International Journal of Manpower: Scopus, Scope, Metrics & Submission Guide

Key takeaways for researchers

• Publisher: Emerald Publishing; Editor-in-Chief currently listed as Professor Adrian Ziderman.
• Core scope: HRM, workforce utilisation/planning, management, labour markets and labour economics.
• Methodological preference: strong empirical/analytical quantitative research; exceptional qualitative studies may occasionally be considered.
• Scopus: indexed; supplied Source ID 20201. Emerald also lists SSCI among the journal’s rankings/indexing context.
• Metrics: CiteScore 2025 = 12.3; Impact Factor 2025 = 3.5; five-year Impact Factor 2025 = 5.2.
• Peer review: double-anonymous, normally with at least two independent referees after editorial screening.
• Acceptance rate: Emerald reports 10% for submissions received 1 April 2024–31 March 2025.
• Manuscript length: normally 6,000–8,000 words, with a structured abstract and up to 12 keywords.

International Journal of Manpower at a glance

How this profile was researched

This guide prioritises the official Emerald journal page and author instructions, the supplied Scopus source profile, Emerald’s current open-access policy and the journal’s current publication pages. Where a value such as SJR or SNIP was not directly visible in an authoritative accessible source, it is marked for verification rather than estimated.

Aims, scope and research areas

IJM’s official scope connects two broad research traditions: human resource management and workforce planning on one side, and labour markets and labour economics on the other. The journal considers questions at corporate, local, national and international levels. Emerald emphasises empirical and analytical quantitative work, with only occasional consideration of qualitative studies of very high quality.

This creates a distinct editorial identity. A paper on employee behaviour is more likely to fit when it produces a clear manpower, HRM, employment or labour-market contribution rather than simply using employees as a convenient sample. Likewise, an economics paper should connect its findings to employment, wages, skills, productivity, labour supply, workforce allocation or related policy/management implications.

Representative topics that can align with the scope

• Wages and pay gaps
• Job satisfaction and turnover
• Skills and educational mismatch
• Workforce productivity
• Human capital
• Employee wellbeing
• Labour-market segmentation
• Workforce diversity
• Flexible work and scheduling
• Employment and unemployment
• HR practices and performance
• Technology and work

These are practical examples inferred from the stated scope and recent Emerald-listed articles, not a closed official topic list. Recent journal pages show work on overeducation and wages, flexible scheduling and turnover, service robotics and working time, employment mismatch, firm pay dispersion and employee wellbeing.

Understanding Scopus coverage, rankings and journal metrics

The International Journal of Manpower is listed by Emerald as indexed in Scopus, and the supplied Scopus Source ID is 20201. Emerald also lists Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), EconLit, EBSCO products, RePEc, Current Contents: Social & Behavioral Sciences and several specialist abstracting services.

For PhD publication requirements, the practical question is not simply “Is it Q1?” but “Does my university recognise this database, reporting year and subject category?” Institutional rules differ. Save a current source-profile record if you need to document indexing or quartile status for a doctoral milestone.

Is this journal a good match for your manuscript?

A strong fit begins with research question + method + contribution. IJM is particularly selective about method and article form, so authors should test alignment before investing time in formatting.

What does the journal publish?

The Emerald submission system asks authors to choose a paper type/category. Its general classification menu includes research paper, viewpoint, technical paper, conceptual paper, case study, literature review and general review. For IJM, however, the journal-specific aims and scope is more restrictive: it explicitly rules out bibliometric and literature reviews and purely conceptual papers. That journal-specific rule should govern manuscript planning.

Recent publications illustrate the journal’s empirical orientation: topics include the wage consequences of overeducation, service robotics and working time, paid time off and voluntary turnover, educational mismatch, firm pay dispersion, unemployment, employee wellbeing and workplace practices. Authors can use recent issues as a reality check for both topic fit and the expected level of analysis.

Preparing a manuscript for International Journal of Manpower

Emerald’s current author instructions specify a 6,000–8,000-word article, with the count including the structured abstract, references, text in tables and figures, and appendices. Authors are asked to allow 280 words for each figure or table.

