A Permanent Call for papers

Industrial Marketing Management

Special Section on Methodological Advances in B2B Research

Industrial Marketing and Management (IMM) is launching a new focus section of IMM dedicated to advancing qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and techniques in B2B marketing. These include the whole range of approaches such as case studies, experiments, and surveys, and a host of more specific analytical techniques that can be used in B2B marketing research.

At IMM, we believe that there is room for more debate around methodologies in B2B marketing research, and that IMM is the premier forum for this debate. To stimulate this debate, we are launching a new section for papers on methodological aspects of B2B marketing research, particularly focusing on methodological challenges and new approaches. In this special section, we seek original contributions that reflect the most recent methodological advances in B2B marketing research. This comprises new methods and techniques that have great potential but whose applications in B2B marketing research have so far been limited.

This special section welcomes quantitative, qualitative and mixed research methodologies. We will consider empirical studies that briefly outline and apply novel methods to B2B settings and purely methodological papers that introduce or develop a method and demonstrate its relevance to B2B research. We also welcome papers describing the application and/or adaptation of research methodologies from other disciplines to B2B research. Relevant topics for the special section include but are not limited to the following:

Quantitative methods

·        Experimental research in B2B marketing

·        Advances in the application of variance- and covariance based SEM to B2B research (e.g., testing mediation and moderation, composite modeling and formative measurement, identifying latent groups)

·        Challenges and advantages of multi-level modeling in B2B research

·        Analyzing longitudinal data in B2B research (e.g., with latent growth modelling)

·        Avoiding biases in B2B research (key informant bias, common method bias, non-response bias, etc.)

·        Using secondary data in B2B research (public databases, single-firm databases, etc.)

·        Handling big data in B2B research (data mining, predictive analytics, etc.)

·        Potential of Bayesian modeling in B2B research

·        Event studies in B2B research

·        Simulations in B2B research

·        Meta-analyses in B2B Research

·        Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) with large samples in B2B research

·        Small sample strategies in B2B research

Qualitative methods

·        Applicability and potentials of qualitative approaches such as phenomenology, grounded theory, historical analysis or ethnography to B2B research

·        Participatory research approaches, e.g. action research or interventionist research

·        Methods of process research, e.g. narrative research or event methodologies

·        Different ways of using case study methodology

·        Applications of future studies methodology to B2B

·        Strategies of using mixed methods in B2B research

·        Innovative ways of using secondary data, social media, face-to-face interactions, or videography to provide material for qualitative analysis

·        Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) with small samples

·        New approaches to qualitative analysis

Research Methodologies Section Editor:

Associate Editor: Ghasem Zaefarian, PhD, Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds, UK

Important:

As this is a permanent section of the journal, there is no specific deadline for papers.  Submitted papers will be reviewed as soon as possible following submission.

Accepted papers will be immediately published when accepted on the web and included in the next available issue of the journal.

Guide for authors:

Submissions should follow the guidelines given in a recent issue of Industrial Marketing Management (under the topic “Notes for Contributors”). An extensive package of instructions is available online at the journal website: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/505720/authorinstructions

Submitted papers should comply with the following guidelines:

·        Letter size paper

·        One inch margins

·        Double space except for tables (which are single spaced and which may use a smaller font size to fit on a page)

·        12pt font (except for tables and references, which can be of smaller font)

·        Please place all tables, figures, appendices, etc. in their places within the text directly in the MSWord file.

Submission procedure:

Prior to January 1, 2015

All papers must be submitted as a single MSWord attachment the editor Peter LaPlaca (plaplaca@journalimm.com). Specify in your e-mail that the paper is to be considered for the Methodologies section.

After January 1, 2015

All papers will be submitted via IMM’s web page http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00198501/43 and then clicking on Submit your Article.  Be sure to indicate that this is for the research methodologies section.

 

 

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