Scope

Electronic Markets (EM) is a leading academic journal from the information systems discipline that offers a forum for research on all forms of networked business. EM recognizes the transformational role of information and communication technology (ICT) in changing the interaction between organizations and individuals ("digitalization"), which is present in social networks, electronic commerce, supply chain management, or customer relationship management. Electronic markets, in particular, refer to forms of networked business where multiple suppliers and customers interact for economic purposes within one or among multiple tiers in economic value chains. As a broad concept, there are many forms of electronic markets:

  • In a narrow sense, electronic markets are mainly conceived of as digital platforms with dynamic price discovery mechanisms involving atomistic relationships. Popular examples originate from electronic exchanges in the financial and energy markets as well as from many multi-sided markets in the retail or travel sector.
        
  • In a broader sense, price discovery is not critical for electronic markets. These digital platforms and value chains emphasize longer-term relationships and processes for enabling business transactions (e.g. electronic procurement solutions) and/or knowledge management (e.g. product development, problem and incident management).

EM covers diverse aspects of networked business and welcomes research from a technological, organizational, societal, and/or political perspective. Since EM is a journal in the field of information systems, papers submitted to EM are expected to always provide a link to IT and an innovative as well as insightful contribution. EM is a methodologically pluralistic journal, therefore quantitative and qualitative research methods are both welcome as long as the studies are methodologically sound. Conceptual and theory development papers, empirical hypothesis testing, and case-based studies are all welcome.

More information on EM's scope as well as some examples are provided in the "Editorial 24/3 - Electronic Markets and general research" as well as in the Editorial on "Evolution and perspectives of electronic markets".