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JOURNAL OF BUSINESS AND PSYCHOLOGY
SPECIAL ISSUE CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Nothing, Zilch, Nil: Advancing Organizational Science One Null Result at a Time
Guest Editors:
Ron Landis, Larry James, Chuck Lance, Chuck Pierce, & Steven Rogelberg
 

Like many journals in the organizational sciences, the Journal of Business and Psychology is oriented toward publishing studies that report statistically significant results. Scientific advancement can occur, however, when statistically significant effects or relationships are not observed. In particular, at least two types of "null result" studies may promote advancement. One type is where the null hypothesis is the interesting or informative hypothesis in and of itself. The other type reveals a null effect or relationship where prior research has consistently indicated there is a significant one and that it has become assumed that such an effect or relationship exists. Problematically, research findings that entail nonsignificant results are extremely difficult to publish in the organizational sciences.
 
For this special issue, we are interested in submissions that pull back the curtain on the "file drawer" problem that is often referenced (particularly in meta-analytic work) in the organizational sciences. Accordingly, we invite submissions of empirical research that produce nonsignificant results that nonetheless promote scientific advancement in terms of organizational science theory and/or practice. Empirical proposals should communicate clearly that the work is methodologically very rigorous and that null results are not simply the result of low power, inadequate manipulation, poor psychometric quality of measures, and the like. Although there is not a single structure for proposals, the proposal should communicate (and will be evaluated on) the following:
 
·      The primary organizational science research question addressed by the study

·      Theoretical/conceptual/empirical rationale and importance of the problem

·      A brief summary of results

·      Evidence of excellent methodological rigor

 
Proposals should be submitted directly to Ron Landis at rlandis@memphis.edu <http://jobu.edmgr.com/> . Proposals should consist of no more than two double-spaced pages. References, tables, figures, and appendices do not count toward the 2-page limit, but they should be used judiciously. The special issue editors will review proposals to ensure that the focus and scope of each is appropriate for the special issue and will, in turn, communicate results of this initial screening process to authors. Developmental feedback will not be provided on proposals. Authors of approved proposals will be invited to submit full-length papers for publication consideration. Only papers that have gone through the proposal process will be considered. Papers will undergo the usual double-blind, developmental review process. The final acceptance of invited papers will be contingent upon incorporating editors' and reviewers' feedback to the satisfaction of each of the special issue editors.
 
The Guest Editors for this Special Issue are:
Ronald S. Landis, University of Memphis (rlandis@memphis.edu)
Lawrence R. James, Georgia Institute of Technology
Charles E. Lance, University of Georgia
Charles A. Pierce, University of Memphis
Steven G. Rogelberg, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
 
Please note that due to editorial constraints, it is vital for authors to adhere to the following strict timeline. We will not be able to accept late submissions. Relevant dates are as follows:
·      March 1, 2011: Proposals due

·      April 15, 2011: Authors notified of proposal decisions

·      October 1, 2011: If the proposal is approved, first draft of full papers due