Core manuscript requirements

• Provide the article in Microsoft Word; a PDF may accompany it but is not accepted alone. LaTeX may be used with an accompanying PDF.
• Use a concise title and upload complete author details through ScholarOne rather than leaving identifying information in the anonymous manuscript.
• Include a structured abstract of no more than 250 words in total, including keywords and article classification.
• Required abstract headings are Purpose, Design/methodology/approach, Findings and Originality; research limitations, practical implications and social implications are optional when relevant.
• Supply up to 12 short, appropriate keywords.
• List research funding and explain the funder’s role in the acknowledgements.
• Upload author biographies and acknowledgements separately when used; biographies should be no more than 100 words per author.
• Use the Emerald reference style shown in the journal guidelines, with alphabetical references and DOI information where available.

Double-anonymous preparation

The manuscript itself should not reveal author identity. Emerald advises removing names from the text, figures and captions; handling self-citation neutrally; and uploading acknowledgements and biographies as separate files. This is not cosmetic—identifying details can compromise the review process.

What happens after you submit?

Submission is made by the corresponding author through the journal’s ScholarOne editorial system. Emerald explicitly says authors should submit directly and not through a third-party proxy. After submission, the editor checks fit and manuscript quality. Suitable papers are sent to at least two independent referees for double-anonymous review.

Emerald reports a 34-day time to first decision based on submissions from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, while the author guidance states a general goal of informing authors of the first decision within 60 days. It also reports an average 30 days from acceptance to publication based on the previous 12 months as last updated April 2025. These are historical service metrics, not guarantees for a new submission.

The current acceptance rate shown by Emerald is 10% for submissions received between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. Treat this as context about selectivity, not as a personal acceptance probability; manuscript fit, research quality, novelty, reporting and reviewer evaluation remain decisive.

Open access, copyright and publication charges

IJM is a hybrid journal. Authors can publish through the normal subscription route or choose gold open access after acceptance. Emerald’s 2026 standard APC for hybrid journals is £3,222 / US$4,351 / €3,710, plus applicable VAT or other taxes. The publisher also supports green open access, allowing the accepted manuscript to be self-archived without an embargo after publication.

APC policies can change and institutional publishing agreements may cover or discount open-access charges. Confirm your eligibility and the current amount on Emerald’s open-access page before making a funding decision. Choosing professional editing or paying an APC does not influence editorial acceptance.

Publication ethics and responsible research expectations

Emerald says its journals follow guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors must submit original work that is not simultaneously under consideration elsewhere, disclose conflicts of interest, identify all legitimate contributors, secure third-party permissions and address ethical approval or informed consent where human participants are involved.

The publisher also states that large language models cannot be credited as authors. Emerald’s current AI policy permits certain forms of editing or language refinement of an author’s own work when used responsibly and transparently, but does not permit generative AI to copywrite new submission content. Because AI rules can evolve, review the current journal author guidelines immediately before submission.

A publication-readiness checklist for IJM

Common reasons a manuscript may be unsuitable

For IJM, desk-rejection risk is especially high when the paper misses the journal’s scope or ignores its methodological direction. Common problems include a generic management paper with no manpower contribution, a weak empirical design, a paper built mainly around a prohibited review format, an anonymous manuscript that exposes author identity, failure to follow the structured-abstract or word-limit rules, or language/reporting quality that prevents a fair assessment of the research.

As a practical publication-readiness step, write a two-sentence “fit statement” before submission: one sentence explaining the workforce/labour problem, and one explaining how the empirical evidence advances IJM’s research conversation. If that statement feels forced, the manuscript may need reframing—or a different journal.

How Contentxprtz can support ethical publication readiness

Professional support is most useful when it removes avoidable presentation and compliance problems while leaving research ownership and scholarly judgement with the authors. For an IJM submission, Contentxprtz may assist with academic editing, ESL language polishing, manuscript-format review, reference and citation consistency, abstract refinement, cover-letter editing, response-to-reviewer editing and journal-selection guidance.

These services do not guarantee editorial screening, peer-review success, acceptance, indexing or publication. The editor and reviewers independently assess the manuscript, and the corresponding author should submit directly through the official ScholarOne system.

Official links and final verification points

• Emerald journal page, aims and scope, author guidelines and metrics
• Official Scopus source profile (Source ID 20201)
• International Journal of Manpower ScholarOne submission portal
• Emerald open-access routes and 2026 APC information

Before submitting, verify the latest author instructions, current indexing status, metric reporting year, editorial team, APC and any special-issue requirements. Journal information can change between the time a manuscript is prepared and the time it is submitted.