IZA Discussion Papers - FAQs

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#1. What are the requirements for paper submission?
In terms of content, the papers must fit into at least one of the IZA research program areas. In terms of technical requirements, papers must be in PDF format (DOC format is also accepted, but we ask that you do not send DOCX files). Please make sure the introduction starts on a new page so that we can attach the IZA-style cover and title pages to the document. There are no special requirements (beyond the usual standard for scientific papers) regarding page layout or numbering.
#2. Do the papers undergo some sort of a referee process?
We ensure the quality of our series primarily by restricting submissions to IZA network members only. However, we also reserve the right to reject papers for lack of general quality or if they do not fit into our research program. Please note that we check for obvious formatting errors (e.g. empty pages, unreadable equations etc.) but do not provide any proofreading or copyediting services. Therefore, please perform your own language and format checks before submitting the paper.
#3. How long does it take until my paper becomes available online?
We try to process your paper as quickly as possible, but note that it may take up to four weeks during holiday periods or if we get an usual flood of submissions. We also try to group new papers roughly by topic, but this does not affect average processing time. If there is a particular reason why you need your paper online faster than usual (e.g. you are presenting it at a conference or wish to include it in a report), please notify us in the comment field of the online submission form. We will do our best to fast-track your paper.
#4. Will journals still accept my paper if it is already available online as an IZA DP?
Some journals require that submitted papers are not available online. These instances are increasingly rare because most journals now understand that pre-publication as a working paper is common practice, and that it is close to impossible to erase all online traces of a paper even if it has only been presented at seminars or conferences. However, it is your responsibility to sort out these potential conflicts before submitting to the IZA series. Please understand that we will not delete a paper if you decide at some point to submit it to a journal with such requirements.
#5. Can I submit a paper that has already appeared in a journal?
In general, we only accept unpublished work. Exceptions can be made if, for example, a journal has published a shorter version of your paper and you wish to make an extended version available through the IZA series. In these cases, however, it is your responsibility to ensure that there are no copyright conflicts involved.
#6. Can I replace my paper with a revised version later?
No. We want to avoid circulating different versions of the same paper. Also, updating (or deleting) a paper involves an enormous administrative effort because it must be manually changed in various internal and external databases. Therefore, we ask that you only submit final versions of your discussion paper. If a revised version has been published in a journal or elsewhere, you can add this information to your IZA DP entry (see #7 below).
#7. Do you keep track of where my papers eventually get published?
Yes. We regularly check the contents of several relevant journals for papers previously published in our series and add this information to our website. However, this only covers a small share of all relevant publications. Therefore, we rely on you to provide and complete this information. Once your paper has been accepted or published, please add a “forthcoming in” or “published in” note to your paper entry. Simply log into your member’s menu (http://www.iza.org/members) and select “Edit DP Info”.
#8. Do I have to submit the paper to RePEc or SSRN myself?
No. The RePEc “robot” picks up all new papers within 1-2 days. However, you will need to “claim” your paper to have it assigned to your RePEc author’s profile – see http://authors.repec.org/ for details. The SSRN process is completely automated for all authors who already have an SSRN ID. In a few cases (e.g. if the paper has already appeared in another series) this may not work properly. If you do not find your paper at SSRN two weeks after it has appeared at IZA, please contact usersupport@ssrn.com