04 Jul 2025
On 3rd July 2025, the College of Industry-Entrepreneurs (CIE) and the HeXie Management Research Centre (HeXie Academy) at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, in collaboration with the International Business School Suzhou (IBSS), successfully hosted an academic seminar for PhD students and junior faculty members. Professor Huigang Liang from the University of Memphis, USA, was invited as the keynote speaker, delivering an in-depth analysis of the publication process in international top-tier journals and project applications, centred on the theme "From Submission to Publication: Navigating the Review Process of IS and Management Top-Tier Journals." The seminar was chaired by Dr. Furong Jia, Assistant Professor at CIE and HeXie Academy.
Professor Huigang Liang currently serves as a Professor and FedEx Chair of Excellence at the University of Memphis, USA. He received his Master degree in computer science and his PhD degree in healthcare information systems from Auburn University. His research interests include socio-behavioral, managerial and strategic information technology issues at both individual and organizational levels in a variety of contexts. His work has appeared in?MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, Journal of MIS, Journal of AIS, MIT Sloan Management Review, Communications of the ACM, Decision Support Systems, Information Systems Journal?and?Journal of Strategic Information Systems, among others. His research has been funded by grants from NIH, FedEx and Sloan Foundation. He has served as associate editor for MISQ and is currently senior editor for JAIS and associate editor for ISR and?Information & Management.? Additionally, he has contributed to the 2024 National Natural Science Foundation of China’s Key Project.
During the seminar, Professor Liang systematically dissected the complete review process of top-tier journals in Information Systems (IS) and management. He detailed the critical stages from submission to final acceptance, including initial manuscript screening, the roles of editors and associate editors, the selection of external reviewers, and strategies for responding to various review decisions. This provided PhD students and junior faculty members with a comprehensive understanding of the journey from "submission to publication."
Professor Liang further elaborated on the key points reviewers focus on, such as the novelty of the research topic, clarity of theoretical contribution, methodological rigour, data analysis standards, and logical structure. By sharing practical examples, he highlighted effective strategies for addressing reviewers’ comments and enhancing the likelihood of paper acceptance. For instance, he referenced his recent publication in the UTD-listed journal?MIS Quarterly—Liang, H., Srinivas, S., & Xue, Y. (2025). How mergers and acquisitions increase data breaches: A complexity perspective—demonstrating how to craft high-quality response letters, including tactfully defending theoretical positions, supplementing analyses to address data concerns, and expanding academic dialogue through relevant literature.
Moreover, Professor Liang offered core advice for writing high-calibre academic papers, emphasising the theoretical tension of research questions, innovation in theoretical construction, and clarity in English expression. He encouraged young scholars to adopt an international publication-oriented mindset from the outset, prioritising rigour, logic, and contribution.
04 Jul 2025