Research Design & Methods (jmgmt-methods)

When to trigger

• The design may not match the theory's level, timing, or causal claim
• Data are single-source, single-wave, self-reported (common-method bias risk)
• The theory is causal but the design is cross-sectional/correlational
• Constructs lack established, validated measures
• A meta-analysis needs a defensible coding protocol and artifact-correction plan
• A reviewer says "the design cannot test this hypothesis" or "endogeneity is unaddressed"

Match the design to the claim

JOM welcomes all empirical methods — survey, experiment, archival panel, multilevel field study, qualitative, and meta-analysis — and judges on fit and rigor, not a preferred method. JOM's research-methods identity (it explicitly covers research methods and runs methods-focused reviews) means design choices are scrutinized closely.