Get your Foundations and Trends in Information Retrieval paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
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Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 11 August, 2026
Submitting to Foundations and Trends in Information Retrieval goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Foundations and Trends in Information Retrieval guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Foundations and Trends in Information Retrieval. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the Foundations and Trends in Information Retrieval journal page before you draft.
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the Foundations and Trends in Information Retrieval guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the Foundations and Trends in Information Retrieval guide for authors before you submit.
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through the journal's editorial office.
| Element | Foundations Trends Information Retrieval requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Structured abstract required with four mandatory fields, each with a 100-word limit: Purpose, Design/methodology/approach, Findings, and Originality (total 400 words maximum). Optional additional fields (Research limitations/implications, Practical implications, Social implications) may be added, also with 100-word limits per field. The abstract should describe what the paper reviews and for whom it is of interest |
| Main text | Foundations and Trends in Information Retrieval publishes exclusively long review and tutorial papers of approximately 100 pages. Original research papers are not accepted |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Keywords may be assigned freely by authors, including subject-specific keywords such as JEL codes. No specific count or range is mandated in the guidelines |
| References | Harvard style (Emerald's Harvard referencing style). Citations in text: single author (Adams, 2006), two authors (Adams and Brown, 2006), three or more authors (Adams et al., 2006) with 'et al' in italics. Reference list in alphabetical order at end of paper. Pages written in full (e.g., 175-179, not 175-9). DOIs should be included when available |
| Peer review | Single-anonymous peer review (reviewers know author identities, but authors do not know reviewer identities). At least two reviewers assess each manuscript, concentrating on completeness, clarity of exposition, and technical issues. An editorial board member shepherds the manuscript through the process |
| Submission | Email: dkielty@emerald.com |
Read the Foundations and Trends in Information Retrieval guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to Foundations and Trends in Information Retrieval in under a page.
Skim two or three recent Foundations Trends Information Retrieval papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the Foundations and Trends in Information Retrieval journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Foundations and Trends in Information Retrieval guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's editorial office.