Journal of Selling Contribution Guidelines

Editor

Robert M. Peterson, Ph.D., Dean's Distinguished Professor of Sales

Editorial Policy

The journal's objective is to provide a focus for collaboration between practitioners and academics for the advancement of education and research in selling. Our audience is comprised of practitioners in industry and academics researching sales.

The journal strives to enhance best practices as it relates to business-to-business selling. Articles that promote this will be given priority for publication. Empirical papers that help validate theory and industry reality are sought, but strategic conceptual articles are welcome that truly articulate paradigm shifts in the selling process. Additionally, practitioner articles which provide commentaries, best practices and case studies that address key sales issues are desired.

All academic papers published need to have an expanded managerial implications section of the research findings or concept being developed. This enables our practitioner readers to benefit from the research.

Generative AI Policy for Reviewers 

Reviewing academic manuscripts is a human task. The critical thinking and assessment required for peer review are beyond Generative AI (GAI) and AI-assisted technologies. There is a risk that the technology will generate inaccurate, incomplete, or erroneous conclusions. These considerations, as well as treating manuscripts as confidential documents, support the GAI policies for reviewers. Clear guidelines require:  

  • Reviewers should not upload the manuscript or any part of it into a Generative AI tool, as there is no guarantee of where materials are being sent, saved, or viewed or how they may be used in the future to train the model and this may violate the authors’ confidentiality, proprietary and/or data privacy rights.  
  • Generative AI should not be used to assist in the review, evaluation or decision-making process of a manuscript sent to you for professional review. 
  • This confidentiality requirement extends to the peer review report and any other communication about the manuscript, such as the notification or decision letters, as they may also contain confidential information about the manuscript and/or the authors. For this reason, they should not be uploaded into a Generative AI tool, even if it is just for the purpose of improving language and readability. 

Notes to Contributors

  • Articles for consideration should be sent by email to editor: Robert M. Peterson, Department of Marketing Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, peterson@niu.edu.
  • Articles in excess of 6000 words will not normally be accepted. The editor does welcome shorter articles and case studies.
  • A manuscript should be submitted via email to the editor in Microsoft Word format, with author's name(s) and title of the article. Contributors are advised to check by telephone that submissions have been received. Neither the editor nor Northern Illinois University, Department of Marketing accepts any responsibility for loss or damage of any contributions submitted for publication in the journal.
    • Biographical note - supply a short biographical note giving the author(s) full name, contact information, appointment, institutions or organization/company and recent professional attainments.
    • Synopsis - an abstract of at least 100 words, but not exceeding 175 words should be included.
    • Diagrams/text boxes/tables - should be submitted without shading although a copy of how the authors wishes the diagram to appear shaded may be submitted by way of illustrative example. These should be numbered consecutively and typed on separate pages at the end of the article with an indication in the text where it should appear.
    • Managerial Implications - a section in the manuscript must be titled "Managerial Implications" and outline how your research could be used to improve practice. In short, how does it relate to actionable thoughts or behaviors.
    • References - should be cited using the Harvard method. No footnotes should be used for references or literature citations. Wherever possible, full bibliographic details (e.g., volume number issue number or date, page numbers publisher year of publication) should be included.
    • Footnotes - for clarification or elaboration should be used very sparingly. Footnotes should be typed at the bottom of the page and numbered consecutively throughout the text.
  • Any article or other contribution submitted must be the original unpublished work of the author(s) not submitted for publication elsewhere.
  • Manuscripts should be formatted on 8 1/2" x 11" paper with all margins of 1" and double-spaced. Font style should be Times New Roman in 12 pitch.
  • Cross references should not be to page numbers but to the text accompanying a particular footnote.
  • An address for correspondence (including email address) should be supplied as well as a telephone and fax number at which the author(s) may be contacted.
  • Authors undertake the responsibility to check that the manuscript should be free of grammatical, syntax or spelling errors. The editor reserves the right not to accept any manuscript in which excess alterations or corrections need to be made.

Ethics in the Blind Review Process (for all articles)

The journal uses a double-blind review process. Neither the author nor the reviewer should know the others identity. These identities, known only to the editorial staff, are never released, even after the article has been published.

Upon receipt, the editor desk reviews a manuscript to ensure that its topic is within the editorial scope of the journal and that it meets accepted professional standards as outlined in the Notes to Contributors. The editor then selects three reviewers on the basis of their expressed interests and expertise.

Feedback

Please feel free to contact the editor, Robert M. Peterson, Ph.D., by email at peterson@niu.edu or by phone at 815-753-6224 regarding these guidelines or other aspects of the journal.

Copyright in all contributions is with Northern Illinois University, Department of Marketing.

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