Format your manuscript to the Journal of Intellectual Capital requirements — abstract, Emerald Harvard references, and required declarations — and submit through ScholarOne Manuscripts without a formatting rejection.
4.6
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 19 August, 2026
Most manuscripts sent to Journal of Intellectual Capital don’t stumble on the science — they stumble on formatting caught at the first editorial check. This template is built around JIC’s actual requirements — its abstract rules, the length limit, Emerald Harvard references, and the required declarations — so your submission clears screening on the first pass. Everything below tracks the JIC author guidelines; check it directly if anything looks out of date by the time you submit.
It’s a manuscript shell set up to JIC’s specifications for intellectual capital, knowledge assets, and their measurement and management. Journal of Intellectual Capital is published by Emerald. The shell covers the title page, the abstract, a body in Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) order, and a reference list in Emerald Harvard style.
Start with the title page (authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs). The abstract is structured, ≤250 words — four required headings (Purpose; Design/methodology/approach; Findings; Originality), with three optional implications headings. Keep an eye on length — typically up to 8,000–9,000 words including everything (allow 280 words per figure or table; confirm in the guide). JIC also expects up to 12 keywords and an article classification. The body follows Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD), and the reference list uses Emerald Harvard. Close with the declarations block: ethics approval, conflict of interest, funding, and data availability.
The details that trip up most first submissions: a structured abstract missing one of the four required headings and research funding not listed in the acknowledgements. Beyond that, match your article type’s specific limits rather than assuming the defaults apply, keep Emerald Harvard formatting consistent from the first draft, and submit only through ScholarOne Manuscripts — email submissions aren’t processed.
The shell mirrors what JIC’s editorial staff check first: abstract format and length, Emerald Harvard reference formatting, and a complete declarations block. For the journal’s full aims and scope, see the JIC journal home page. JIC offers an open-access option; check the current article-processing charge and any waiver before you commit. Manuscripts go in through ScholarOne Manuscripts, which also tracks your paper through peer review.
| Element | JIC requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | structured, ≤250 words — four required headings (Purpose; Design/methodology/approach; Findings; Originality), with three optional implications headings |
| Main text | typically up to 8,000–9,000 words including everything (allow 280 words per figure or table; confirm in the guide); Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD) |
| Declarations | Ethics approval, conflict of interest, funding, and data availability |
| Figures / tables | Captioned, cited in order; check format and resolution rules in the guide |
| Supplemental | Large datasets, extra tables, code — uploaded separately and cited in text |
| Submission | mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jic |
Read the JIC author guidelines once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after your results are stable so it matches the paper. Set Emerald Harvard as your reference style before adding a single citation — retrofitting it later is where errors creep in. Prepare up to 12 keywords and an article classification early rather than leaving it to the end.
Skim two or three recent JIC papers to calibrate depth, structure, and figure style. State your contribution in the first two paragraphs, not on page ten. Write a data-availability statement that names a real repository rather than a placeholder, and disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in your cover letter. Confirm current open-access pricing and any institutional agreement before committing to a fee.
Do one focused pass against the JIC author guidelines: scope fit, abstract format, length, Emerald Harvard references, required declarations, and figure quality. Re-check the items that most often cause a bounce here — a structured abstract missing one of the four required headings and research funding not listed in the acknowledgements. Then submit through ScholarOne Manuscripts.