Aries Systems Corporation

More and more frequently, journal offices need 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 change. In addition, it is better for journal offices to collect this type of information from Authors in a structured format instead of handling such communications outside of the system (i.e. via email) so that collected data can be included in reports downstream. In Editorial Manager, journal 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 customized to meet journal preferences. For example, questions can be formatted into text boxes, multiple choice, drop down menu selection, numerical ratings, and more. Questions can be configured to be required, optional, or hidden. Follow-up questions (or sub-questions) can also be implemented for responses that require more detail after a specific answer is provided. A series of Custom Questions is compiled into a questionnaire to be easily selected during Article Type configuration.

Common topics/questions addressed by Custom Questions might include:

• Disclosing Conflict of Interest
• 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

Watch the 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.