The publisher's abstracting and indexing list includes A+ Education, Australian Education Index, Educational Administration Abstracts, Educational Research Abstracts, ERIC, Human Resources Abstracts, OCLC and the Publication Forum (Finland), among others. The official journal page also lists ABDC with a B ranking and CABS among ranking systems.

For a PhD, promotion, funding or institutional publication target, “indexed” should not be treated as a permanent label. Database coverage and category placement can change. Check the live Scopus source profile and the relevant Clarivate record when the decision depends on a current indexing requirement.

Current Journal Metrics and What They Mean

Emerald currently reports a 2025 CiteScore of 6.0. CiteScore is a Scopus-derived citation metric based on a defined multi-year publication and citation window. Emerald also displays a current-year CiteScore Tracker, which is updated during the year; a tracker is provisional and should not be reported as though it were the completed annual CiteScore.

The publisher reports a 2025 Journal Impact Factor of 2.4 and a 2025 five-year Impact Factor of 2.4. These are Clarivate metrics. Because annual metrics are recalculated by reporting year, always mention the year when citing a metric.

Quartile, SJR and SNIP are often searched alongside CiteScore. Their values can differ by year, subject category and database. Rather than mixing an old third-party quartile with current publisher metrics, this guide recommends checking the live Scopus/SCImago record for the exact category and year your institution uses.

What Types of Articles Does IJEM Publish?

The current Emerald author guidelines ask authors to select Original Article as the paper type and then classify the manuscript using the closest category. The listed categories include research paper, viewpoint, technical paper, conceptual paper, case study, literature review and general review.

That breadth allows multiple forms of scholarly contribution, but the category should match what the manuscript actually does. An empirical survey should not be positioned as a conceptual paper; a literature review needs a genuine review purpose and method; and a viewpoint depends substantially on the author's reasoned interpretation. Choosing the right category also helps editors and reviewers evaluate the paper on appropriate criteria.

Who Should Consider Submitting?

IJEM may be a realistic target for educational-management researchers, PhD scholars, faculty members, policy researchers and professionals whose work makes a clear contribution to the management of educational institutions or systems. It may also suit interdisciplinary work drawing on organizational behavior, human resource management, strategy, public management or policy when the educational setting is central.

A first-time author should not self-exclude simply because the journal is selective. However, the reported 11.2% acceptance rate indicates that submissions face meaningful competition. The more useful question is whether the manuscript demonstrates strong fit, credible methods, a clear contribution and polished presentation.

How to Decide Whether IJEM Fits Your Manuscript

1. Write your research problem in one sentence. Does it concern management, leadership, governance, resources, organizational change, strategy or delivery in education?
2. Map the contribution to the journal scope. Identify the specific IJEM theme your paper advances instead of relying on a generic “education management” label.
3. Read recent IJEM papers. Compare topics, theoretical framing, methods and discussion style with several recent articles, not just one convenient example.
4. Check international relevance. Explain why readers outside the study site should care and what is transferable, comparable or theoretically significant.
5. Check formal compliance. Confirm word count, structured abstract, keywords, anonymity, references, tables and file requirements against the current author guidelines.
6. Check institutional rules. If your university requires a particular database, quartile or journal list, verify that requirement in the current official database rather than relying on screenshots or old lists.

Manuscript and Formatting Requirements

Emerald's current IJEM instructions specify that article files should normally be submitted in Microsoft Word. A PDF may accompany the Word file, but PDF alone is not acceptable. LaTeX can be used when accompanied by a PDF.

The stated article length is 5,000–8,000 words. This count includes the structured abstract, references, text in tables and figures, and appendices. Emerald asks authors to allow 280 words for each figure or table when calculating the limit.

All submissions require a structured abstract with Purpose, Design/methodology/approach, Findings and Originality. Research limitations/implications, Practical implications and Social implications may be added when relevant. The abstract, keywords and article classification together should remain within the publisher's stated maximum of 250 words.

Authors may provide up to 12 keywords. References should use a recognized Harvard style; Emerald provides its own Harvard model but notes that another recognized Harvard style can be accepted. References should be complete, accurate and consistent, with DOI information included where available.

Tables are submitted separately from the main manuscript and numbered with Roman numerals, while figures must be supplied electronically at sufficient quality with clear captions. Authors should follow the current file-format guidance for figures and supplementary materials because technical requirements can change.

Submission Process

Manuscripts must be submitted through the journal's ScholarOne site accessed from Emerald. Emerald explicitly states that submissions should be made directly by the author and not by email or through a third-party proxy. Each contributing author should have the required account information and author details should be agreed before submission.

