Pre-Submission Preflight (amj-submission)

When to trigger

• "We're submitting this week" — the last check before hitting submit
• Unsure what ScholarOne requires (anonymized manuscript, title page, cover materials)
• Need to confirm double-blind anonymization is complete
• Verifying the manuscript matches current AMJ/AOM formatting requirements

Always re-verify current limits and required files on the official AMJ submission page and the AOM Style Guide before submitting — specifics change. As of 2026-05-30 the verified key specs are below.

Verified AMJ/AOM specs (confirm current values)

• Length: full manuscripts have a 40-page maximum for the main body, which includes text, references, and appendices but excludes tables and figures. (AOM uses a page limit, not a word cap.)
• Formatting: double-spaced throughout (including references and notes), Times New Roman 12-point, 1-inch margins on all sides, pages numbered consecutively.
• Abstract: no more than 200 words.
• Keywords: three keywords supplied at submission.
• Submission portal: ScholarOne Manuscripts at mc.manuscriptcentral.com/AMJ.
• Review: blind review; desk review typically takes ~1-2 weeks, and AMJ targets developmental feedback to authors within roughly 60 days. Authors who submit are expected to reciprocate by reviewing for AMJ when asked.
• Style: APA conventions per the AMJ Style Guide for Authors (citations, reference list, headings, tables).
• Integrity: manuscripts are screened with iThenticate; no simultaneous submission; any preprint posted online must be removed during the review period.
• Fees: AOM charges no submission fee and no author-paid APC. AMJ is subscription-published, and AOM does not support Gold (author-funded) open access; the only open-access route is Green OA (self-archiving), where authors may post the accepted (pre-copyedited) manuscript and the Version of Record may be made open only after a 12-month embargo, at no fee (verified on the AOM open-access page 2026-06-23). Re-verify on the AOM/AMJ open-access page before submission, as policy may change.
• AI disclosure: any use of AI tools must be disclosed in the cover letter and the acknowledgements, with confirmation that you have read the AOM AI policy; AI cannot be listed as an author.

Pre-submission checklist

Anonymization (double-blind)

• Manuscript file contains no author names, affiliations, or acknowledgments
• Self-citations are worded neutrally ("prior research (Author, 2020)"), not "our earlier work"
• Acknowledgments, funding, and author bios live on a separate title page, not in the manuscript
• File metadata/properties scrubbed of author identity
• File names contain no author or institution identifiers

Format (verify against the current AOM Style Guide)

• Title page (separate): title, authors, affiliations, contact, acknowledgments, funding
• Abstract ≤ 200 words; three keywords supplied
• AOM/APA-style citations and reference list, alphabetized and complete
• Headings follow the AOM hierarchy; double-spaced, Times New Roman 12-pt, 1-inch margins
• Tables and figures placed/numbered as the portal requires; each self-contained
• Main body ≤ 40 pages (text + references + appendices; tables/figures excluded)

Files for ScholarOne

• Anonymized main document (manuscript + tables + figures, or as the portal specifies)
• Separate title page with all identifying information
• Cover letter to the editor (concise: fit, contribution, not under review elsewhere)
• Any required supplementary/online appendix files
• High-resolution figure files if requested separately

Declarations & ethics

• Human-subjects/IRB approval stated where applicable (separate from anonymized text)
• Data-availability/transparency statement as required by current policy
• No concurrent submission; prior conference/working-paper versions disclosed in the cover letter
• AI use disclosed in the cover letter and acknowledgements per the AOM AI policy (AI is never an author)
• Conflicts of interest and funding disclosed on the title page
• Authorship and contribution roles agreed by all authors

References & consistency

• Every in-text citation appears in the reference list and vice versa
• Canonical theory works for the focal domain are cited (a frequent reviewer check)
• Hypothesis labels, construct names, and table/figure numbers are consistent throughout

ScholarOne operation notes

• AMJ submits through ScholarOne Manuscripts at mc.manuscriptcentral.com/AMJ; create/keep your author account and ORCID current.
• Select the correct article type and the most fitting division/keywords so the manuscript routes to an appropriate action editor.
• You may be asked to suggest qualified, non-conflicted reviewers — propose people in the focal conversation without recent co-authorship.
• Upload anonymized files and the title page in the slots the system designates; preview the built PDF before final submission.

Anti-patterns

• Submitting with self-identifying language ("in our 2019 study") intact.
• Acknowledgments/funding left inside the anonymized manuscript.
• Reference list in a non-AOM default style straight from the reference manager.
• Missing data-availability/ethics statement, or undisclosed AI use, where the policy requires one.
• Inconsistent hypothesis labels or table numbers between text and exhibits.
• Letting the main body exceed the 40-page limit by forgetting that references and appendices count toward it.

Output format

【Anonymization】pass / fix: [...]
【Format vs. AOM guide】pass / fix: [...]
【Files ready】manuscript / title page / cover letter / supplements: yes/no
【Declarations】IRB / data availability / disclosures: complete? [...]
【References】citations↔list reconciled; canonical theory cited: yes/no
【Article type & division】selected ...
【Next step】await decision → amj-review-process; on R&R → amj-rebuttal

Resources

• templates/manuscript_template.md — full AMJ manuscript skeleton (title page, abstract ≤200 words, three keywords, theory & hypotheses, methods, results, discussion, references) with verified AOM format specs
• The full pre-submission self-check (anonymization / format / files / declarations / references / portal) is inline above in this skill
• ../../resources/external_tools.md — management-research data sources and analysis software (Mplus / R lavaan / HLM / Stata / SPSS PROCESS)
• ../../resources/official-source-map.md — official AOM/AMJ URLs behind every verified fact in this pack (accessed 2026-05-30)