Submission Policies

COMMENTARY (Single peer review)

Reflections on various existing and emergent topics related to the scope of this journal are encouraged through focused commentaries written either by practitioners or researchers. Items will be chosen based on their currency and quality, and will be subject to peer review either by a member of the Editorial Advisory Board, an external practitioner or third-party researcher (depending on the topic). 

BOOK REVIEW (Single peer review)

A review is an authoritative and balanced examination of a publication in project or program management. Submissions can occur at any time and need to relate to one of PMRP’s core topics. They are subject to peer review either by a member of the Editorial Advisory Board, an external practitioner or third-party researcher (depending on the topic). 

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS 

Observations and reports from various conferences in the project management community and those related to the key topics of PMRP will be published. Submissions are welcome at any time.

Proceedings can also be published as a partial or complete collection. Conference chairs / organizers can work with PMRP to determine the scope and scheduling of the collection. 

Reviews are conducted in two stages: initially through external conference members and secondly with one representative of PMRP. Changes might be required as a result of either stage review. This determination is done in consultation with at least one member of the PMRP Editorial Advisory Board and an explanation of the peer review process accompanies each proceedings.

INTERVIEWS (NON-REFEREED)

Researchers, practitioners and other thought leaders are often the best source of insight to emergent, critical issues and reflected in the more open channel of an interview. Suggestions are welcome. They are subject to peer review either by a member of the Editorial Advisory Board, an external practitioner or third-party researcher (depending on the topic).

PRACTITIONER CASE (REFEREED)

 A key goal of PMRP is to publish material of clear and immediate value to PM practitioners. To support this goal will be the provision of 'practitioner cases' - articles written by experienced professionals, reinforced with current research and placed in suitable context. They are subject to peer review either by a member of the Editorial Advisory Board, an external practitioner or third-party researcher (depending on the topic).

RESEARCH ARTICLE (REFEREED)

To be included in this section, articles must be based on substantiated scholarship, use a qualitative or mixed methods research design and provide critical reflection and analysis. They must contribute new knowledge to both the research and practice of project management as related to PMRP's topics. All research articles submitted  are reviewed by two independent peer referees who are qualified experts in the subject field. Authors and reviewers remain anonymous. The journal works with an expanded definition of peer reviewers, including suitably qualified practitioners working in a project/programme/portfolio management capacity. Reviewers' recommendations are taken into consideration by the editors in determining publication and revisions.

STUDENT RESEARCH ARTICLE (REFEREED)

Masters or doctoral candidates are encouraged to submit articles concerning their own research and experiences as a researcher-in-training. The inclusion of university or host programs are encouraged.

These articles must be structured similarly to fuller research submissions but can have a lower word count. They are subject to peer review by a member of the Editorial Advisory Board and externally with an external practitioner or researcher (depending on the topic).

TEACHING CASE (REFEREED)

The understanding and development of project management stems from education as well as research. Teaching cases will focus on actual and fictional projects and programs related to PMRP topics. Submissions are encouraged and will be peer reviewed by a combination of practitioners and/or researchers and/or educators.

Cases will have 3 parts (see Author Guidelines) and are subject to peer review by a member of the Editorial Advisory Board and externally with an external practitioner or researcher (depending on the topic).

SPECIAL COLLECTION (REFEREED)

Proposals are encouraged for a select group of scientific contributions that focus on a central theme, topic, or research direction. Special collections are initiated and supervised by Guest Editors, who are responsible for the content and for managing the review process for all contributions.

All material in a Special Collection is peer-reviewed, and each individual submission must be accepted for publication according to the same standards as all other journal content.

A person wishing to edit a Special Collection first submits a short proposal to the Journal editor. This first proposal should contain a description of the topic or issue, a list of possible papers and authors, and (if applicable) the names of other Guest Editors. Should the group of contributions be the product of a workshop or seminar, the proposal should also include information about the event.

In support of a special collection, a Call for Papers can be published in PMRP.

As an example, the first Special Collection of PMRP took place in Volume 3 with a focus on project management in the not-for-profit sector.

PRACTITIONER'S VIEW (REFEREED)

Experienced project and programme managers will be invited to offer their view on a recently published research article. These will be important submissions that place or apply theory or workable concepts in real-world project scenarios. They are subject to peer review by a member of the Editorial Advisory Board and externally with an external practitioner or researcher (depending on the topic).