Submissions • Emerge 2027

Submission Type

A full paper presenting original research, containing analysis, interpretation, and argument about a specific research topic, supported by evidence and rigorous research.

Review Process

Submissions will undergo a review process to ensure quality and relevance. After the review process, a submission may be accepted either as a full paper or as a poster. A submission selected as a full paper will be presented at the conference AND will be archived in the proceedings. A submission selected as a poster / demo will be presented at the conference, but will NOT be archived in the proceedings.

Submissions will go through two rounds of review. In the first round, Review Committee Chairs will review all submissions and will reject submissions that are not anonymised as per the anonymisation policy, are incomplete, have a low quality, or are off-topic. If a submission is accepted in the first round, it can be presented at the conference at least as a poster. Authors will be notified if their submission is being accepted at least as a poster or a demo. This is to facilitate authors to make travel arrangements. Meanwhile, all submissions accepted in the first round will proceed to the second round of review.

In the second round each submission will be subjected to rigorous blind peer review by three expert reviewers. The final decision for accepting or rejecting a paper will be made by the Review Committee Chairs in a PC meeting, after which the authors will be notified of the decisions. Submissions selected in the second round will be accepted as papers, which will be presented at the conference as well as archived in the proceedings after the conference.

All acceptances will be conditional pending changes suggested by the reviewers. The accepted papers will be published after the conference. The authors of each accepted paper will receive detailed instructions on how to submit a final, publication-ready version of the paper. The paper will not be formally accepted for archival until the authors revise it and submit a final draft for approval by the Review Committee Chairs. Until such time, all papers will be considered "conditionally accepted".

Submission Requirements

Submission Format

Authors should submit manuscripts in the DRS format: EMERGE 2027 Research Paper Template

Anonymisation

All submissions MUST BE ANONYMISED for the review process. I.e. authors must remove their names and affiliations from the manuscript. While citing their own prior work, they must refer to it in third person (for example, say "As found by Dalvi et al., [1]..." and not "As found by us in our earlier work..."). Non-anonymized submissions will be rejected.

Submission Length

Submissions are expected to be between 5000 to 8000 words. There is no hard page limit, but authors are encouraged to submit a paper of length proportional to its contribution.

The word limit for Essay is up to 5000 words; there is no such limit for Poster or Demo submissions.

Submission and Publication Summary

Reviewing Process: Peer Reviewed
Proceedings: Design Research Society
Length: 5000 to 8000 words. No limit for page numbers.
Anonymous submission: Yes
Submission: Submit Paper
Registration: Opens 16 December 2026

At least one author for each accepted submission must register and present it at the conference. Presenters under the age of 35 who have a selected paper, poster or a demo will get a waiver of registration fees. The conference will also be able to cover travel and accommodation costs for a limited number of presenters under the age of 35. Instructions about this will be sent along with the acceptance notifications.

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

1. Commitment to Publication Ethics

EMERGE 2027 is committed to maintaining high standards of academic integrity, research quality, transparency, and ethical publishing practices.

The conference follows internationally recognized principles of publication ethics, drawing upon guidance from:

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)
Elsevier’s publication ethics guidelines
Scopus Content Selection and Advisory Board (CSAB) evaluation criteria, where applicable

All submitted manuscripts must demonstrate originality, scholarly rigor, responsible research conduct, and appropriate acknowledgment of intellectual contributions.

The conference aims to ensure a fair, independent, and transparent evaluation process while safeguarding the integrity of its published proceedings.

2. Peer Review Policy

EMERGE 2027 follows a double-blind peer review process to ensure fairness, objectivity, and academic quality.

The following principles govern the review process:

Each eligible submission will be evaluated by at least two independent reviewers with relevant academic or professional expertise.
Reviewers will be selected based on subject knowledge, research experience, and independence.
The conference will seek institutional and geographical diversity in reviewer selection.
Reviewers may be drawn from the wider international academic community and are not restricted to the organizing committee.
Authors’ and reviewers’ identities will be concealed from one another during the review process.
Manuscripts will be assessed based on originality, methodological rigor, relevance, clarity, research ethics, and contribution to design knowledge.

Final acceptance decisions will be made by the designated Program Committee based on reviewers’ recommendations and the conference’s academic standards.

3. Originality, Plagiarism, and Similarity Policy

All submissions to EMERGE 2027 must represent original scholarly work that has not been published previously or submitted simultaneously to another conference, journal, or publication venue.

