Aries Systems Corporation

It is increasingly necessary for journals to collect detailed information from Authors during the submission process. The amount of information needed may vary greatly from journal to journal, and questions might need to be updated on-the-fly as journal policies and requirements change. Soliciting and collecting this information upfront from Authors in a structured, consistent format instead of handling such communications outside of the system (i.e. via email) allows this data to be included in reports downstream. In Editorial Manager^® (EM), journal editorial staff can customize data collection during submission using custom question functionality.

Configured by Article Type, custom questions can be presented to Authors during manuscript submission and/or revision. Questions can be easily created and modified to meet journal preferences. Questions can be formatted into text boxes, multiple choice, drop down menu selection, numerical ratings, and more, and can be configured to be required, optional, or hidden. Follow-up questions, also known as sub-questions, can also be implemented for responses that require more detail after a specific answer is provided. A series of custom questions can be compiled into a questionnaire, configured for specific Author purposes and Article Types.

Common topics/questions addressed by custom questions might include:

• Disclosing Conflict of Interests
• Potential society membership status (as associated with the journal)
• Specifying anticipated leave (e.g. sabbatical) in the foreseeable future that would interfere with communications/revisions
• Submission history of manuscript to other publications
• Permissions/Approval from Co-Authors to submit manuscript
• Providing word count for manuscript
• Supplying Author social media handles for promotion after publication
• Self-reported inclusionary data (Author gender, race, ethnicity, etc.)

Watch the tutorial video below for a glimpse into how your journal office might use custom questions to gather detailed information from Authors. For questions or assistance with system configuration, contact your Aries Account Coordinator.