diff --git a/src/app/+collection-page/collection-item-mapper/collection-item-mapper.component.html b/src/app/+collection-page/collection-item-mapper/collection-item-mapper.component.html
index 3fdbdb4e7e..f8d770423b 100644
--- a/src/app/+collection-page/collection-item-mapper/collection-item-mapper.component.html
+++ b/src/app/+collection-page/collection-item-mapper/collection-item-mapper.component.html
@@ -18,16 +18,20 @@
       <ngb-tabset>
         <ngb-tab title="{{'collection.item-mapper.tabs.browse' | translate}}">
           <ng-template ngbTabContent>
-            <ds-viewable-collection
-              [config]="(searchOptions$ | async)?.pagination"
-              [sortConfig]="(searchOptions$ | async)?.sort"
-              [objects]="collectionItemsRD$ | async">
-            </ds-viewable-collection>
+            <div class="mt-2">
+              <ds-viewable-collection
+                [config]="(searchOptions$ | async)?.pagination"
+                [sortConfig]="(searchOptions$ | async)?.sort"
+                [objects]="collectionItemsRD$ | async">
+              </ds-viewable-collection>
+            </div>
           </ng-template>
         </ngb-tab>
         <ngb-tab title="{{'collection.item-mapper.tabs.map' | translate}}">
           <ng-template ngbTabContent>
-            <ds-item-select [itemsRD$]="mappingItemsRD$" [paginationOptions]="(searchOptions$ | async)?.pagination"></ds-item-select>
+            <div class="mt-2">
+              <ds-item-select class="mt-2" [itemsRD$]="mappingItemsRD$" [paginationOptions]="(searchOptions$ | async)?.pagination"></ds-item-select>
+            </div>
           </ng-template>
         </ngb-tab>
       </ngb-tabset>
diff --git a/src/app/+collection-page/collection-item-mapper/collection-item-mapper.component.ts b/src/app/+collection-page/collection-item-mapper/collection-item-mapper.component.ts
index af0735acf7..622bd14547 100644
--- a/src/app/+collection-page/collection-item-mapper/collection-item-mapper.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+collection-page/collection-item-mapper/collection-item-mapper.component.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { getSucceededRemoteData, toDSpaceObjectListRD } from '../../core/shared/
 import { SearchService } from '../../+search-page/search-service/search.service';
 import { DSpaceObject } from '../../core/shared/dspace-object.model';
 import { DSpaceObjectType } from '../../core/shared/dspace-object-type.model';
+import { SortDirection, SortOptions } from '../../core/cache/models/sort-options.model';
 
 @Component({
   selector: 'ds-collection-item-mapper',
@@ -32,6 +33,8 @@ export class CollectionItemMapperComponent implements OnInit {
   collectionItemsRD$: Observable<RemoteData<PaginatedList<DSpaceObject>>>;
   mappingItemsRD$: Observable<RemoteData<PaginatedList<DSpaceObject>>>;
 
+  defaultSortOptions: SortOptions = new SortOptions('dc.title', SortDirection.ASC);
+
   constructor(private collectionDataService: CollectionDataService,
               private route: ActivatedRoute,
               private router: Router,
@@ -48,15 +51,19 @@ export class CollectionItemMapperComponent implements OnInit {
       flatMap(([collectionRD, options]) => {
         return this.searchService.search(Object.assign(options, {
           scope: collectionRD.payload.id,
-          dsoType: DSpaceObjectType.ITEM
+          dsoType: DSpaceObjectType.ITEM,
+          sort: this.defaultSortOptions
         }));
       }),
       toDSpaceObjectListRD()
     );
     this.mappingItemsRD$ = this.searchOptions$.pipe(
       flatMap((options: PaginatedSearchOptions) => {
+        options.sort.field = 'dc.title';
         return this.searchService.search(Object.assign(options, {
-          dsoType: DSpaceObjectType.ITEM
+          scope: undefined,
+          dsoType: DSpaceObjectType.ITEM,
+          sort: this.defaultSortOptions
         }));
       }),
       toDSpaceObjectListRD()
diff --git a/src/app/shared/item-select/item-select.component.html b/src/app/shared/item-select/item-select.component.html
index 1705495a20..d92d87e156 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/item-select/item-select.component.html
+++ b/src/app/shared/item-select/item-select.component.html
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
   [paginationOptions]="paginationOptions"
   [pageInfoState]="(itemsRD$ | async)?.payload"
   [collectionSize]="(itemsRD$ | async)?.payload?.totalElements"
-  [hidePagerWhenSinglePage]="true">
+  [hidePagerWhenSinglePage]="true"
+  [hideGear]="true">
   <div class="table-responsive">
     <table id="item-select" class="table table-striped table-hover">
       <thead>
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@
         <tr *ngFor="let item of (itemsRD$ | async)?.payload?.page ; let i = index">
           <td><input [(ngModel)]="checked[i]" type="checkbox"></td>
           <td><a [routerLink]="['/items', item.id]">{{(item.owningCollection | async)?.payload?.name}}</a></td>
-          <td><a [routerLink]="['/items', item.id]">{{item.filterMetadata(['dc.contributor.author', 'dc.creator', 'dc.contributor.*'])[0].value}}</a></td>
+          <td><a *ngIf="item.filterMetadata(['dc.contributor.author', 'dc.creator', 'dc.contributor.*']).length > 0" [routerLink]="['/items', item.id]">{{item.filterMetadata(['dc.contributor.author', 'dc.creator', 'dc.contributor.*'])[0].value}}</a></td>
           <td><a [routerLink]="['/items', item.id]">{{item.findMetadata("dc.title")}}</a></td>
         </tr>
       </tbody>