Research Methods Division (RM)

2025 Division Scholarly Program: Call for Submissions 

Program Chair: Michael Withers, Texas A&M University

The Research Methods (RM) Division invites submissions for the scholarly program at the 85th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management in Copenhagen, Denmark.  Paper sessions and symposia will take place Sunday, 27July through Tuesday, 29 July 2025. Poster presentations will be scheduled in one-hour in-person poster sessions taking place in a highly visible location at the Annual Meeting Friday, 25 July 2025 through Tuesday, 29 July 2025.

Specific Domain

The Research Methods Division is committed to advancing and disseminating techniques for the collection, evaluation, and interpretation of information pertinent to management scholarship. The RM Division emphasizes the identification, systematic development, and application of appropriate qualitative and quantitative research methods within the management field. The RM Division also encourages discussions and debates on topics such as measurement, analytic approaches, and philosophy of science. Major topics covered include, but are not limited to, qualitative methods (discourse analysis, ethnography, evaluative research, grounded theory approach, historical analysis, textual analysis), quantitative methods (cross-cultural and comparative methods, experimental and nonexperimental research design, survey research), statistical/analytical methods (causal mapping, construct validation, measurement development and evaluation, statistical modeling techniques), and other related issues (action research, epistemology, scholarly writing and publication, theory development).

Special Instructions

The Research Methods Division encourages original submissions of empirical or conceptual papers and panel or presenter symposia that inform management researchers about methodological issues. We welcome submissions that address qualitative and quantitative methodological topics focused on designing, conducting, analyzing, and interpreting micro, macro, or multilevel research. These topics may range from addressing epistemological and research-design issues to the discussion of specific methodological techniques and their specific applications. We also encourage submissions of jointly sponsored symposia that provide solutions to substantive research problems.

Description of Paper and Symposia Submissions

The scholarly program at AOM's annual meeting consists of three types of sessions, paper sessions, symposia, and poster:

• Paper sessions are composed of presentations of original and fully developed manuscripts on a scholarly topic. A paper can only be submitted to one division or interest group. If accepted, the paper is typically assigned by the Program Chair to a session that includes other papers on related topics.
• Symposia can be submitted as either panel or presenter format: 
  • Panel Symposia: The purpose of a Panel Symposium is to engage a group of panelists in an interactive discussion. There are no titles associated with the panelists' presentations. Proposals for panel discussions should include clear descriptions of the topics to be discussed and the procedures that will be used to manage the discussion among panelists and the audience.
  • Presenter Symposia: Presenter Symposia involve a series of authored papers on a preset theme. In a Presenter Symposium, titles and authors/presenters are associated with each presentation. Presenter symposia can involve co-authored presentations. Co-authors will be listed in the printed program.

In response to the popularity of our professional development workshops (PDWs), the RM Division wants to infuse more interactive aspects into the scholarly program as Instructional Symposia. These Instructional Symposia can have a panel or presenter format and involve multiple contributors to teach attendees how to apply particular research methods techniques or how to address specific methodological issues. If you wish to submit an Instructional Symposium, make sure that the title of your symposium begins with the words, “How to…”. For example, the symposium could be titled “How to Conduct Multilevel Confirmatory Factor Analysis”, “How to Publish Mixed-Methods Research”, or “How to Identify Publication Bias via Meta-Analysis”. These developmental “How to” symposia have objectives similar to PDWs. We encourage such Instructional Symposia submissions to the scholarly program.

Poster sessions encourage open dialogue and are a great way for researchers to share their work in a less formal setting compared to traditional presentations while still being an official part of the program. A poster submission includes an extended abstract manuscript that will be reviewed by the Division. If accepted, submitters will be expected to create a poster presentation to be displayed visually that summarizes their research findings, methods, and conclusions. Poster presentations often include graphs, images, and text to make the information clear and engaging, and provide a platform for networking. In this format, presenters will have an opportunity to receive immediate feedback on their work. A poster submission (extended abstract) can only be submitted to one DIG.

If you submit a paper, symposium, or poster, it is expected that you reciprocate by volunteering to review for the RM Division! Please note that you must renew your reviewer registration every year. Reviewer sign up opens in early December 2024. 

Submissions should be made through the AOM Submission Center, which opens in early December 2024. The submission deadline is Tuesday, 7 January 2025 at 17:00 ET (GMT-5/UTC-5).

Additional details about the submission process can be found here.

Direct any questions about the submission process to the RM Division’s Program Chair, Michael Withers.