Author Guidelines

Papers should be in English, have an abstract (150 to 200 words), include 4-6 keywords, JEL classification numbers, and be submitted in PDF format. The manuscript must be submitted without authors' names or affiliations to ensure a blind refereeing process.

On a separate PDF document, authors should provide

• Their title
• Full names, affiliations, postal and email addresses of all authors
• Details of the corresponding author
• Number of words in the article, including footnotes and references
• Number of figures and tables
• Acknowledgements and Declaration of Interest sections.

If the paper is accepted, JECS would also require the source document, either in Word or LaTeX, and which should fully comply with the Journal formatting requirements (see Paper preparation).

Paper preparation

Style and spelling

Oxford English spelling should be used. Authors whose first language is not English are requested to have their typescripts checked carefully before submission.

General format

Please submit your text as a PDF file. The paper should be double-spaced, including text, tables, legends and footnotes. Pages should be numbered.

Word count and paper size

Papers should not exceed 10,000 words and should be submitted on A4 paper with black main body text.

Figures

Figures should be self-explanatory; they should have a title above and an explanatory note below. They should be limited to the number necessary for clarity and must not duplicate data given in tables or in the text.

After acceptance, figures must be submitted in electronic format and in a separate file to that of the typescript. Figures should be prepared at publication quality resolution (a minimum of 300 dpi at the target size on A4 paper).

Tables

Each Table should be numbered in sequence using Arabic numerals. Tables should also have a title above and an explanatory note below.

Acknowledgements and disclosure statements

All sources of funding and support, and substantive contributions of individuals, should be noted in an “Acknowledgement” note.

The paper should include a note specifying any conflicts of interest for each author. If there are no conflicts of interest, this should also be explicitly stated.

Citations

Sources should be cited using the author-date system, following the Chicago Manual of Style, with citations in the text in parentheses by author’s last name and year of publication, and a reference list at the end, where full bibliographic information is provided.

Proofs

Authors will have an opportunity to review proofs before publication.  However, at the proof stage no major changes can be included and corrections must be limited to typographical and formatting issues only. By submitting to JECS, authors agree to check and return proofs within two weeks of receipt.

Once a paper has been approved and published online, no further corrections can be made.

Copyright and other requirements

By submitting authors confirm that they are the corresponding/submitting author, that artificial intelligence (‘AI’) has not been used in the preparation of the manuscript, that they hold the copyright for the submitted work, and that they agree to publish with JECS if accepted. For more details, see the Journal Policies below.

Authors also consent that the Journal may retain their email address for the purpose of communicating with them about the article. The Journal does not retain copies of rejected articles.

Data and supplementary materials

Where commercially feasible, we strongly encourage authors to make available to readers all data and software code on which the conclusions of the paper rely. We suggest that data and code be presented in additional supporting files or deposited in a public repository whenever possible (for example, GitHub).

The authors can also make available to the reader any supporting material that is not essential for inclusion in the full text of the typescript (i.e., it is not needed to understand the conclusions of the paper) but would nevertheless benefit the reader (for example, additional data). This material can be made available by the publisher as online content, linked to the online typescript.

Permissions information

If illustrations or figures are to be duplicated from previously published work, written permission must be obtained both from the publisher and the author, and a credit line giving the source added to the relevant Figure legend. If significant text material is to be reproduced from published sources, written permission is required from both publisher and author. For shorter quotations, it is usually sufficient to add a bibliographic credit. The letters containing the permission for the reproduction of either text or illustrations must accompany the typescript. If you have been unable to obtain permission, please indicate this.

Journal policies

Editorial policy

All manuscripts are considered on the strict condition that they have not been submitted elsewhere, that they have not been published already, nor are they under consideration for publication, or in press elsewhere.

By submitting your work to JECS, you warrant that it is your original work, and that you have secured the necessary written permission from the appropriate copyright owner or authority for the reproduction of any text, illustration, or other material

All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could be perceived as inappropriately influencing (or biasing) their work. It is the sole responsibility of authors to disclose any affiliation with any organization with a financial interest, direct or indirect, in the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript (such as consultancies, employment, paid expert testimony, honoraria, speakers bureaus, retainers, stock options or ownership, patents or patent applications or travel grants) that may affect the conduct or reporting of the work submitted. All sources of funding are to be explicitly stated.

Peer review policy

All contributions will be first reviewed by the Editors-in-Chief as to their suitability for inclusion in the journal. A submission can be declined before peer-review if it is considered out-of-scope or if it does not meet the standards of the journal.  Following this initial review, manuscripts will be sent for double-blinded peer review (meaning that the author’s identity is known to the editor but not to the reviewers, and that the reviewers’ identities are known only to the editor and are hidden from the authors). Authors will be informed of the results of the review once the process is completed. Contributors may be asked to revise their contributions before final acceptance.

Authors are required to consider whether their manuscripts permit their identities to be inferred, e.g. through references, and to adjust them where necessary.

Preprint policy

Authors retain the right to make an author’s original version (preprint) available through various channels (including SSRN), and this does not prevent submission to the journal. If accepted, the authors are required to update the status of any preprint, including the published paper’s DOI.

Policy on the use of AI tools

AI tools such as Large Language Models, chatbots and image creators cannot be credited with authorship of any manuscript submitted to this journal.

Authors are required to disclose any instance where generative AI tools have been employed in the creation of written content, generation of images or graphical elements, or the collection and analysis of data within a submitted work. This acknowledgement should provide explicit information about the specific tasks performed by AI tools, including the identification of the tool(s) and their respective versions. AI tools used solely to improve or correct spelling and grammar need not be disclosed.

Authors bear full responsibility for the content of their manuscript, including any portions generated with the assistance of AI tools. Consequently, they are liable for any potential breaches of publication ethics. Authors must ensure that all quoted and referenced material is appropriately credited.