Global Business Development Institute
Manuscript Submission Guidelines for Publication
(These Guidelines and Instructions are for Papers accepted for Publication). Electronic submissions as Microsoft Word File are required. Hard copies are not accepted.
Font
Except where indicated below for headings, the body of the paper must be in 10 pt font, and in Times New Roman (as in these instructions) or the nearest equivalent.
Title and Author(s)
The author(s), affiliation(s) should be centered with initial caps, bold type, and 12 pt font. Do not use titles such as Dr. or Professor or the like. For example:
CLASSROOMS WITHOUT WALLS: A PRADIGM FOR THE NEW MILLENIUM
Donald A. Schwartz, National University, La Jolla, USA
Leave two blank lines after the author name(s) and before the word ABSTRACT.
Omit page numbers. The publisher will number the pages. Page size is 8.5 inches x 11 inches.
Abstract
Introduce the paper with an abstract of approximately 100 words. The word ABSTRACT should be in all capital letters, 12 pt font, bold, and centered. The text (body) of the abstract should be in 10 pt font, unbold, italics. Follow the abstract with a first-level heading that introduces the body of the paper.
Headings
All headings should be in bold type and 12 pt font. FIRST LEVEL headings should be centered and set in all capital letters. Second-level Subheading should be set flush left, with initial letters in capitals. One blank line should appear before and after each heading.
Margins, Spacing, Justify Flush Left and Right
All margins should be 1 inch, except the Bottom Margin which should be 1.25 inches. Single-space the body of the paper. One blank line should appear before and after each heading. All paragraphs should begin flush left (no paragraph indent) and be right justified. Each paragraph must be followed by a blank line.
Figures, Tables and Equations
Figures and tables should be placed as close as possible to where they are cited. Headings should be centered, 12 pt, bold, and in all capital letters above the table or figure. Figures and tables must be numbered, and their sources must be cited.
All equations should be placed on separate lines, centered, and be numbered consecutively, with the equation numbers placed within parentheses and aligned against the right margin.
Yi = f(Xi) (1) (1)
Footnotes (or Endnotes)
The use of footnotes and endnotes is prohibited.
Appendices
The appendix should immediately follow the body of the paper and precede the references. The name APPENDIX should be centered and in all capital letters. If there is more than one appendix, number each one consecutively.
References
It is highly desirable that papers contain references. Include only those references cited in the text of the paper. References should be listed at the end of the paper. The heading REFERENCES should be bold, centered and in all capital letters. Entries should appear in alphabetical order, and should be numbered with the numbers placed in brackets (see example below):
[1] Behling, R. and Records, H., "Technology and International Competition in the Information Age", Journal of Information Systems, Vol. 35, No. 2 (Winter 1997-1998)
[2] Tom, Paul L., Managing Information as a Corporate Resource 2nd ed., 1999, Harper Collins (New York, N.Y.) pp. 35-62
Bracketed numbers, e.g., [2], or [2, p. 13], should be used in the body of the text to call references. If more than one reference is to be called at the same location, use a series of bracketed numbers separated by spaces.
[SAMPLE OF MANUSCRIPT FIRST PAGE]
ASSESSING WHETHER STUDENTS ARE PREPARED WITH THE MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SKILLS NEEDED FOR SUCCESS IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY
Sharon Paranto, Northern State University, Aberdeen, USA John X. Smith, Northern State University, Aberdeen, USA
ABSTRACT
Many business schools are electing to change the core MIS requirement in the business curriculum from an introductory computer course to an advanced applications course, in order to better prepare business students with the skills they need for success in a global economy. However, when making this change, the decision must be made as to how to place students into the appropriate course, based on their level of knowledge and expertise. At the same time, accreditation agencies are requiring assessment data not only on programs, but also on courses taught in the business core. This paper addresses those issues and highlights how a well designed placement test can also be used as an assessment tool.
INTRODUCTION
The range of computer skills of students entering college can vary widely. Some students have taken extensive coursework in the areas of computers and technology prior to starting college, whereas others have very little expertise in these areas. However, overall, the percentage of students with knowledge and skills in these areas has gradually increased as the number and level of courses taught in the high schools, and even earlier, have expanded. At the same time, the skills needed for success in a global economy have increased at an even faster rate. As a result, many business schools are electing to change the core MIS requirement in the business curriculum from an introductory computer course to an advanced applications course, with the assumption that 1) many students enter college with basic computer skills and 2) the skills college graduates will need in business and industry are at an all-time high.
When making this change to the curriculum, the decision must be made as to how to place students into the appropriate course, based on their level of knowledge and expertise. If the decision is made to implement a placement exam, the organizers must decide what type of exam should be given, when and how will it be implemented, who will be responsible for the administration of the exam, what type of expenses will be incurred, etc. At the same time, accreditation agencies are requiring assessment data not only on programs, but also on courses taught in the business core. Objectives must be in place for all courses taught in the business core and assessment data must be collected that can be used to demonstrate that the objectives are being met. The objectives that are established for both the introductory and the advanced computer courses should feed directly into the placement test referenced above. Theoretically, business schools should then be able to use this placement test as both a pre-test and a post-test. This would provide a measure of the knowledge and skills attained during the class and would provide data that could be used in assessing whether the objectives were indeed achieved.
PLACEMENT TESTING
This author proposes that the placement exam, if well designed, could be used as a pre-test/post-test in assessing the success of both the introductory and the advanced computer course. For those students who are placed into the introductory course, the bulk of the students should be able to score at or above the “advanced” placement level upon completion of the introductory course. At the same time, those students who are placed into the advanced course should score at a much higher level on the same exam upon completion of the advanced course. A draft version of the placement test was developed at our university during the spring semester, using feedback from business faculty in terms of what MIS skills business school graduates should be expected to have to successfully compete in a global economy. The exam questions were then “tested” in both the Introduction to Computers course and the Advanced Computer Applications course.
• All papers are refereed through a double blind process. The Editor reserves the right to refuse any typescript, whether on invitation or otherwise, and to make suggestions and/or modifications before publication.
• Typescripts which have been accepted be come the property of the publisher. It is a condition of acceptance that copyright shall be vested in the publisher.
• Papers will only be published in English. Papers must be written in a clear concise manner for ease of reading and interpretation.
• Figures and Tables. All illustrations, whether diagrams or photographs, are referred to as Figures and are numbered sequentially. All artwork for figures must be black and white and prepared to the highest possible standards. In general, the paper must be the way you want it to look in the publication. Hence, Tables and Figures must be placed where you want them to appear.
• Each author is encouraged to have his/her paper proofread by a colleague for grammatical and spelling corrections as well as the readability of the paper, before submitting it to the Editor.
• Author(s) Profile(s). At the end of paper, you may include author profile(s) not exceeding five lines for each author.
• Please submit the final paper as soon as possible, but no later than the specified deadline for submission.