Literature Positioning (joap-literature-positioning)

In JAP, positioning is where the theoretical contribution becomes legible. The introduction must name the open question, the closest prior work, and exactly what this paper adds to I-O theory — and it must make clear why the work belongs in JAP rather than a sibling journal. Positioning is argument construction, not a literature survey.

When to trigger

• Drafting or sharpening the Introduction and the "contribution" paragraph
• A reviewer said the contribution is "incremental," "not clearly novel," or "overlaps prior work"
• You have far more citations than the argument needs and must prioritize
• A reviewer suggested the paper "fits another journal better"

How to position