Guide for Authors
The International Journal of Project Management is devoted to the publication of papers which advance knowledge on practical and theoretical aspects of project management. The list of classifications at the end of this guide indicates the scope of the journal. Papers are selected for publication based on their relevance, clarity, topicality, the extent to which they advance knowledge, and their contribution to inspiring further development and research. The journal strives to maintain a balance between papers derived from research and from practical experience. Authors are encouraged to submit case studies describing the project environment; criteria and factors for success; responsibilities of participants; managerial arrangements; human factors; contract forms; planning and control systems; problem areas encountered and lessons learned.

Submission of Papers
Authors should submit articles to the journal online by following instructions on the home page of the website at http://ees.elsevier.com/jpma

Submission of a paper implies that it has not been published previously, that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, and that if accepted it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or any other language, without the written consent of the Publisher.

Refereeing: All papers submitted for publication will be refereed on the 'double-blind' system by two or more specialists selected from a panel of referees. This means the author and referees do not know each other, nor do the referees know other referees. Thus it is important that authors' names should appear nowhere in the manuscript except on the cover page (which will be separated from the manuscript) and in references. When referring to their own work, authors should refer to themselves in the third person. Any papers not adhering to this will be returned.

Manuscript Preparation
General: Manuscripts should be 10,000 words long maximum, inclusive of figures and tables. Count each figure and table as 300 words. As a guide that is 33 pages of manuscript double spaced, counting each figure or table as one page. Papers must be typewritten in a font size of 12 or 11 pt, double spaced with wide margins. Write in clear and concise English, using active rather than passive voice. Authors may refer to themselves in the first person, except when citing their own work. Spelling should follow the Oxford English Dictionary. Authors should consult a recent issue of the journal for style if possible. The Editors reserve the right to adjust style to certain standards of uniformity.

Abstracts: Please supply an abstract of UP TO 150 words outlining the purpose, scope and conclusions of the paper, and at least two selected keywords. It is important that the abstract should be very clear and understandable to those whom English is not their native language. The abstract should explain why the paper is important to those who may not necessarily be in that particular field. A list of keywords to choose from appears at the end of this guide.

Units: You should use SI units, as defined by the ISO standard or your national authorized SI standard. Where SI units do not exist, use an internationally accepted unit. If you use any symbol or unit that may not be generally recognized, please put an explanatory note in the margin the first time it is used, to help the referees and editors.

References: All citations in the text should refer to:

1. Single author: the author's name (without initials, unless there is ambiguity) and the year of publication;

2. Two authors: both authors' names and the year of publication;

3. Three or more authors: first author's name followed by 'et al.' and the year of publication.

Citations may be made directly (or parenthetically).

Groups of references should be listed first alphabetically, then chronologically.

Examples: "as demonstrated (Allan, 1996a, 1996b, 1999; Allan and Jones, 1995). Kramer et al. (2000) have recently shown ...."

List: References should be arranged first alphabetically and then further sorted chronologically if necessary. More than one reference from the same author(s) in the same year must be identified by the letters "a", "b", "c", etc., placed after the year of publication.

Examples: Reference to a journal publication: Van der Geer, J., Hanraads, J.A.J., Lupton, R.A., 2000. The art of writing a scientific article. J. Sci.Commun. 163, 51-59.

Reference to a book: Strunk Jr., W., White, E.B., 1979. The Elements of Style, third ed. Macmillan, New York.

Reference to a chapter in an edited book: Mettam, G.R., Adams, L.B., 1999. How to prepare an electronic version of your article, in: Jones, B.S., Smith, R.Z. (Eds.), Introduction to the Electronic Age. E-Publishing Inc., New York, pp. 281-304.

Please ensure that references are complete, i.e. that they include, where relevant, author?s name, article or book title, volume and issue number, publisher and location, date and page reference.

It is important that your paper is set in the context of current research, and you should show that the work is original. Therefore a significant proportion of the citations (typically at least a third) should be refereed papers published in the last five years. But please do include citations of seminal papers from the past, which form the foundations of the subject. Web pages are not refereed publications and so citations of them should be used sparingly.

Illustrations: Please make sure that artwork files are in an acceptable format (TIFF, EPS or MS Office files) and with the correct resolution. If, together with your accepted article, you submit usable colour figures then Elsevier will ensure, at no additional charge, that these figures will appear in colour on the Web (e.g., ScienceDirect and other sites) regardless of whether or not these illustrations are reproduced in colour in the printed version. For colour reproduction in print, you will receive information regarding the costs from Elsevier after receipt of your accepted article. Please indicate your preference for colour in print or on the Web only. For further information on the preparation of electronic artwork, please see http://www.elsevier.com/artworkinstructions. Please note: Because of technical complications which can arise by converting colour figures to 'grey scale' (for the printed version should you not opt for colour in print) please submit in addition usable black and white versions of all the colour illustrations. Colour: Where colour figures are required, the author will be charged accordingly (further details of costs are available from Author Services at Elsevier). In cases where colour is paid for, authors will receive an additional one hundred free offprints.

