WORKSHOP How to improve your manuscripts and publish in quality journals

What are the characteristics of a successful scholar and a successful PhD student? Self-motivation Self-discipline Hard work Tenacity

There is no magic in publishing. It takes hard work.

Goal: Become a top 25 program in finance What does it take? 5 articles in top 3 finance journals EVERY YEAR So in 4 years—20 top 3 articles

Resource action plan: Purchase all datasets including: Compustat, CRSP, Datastream, Reuters, WRDS Invite leading professors (including journal editors) to campus for extended stays Recruit faculty who publish in the top journals (Minimum of 5 in top 3) Pay highly-competitive salaries Give very low teaching loads Provide ample funding for attending conferences Recruit highly-qualified doctoral students Goal: Become a top 25 program in finance

1 every 4 years Under these optimal conditions, how many top 3 articles can each faculty member produce? Need 20 articles in 4 years. Each faculty can produce 1 article every 4 years Hence, to become top 25, need 20 research faculty

What is the Pecking Order for Journals?

45 Journals used in FT Research Rank 1. Academy of Management Journal (Academy of Management) 2. Academy of Management Perspectives (AMP) 3. Academy of Management Review (Academy of Management) 4. Accounting, Organisations and Society (Elsevier) 5. The Accounting Review (American Accounting Association) 6. Administrative Science Quarterly (Cornell University) 7. American Economic Review (American Economic Association) 8. California Management Review (UC Berkeley) 9. Contemporary Accounting Research (Wiley) 10. Econometrica (Econometric Society, Wiley) 11. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice (Baylor University, Wiley) 12. Harvard Business Review (Harvard Business School Publishing) 13. Human Resource Management (Wiley) 14. Information Systems Research (Informs) 15. Journal of Accounting and Economics (Elsevier) 16. Journal of Accounting Research (University of Chicago, Wiley) 17. Journal of Applied Psychology (American Psychological Association) 18. Journal of Business Ethics (Kluwer Academic) 19. Journal of Business Venturing (Elsevier) 20. Journal of Consumer Psychology (Elsevier) 21. Journal of Consumer Research (University of Chicago) 22. Journal of Finance (Wiley) 23. Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis (Cambridge University Press) 24. Journal of Financial Economics (Elsevier) 25. Journal of International Business Studies (Academy of International Business) 26. Journal of Management Studies (Wiley) 27 Journal of Marketing (American Marketing Association) 28. Journal of Marketing Research (American Marketing Association) 29. Journal of Operations Management (Elsevier) 30. Journal of Political Economy (University of Chicago) 31. Journal of the American Statistical Association 32. Management Science (Informs) 33. Marketing Science (Informs) 34. MIS Quarterly (MIS Research Centre, University of Minn.) 35. Operations Research (Informs) 36. Organization Science (Informs) 37. Organization Studies (SAGE) 38. Organizational Behaviour and Human Decision Processes 39. Production and Operations Management (Wiley) 40. Quarterly Journal of Economics (MIT) 41. Rand Journal of Economics (The Rand Corporation, Wiley) 42. Review of Accounting Studies (Springer) 43. Review of Financial Studies (Oxford University Press) 44. Sloan Management Review (MIT) 45. Strategic Management Journal (Wiley)

ABCD list

Is an experienced author more likely to receive a favorable referee report?

Should I have a coauthor? A coauthor can bring: Useful skills—writing, programming, statistics, and econometrics Additional resources—data, computing power, submission fees Subject knowledge—microstructure, asset pricing Publishing experience A more visible platform

Are single-authored articles worth more?

How do I choose a topic? Pick a topic that is of current interest Extend a published model or line of research You know it is of interest because it is published If you test someone else’s model you don’t need confirmation

What are the characteristics of a top tier topic? Address an important question Address a wide audience If your paper is an extension of another paper, make sure that paper is a well known paper published in a top journal. Primarily use U.S. data

Is an experienced author more likely to receive a favorable referee report?

In writing the paper: If anyone (including a referee) can’t understand your paper, it’s YOUR fault. This is akin to “The customer is always right.”

In writing the paper: Be as comprehensive as possible. Make sure all issues that can be handled are covered before sending out. Get feedback from colleagues before sending out. In the reference section, stick mainly to papers from top journals. Identify key researchers working in your area and make sure their work is cited.

In writing the paper: Make sure that: Writing is clear, Grammar is correct, Formatting of everything (text, references, footnotes, tables) is consistent, You follow established conventions Are meticulous, and Use U.S. English, spelling, and paper size

Where should one start in writing the paper?

What is a favorable referee report? Does the referee ask for things that you can do? Do the referee’s suggestions improve the paper?

Can I influence the choice of referee?

Is refereeing really blind? Internet SSRN Presentation circuit

How should one respond to a referee report? Respond to each and every point by doing what the referee asks unless it is impossible. If the referee asks the impossible, then explain why it can’t be done and attempt to allay concerns that this is affecting whether the project is worthwhile. Notice that the above two points do not indicate whether the author received an R&R. Never argue with the referee. IN ANY EVENT also brainstorm about additional ways to improve the manuscript.

Research integrity is VERY important Plagiarism Taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own. Data manipulation