Maximum permitted similarity score: 8%.

Manuscripts will undergo similarity screening using iThenticate, Turnitin, or an equivalent tool.
The overall similarity index must not exceed 8%, subject to the conference’s screening methodology.
Plagiarism, including unattributed copying, improper paraphrasing, and unauthorized reuse of published material, is strictly prohibited.
Self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, and substantial text recycling without appropriate disclosure are not permitted.
All borrowed ideas, quotations, figures, tables, and research findings must be properly acknowledged and cited.
Manuscripts exceeding the permitted similarity threshold may be returned for revision or rejected.

Important: A similarity score below 8% does not automatically establish originality. Any confirmed plagiarism, regardless of percentage, constitutes a violation of publication ethics.

4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage and Disclosure Policy

EMERGE 2027 recognizes that artificial intelligence tools may support academic writing and research workflows. However, their use must be transparent, responsible, and consistent with academic integrity.

Maximum permitted AI-generated content: 10%.

The following requirements apply:

AI-generated manuscript content must remain within the conference’s prescribed 10% threshold, as assessed under its screening policy.
AI tools may be used for limited language editing, grammar correction, readability improvements, and formatting assistance.
AI-generated text must not substitute for an author’s original scholarly analysis, interpretation, critical reasoning, or intellectual contribution.
Authors must disclose substantive use of generative AI tools in the preparation of their manuscripts.
AI-generated or AI-modified citations, data, findings, and references must be independently verified.
Fabricated references, invented research data, misleading analysis, or undisclosed AI-generated research findings are strictly prohibited.
AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.
Authors retain full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all submitted material.

Submissions exceeding the permitted AI-generated content threshold may be subject to further editorial assessment, revision, or rejection.

AI-detection results will be reviewed with appropriate editorial judgment and will not, by themselves, constitute conclusive evidence of misconduct.

5. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship must accurately reflect meaningful intellectual contributions to the research.

All listed authors must:

Have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, execution, analysis, or interpretation of the research.
Participate in drafting or critically reviewing the manuscript.
Approve the final version submitted for publication.
Accept responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of their contributions.

Guest authorship, honorary authorship, ghost authorship, and inappropriate exclusion of eligible contributors are prohibited.

Changes to authorship after submission must be justified, communicated to the Program Committee, and approved by all affected authors.

6. Research Integrity and Data Transparency

Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy, reliability, and transparency of their research.

Submissions must:

Present authentic research findings and accurate information.
Describe research methods, procedures, and analytical approaches clearly.
Acknowledge relevant data sources, research instruments, and supporting literature.
Avoid fabrication, falsification, selective manipulation, or misleading presentation of evidence.
Provide sufficient methodological information to support the evaluation and reproducibility of findings, where applicable.
Clearly distinguish empirical findings, conceptual propositions, speculative design outcomes, and interpretations.

Where research data cannot be publicly disclosed due to confidentiality, privacy, or legal restrictions, authors must appropriately explain such limitations.

7. Ethical Approval and Human Participant Research

Research involving human participants must adhere to appropriate ethical standards.

Authors must ensure that:

Necessary Institutional Ethics Committee, Institutional Review Board (IRB), or equivalent approvals are obtained where required.
Informed consent is obtained from participants, as applicable.
Participation is voluntary and participants’ rights are respected.
Personal information, identities, and sensitive research data remain appropriately protected.
Images, interviews, observations, recordings, and participant-generated materials are used with necessary permissions.
Research involving vulnerable populations or sensitive contexts includes suitable safeguards.

Where formal ethical approval is not required, authors should provide an appropriate declaration explaining the ethical procedures followed.

8. Conflict of Interest Disclosure

All parties involved in the publication process must disclose potential conflicts of interest.

These may include:

Financial or commercial interests.
Institutional or professional relationships.
Personal relationships that may influence judgment.
Other circumstances that could compromise impartiality.

Reviewers and committee members with significant conflicts must recuse themselves from the relevant evaluation or decision-making process.

9. Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers are expected to maintain professional, ethical, and objective standards throughout the review process.

Reviewers must:

Evaluate submissions fairly and independently.
Provide constructive, evidence-based, and respectful feedback.
Maintain confidentiality regarding manuscripts and review discussions.
Declare potential conflicts of interest before accepting assignments.
Report suspected plagiarism, ethical violations, or substantial research irregularities.