Tables: Tables should be numbered consecutively in Arabic numerals and given a suitable caption at the top of the table. Type each table on a separate sheet. Footnotes to tables should be typed below the table and should be referred to by superscript lowercase letters. No vertical rules should be used. Tables should not duplicate results presented elsewhere in the manuscript (e.g. in graphs).

Proofs
Proofs will be sent to the author (first-named author if no corresponding author is identified on multi-authored papers) by PDF wherever possible and should be returned within 48 hours of receipt, preferably by e-mail. Corrections should be restricted to typesetting errors; any other amendments made may be charged to the author. Any queries should be answered in full. Elsevier will do everything possible to get your article corrected and published as quickly as possible. Therefore, it is important to ensure that all of your corrections are returned to us in one all-inclusive e-mail or fax. Subsequent additional corrections will not be possible, so please ensure that your first communication is complete. Should you choose to mail your corrections, please return them to: Log-in Department. Elsevier, Stover Court, Bampfylde Street, Exeter. Devon EX1 2AH, UK.

Offprints
The corresponding author, at no cost, will be provided with a PDF file of the article via e-mail or, alternatively, 50 free paper offprints. The PDF file is a watermarked version of the published article and includes a cover sheet with the journal cover image and a disclaimer outlining the terms and conditions of use.

Copyright
All authors must sign the ''Transfer of Copyright'' agreement before the article can be published. This transfer agreement enables Elsevier Ltd and the International Project Management Association to protect the copyrighted material of an author, without the author relinquishing his/her proprietary rights. The copyright transfer covers the exclusive rights to reproduce and distribute the article, including reprints, photographic reproductions, microfilm or any other reproductions of a similar nature, and translations. It also includes the right to adapt the article for use in conjunction with computer systems and programs, including reproduction of publication in machinereadable form and incorporation in retrieval systems. Authors are responsible for obtaining from the copyright holder permission to reproduce any material for which copyright already exists.

Checklist
o Have you told readers, at the outset, what they might gain by reading your paper?
o Have you made the aim of your work clear?
o Have you explained the significance of your contribution?
o Have you set your work in the appropriate context with sufficient background, and all relevant references?
o Have you addressed the question of practicality and usefulness?
o Have you identified future developments that may result from your work?
o Have you structured your paper in a clear and logical fashion?

Author Services
For enquiries relating to the submission of articles (including electronic submission where available) please visit this journal's homepage at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ijproman. You can track accepted articles at http://www.elsevier.com/trackarticle and set up e-mail alerts to inform you of when an article's status has changed, as well as copyright information, frequently asked questions and more.

Contact details for questions arising after the acceptance of an article, especially those relating to proofs, are provided after registration of an article for publication.

Classifications
Please choose at least two classifications from the following lists, as appropriate. This will assist the editor in choosing referees, as well as helping with cataloguing.

General
Implementing Strategy through Programmes of Projects; Managing Programmes; Project Portfolio Management; The Project Office; Managing Projects; Project Success and Strategy; Managing Integration; Project Management Procedures Project Management Information Systems; e-PM; Audits and Health Checks.

External
Managing Context - Political, Economic, Social and Technical; Managing Context - Legal; Managing Context - Environmental.

Implementation
Benefits Management; Requirements Management; Managing Scope - Functionality and Value; Value Management; Managing Scope - Configuration; Managing Scope - Work; Managing Organisation - Structure and Responsibilities; Managing Quality; Managing Cost; Earned Value; Managing Time; Network Analysis and PERT; Theory of Constraints/Critical Chain; Neural Networks; Managing Resources; Managing Risk; Fuzzy sets; Managing Health and Safety.

Life-cycle
Managing the Process - Life-cycle; Managing Project Start-up; Managing Proposal, Definition and Feasibility; Managing Design, Planning and Appraisal; Managing Implementation; Managing Commissioning, Testing and Close-out.

Commercial
Investment Appraisal; Managing Finance.

Contractual
Contract Organization/Forms of Contract; Managing Partnerships and Alliances; PPP/PFI; BOOT/BOT/DBMF etc; Contract Procurement and Tendering (Clients); Bidding (Contractors); Contract Administration; Managing Materials, Purchasing and Supply; Managing Claims; Managing International Projects.

People
Developing Individual Competence; Developing Organizational Maturity and/or Capability; Knowledge Management; Managing Teams; Managing Individuals - Development, Motivation and Reward; Leadership; Managing Stakeholders; Managing Conflict and Negotiation; Managing Culture; Gender; Managing Ethics; Decision Making; AHP.

General Management
Managing Human Resources; Managing Operations; Managing Financial Resources; Managing Markets; Managing Information Systems; Managing Strategy; Managing Innovation; Managing Change.

Industry and Sector Specific
Engineering and Construction; Manufacturing and Process Industries; Information Technology, Computers and Electronics; Communications; Infrastructure: Energy, Transport, Utilities and Health; Defences; Services, Financial and Leisure; Government; Voluntary Sector.

Geography
Europe; CIS; Middle East; Africa, sub-Sahara; Indian subcontinent; Far East; Australasia and Pacific; North America; Latin America.