Emerald Literati Award 2020 for Highly Commended Paper

Research creates impact and generates real change beyond academia
Contribution of something new to the body of knowledge either in terms of approach or subject matter
Excellent structure and presentation
Well-written
Rigour in terms of argument or analysis
Relevance – to practice and further research, in most cases
Up-to-date – demonstrating that the latest/key works in the field have been cited

Ultimately, an outstanding paper should have the ‘x-factor’ – something that makes it stand out from the rest.