Get your International Small Business Journal 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 17 August, 2026
Submitting to International Small Business Journal goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the International Small Business Journal 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 International Small Business Journal. 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 International Small Business 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 International Small Business Journal 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 International Small Business Journal 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 ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).
| Element | Int Small Business J requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured abstract of 100-150 words between the title and main body. Should concisely state the purpose of the research, major findings, and conclusions. For clinical trials, the trial registry name, URL, and registration number must be included at the end of the abstract |
| Main text | Full Research Articles: Maximum of 40 pages including references, tables and figures. Times Roman font size 12, 1.5 line spacing (including references), 'normal' margins (2.54 cms). Research Notes: Not normally exceed 25 pages with the same formatting as full articles |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Maximum of 4 keywords, listed after the abstract. Keywords should be as specific as possible to the research topic |
| References | Sage Harvard reference style. Every in-text citation must have a corresponding citation in the reference list and vice versa. Corresponding citations must have identical spelling and year |
| Peer review | Double-anonymized (double-blind): The identity of both the reviewer and author are always concealed from both parties. At least two independent reviews are required for a manuscript to reach a Revise or Accept decision |
| Submission | mc.manuscriptcentral.com/isbj |
Read the International Small Business Journal 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 International Small Business Journal in under a page.
Skim two or three recent Int Small Business J 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 International Small Business Journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the International Small Business Journal guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).