Before uploading, remove identifying details from the manuscript that could compromise double-anonymous review. Acknowledgements and author biographies should be uploaded separately where required. Emerald also encourages ORCID identification during submission.

1. Recheck aims and scope and recent articles.
2. Confirm the manuscript is anonymized and complete.
3. Prepare the structured abstract, keywords and article classification.
4. Upload the Word manuscript and required separate files.
5. Enter all author, funding and disclosure information accurately.
6. Submit through the official ScholarOne link and retain the manuscript number.

Peer Review and Editorial Decision Process

IJEM uses double-anonymous peer review. The journal editorial office first screens submissions for policy compliance, scope fit and manuscript quality. A paper can be declined or returned before external review if it does not meet the journal's aims, submission policies or quality threshold.

When a manuscript appears suitable, Emerald states that it is sent to at least two independent referees. After the reviews are returned, the editor may accept, request minor or major revision, or decline the manuscript. The publisher currently reports an average 41 days to first decision; its general author guidance also says the goal is to inform authors of a first decision within 60 days. These figures are not guarantees for an individual paper.

If revisions are requested, respond point by point. Distinguish changes you made from reviewer suggestions you did not adopt, and explain the academic reason for any disagreement. A respectful, evidence-based response can make the revised manuscript easier for editors and reviewers to evaluate.

Open Access, APCs and Publication Fees

Emerald offers both gold open access and green open access. Authors choosing gold OA do so after acceptance and are then asked to pay an article processing charge. Gold OA articles are published under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 licence according to Emerald's current guidance.

For green OA, Emerald permits authors to make the author accepted manuscript available through self-archiving, subject to the publisher's current policy. Emerald's journal FAQ states that there is no submission fee and that payment is requested only when gold OA has been chosen after acceptance.

The exact APC is not stated on the IJEM landing-page text used for this profile and can vary by journal, agreement, waiver or time. Authors should check the official Emerald APC price list or the submission system immediately before making a funding decision.

Research and Publication Ethics

Emerald says its journals closely follow guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Submitted work should be original, not under consideration elsewhere and free from copyright infringement. Conflicts of interest must be declared, and permissions are required for third-party material where applicable.

Research involving human participants must address ethics approval and informed consent when required. Emerald expects sufficient information about the relevant ethics committee or review board, approval details and applicable guidelines without compromising participant anonymity.

Emerald's current AI policy is especially important for authors. It states that generative AI must not be used to create or draft new submission content, while copy-editing an author's own original existing text may be permitted subject to transparency and the publisher's policy. Authors remain responsible for accuracy, integrity and originality.

How to Prepare a Stronger IJEM-Aligned Manuscript

As a practical publication-readiness step, build the paper around a clear educational-management problem and make the contribution explicit early. The abstract should tell the editor what problem was studied, how it was studied, what was found and what is original. The introduction should explain why the problem matters to educational managers or institutions, not merely why the topic is popular.

In the literature review, position the study in the relevant management and education scholarship rather than using a long descriptive list of sources. The methods section should make sampling, measures, analytical choices and limitations transparent. In the discussion, return to the management question and explain how the findings develop, refine or challenge existing understanding.

For an internationally oriented journal, the discussion should also separate context-specific findings from broader implications. Avoid claiming universal significance from a narrow local sample. Instead, explain the conditions under which findings may be transferable and identify what researchers in other settings should test next.

Common Reasons a Manuscript May Be Unsuitable

IJEM Pre-Submission Checklist

How Contentxprtz Can Support Publication Readiness

Contentxprtz can support authors with ethical publication preparation, including academic editing, language polishing, manuscript assessment, journal-fit review, formatting, reference consistency, structured-abstract refinement, cover-letter editing and reviewer-response editing. For researchers converting thesis work into an article, support may also focus on tightening the research story and aligning the manuscript with journal expectations without changing the underlying scholarship.

That support does not replace author responsibility and cannot guarantee editorial review, acceptance or publication. Journal editors and independent reviewers make those decisions. The most useful role of publication support is to help authors present their own research clearly, accurately, consistently and in a form that allows the scholarly contribution to be evaluated on its merits.

Authoritative Sources Used

• Emerald Publishing — International Journal of Educational Management: aims and scope, author guidelines, editorial team, indexing, metrics, peer review, timing and fees policy.
• ISSN Portal — ISSN 0951-354X: confirmed title, print ISSN and United Kingdom publication record.
• Scopus Source ID 144741: source profile link supplied with the task input.
• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): ethics framework referenced by Emerald.