Reviewers must not:

Disclose, distribute, or share unpublished manuscripts without authorization.
Use submitted research ideas, information, or findings for personal or professional advantage.
Allow personal, institutional, or other biases to influence their recommendations.
Upload confidential manuscripts to unauthorized AI platforms or external services.

10. Responsibilities of the Program Committee and Editors

The EMERGE 2027 Program Committee is responsible for maintaining the fairness, transparency, and integrity of the editorial process.

Its responsibilities include:

Ensuring appropriate and independent peer review.
Assigning submissions to suitably qualified reviewers.
Maintaining confidentiality throughout evaluation and decision-making.
Managing conflicts of interest.
Ensuring consistent application of publication ethics policies.
Investigating credible allegations of academic misconduct.
Communicating editorial decisions in a professional and transparent manner.
Maintaining appropriate records of reviews, decisions, and ethical concerns.

Editorial decisions must be based on scholarly merit, relevance, and ethical compliance rather than personal or institutional considerations.

11. Publication Misconduct and Malpractice

EMERGE 2027 considers the following practices violations of publication ethics:

Plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and unauthorized reproduction of content.
Duplicate publication or simultaneous submission to multiple publication venues.
Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of research data.
Misrepresentation of research methods, findings, or results.
Improper authorship attribution or undisclosed significant contributions.
Undisclosed or prohibited AI-generated content.
Fabricated citations or AI-generated false references.
Manipulation of peer review or attempts to influence reviewers improperly.
Failure to obtain necessary ethical approvals or participant consent.
Undisclosed conflicts of interest affecting research integrity.

Any suspected misconduct may result in formal investigation and appropriate corrective action.

12. Procedures for Handling Misconduct

EMERGE 2027 adopts a structured and fair process for addressing allegations of research or publication misconduct.

Stage I – Detection and Reporting

Potential misconduct may be identified through similarity screening, editorial assessment, peer review, or formal complaints.

Stage II – Preliminary Assessment

The designated Ethics Committee or authorized Program Committee representatives will assess the available evidence and determine whether further investigation is warranted.

Stage III – Investigation and Author Response

Where necessary, the authors concerned will be informed of the allegations and provided with an opportunity to respond and present relevant evidence.

Stage IV – Decision and Corrective Action

Depending on the severity and substantiation of the violation, actions may include:

Requesting clarification or correction.
Requiring manuscript revision.
Rejecting the submission.
Withdrawing acceptance.
Requesting correction or retraction of published material.
Informing the relevant institution or publisher in serious cases.

All allegations will be handled confidentially, impartially, and with appropriate procedural fairness.

13. Corrections, Retractions, and Post-Publication Ethics

EMERGE 2027 is committed to preserving the accuracy and reliability of the scholarly record.

Where errors or ethical concerns arise after publication, the conference will coordinate with the relevant publisher to determine appropriate action.

Such measures may include:

Issuing corrections or errata for genuine errors.
Publishing retraction notices for findings rendered unreliable by serious errors or misconduct.
Updating the publication record transparently.
Informing relevant indexing or publishing partners where necessary.

Corrective actions will follow the applicable publisher’s policies and recognized publication ethics guidance.

14. Copyright, Licensing, and Intellectual Property

Authors are responsible for ensuring that submitted materials respect applicable copyright and intellectual property laws.

All externally sourced content must be appropriately cited.
Necessary permissions must be obtained for copyrighted figures, images, diagrams, tables, and other materials.
Authors must comply with the copyright and licensing requirements of the designated proceedings publisher.
Reuse of previously published content must follow applicable permissions and attribution requirements.
Copyright ownership and publication licensing arrangements will be communicated through the official author guidelines.

15. Author Declaration and Compliance

By submitting a manuscript to EMERGE 2027, all authors confirm that:

The manuscript represents original research and complies with the conference’s publication ethics policies.
The submitted work is not simultaneously under consideration elsewhere.
The manuscript complies with the maximum 8% similarity threshold and maximum 10% AI-generated content threshold.
All authors have approved the submission and their contributions are appropriately acknowledged.
Required ethical approvals, consent procedures, and permissions have been obtained, where applicable.
Potential conflicts of interest have been disclosed.
All research data, references, and findings have been presented accurately.
The authors accept responsibility for the academic integrity of the submission.

Failure to comply with these requirements may lead to manuscript rejection, withdrawal of acceptance, or appropriate post-publication corrective action.

Committed to ethical research, responsible scholarship, and the advancement of design knowledge.