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Academy of Management Discoveries

Published quarterly in March, June, September, and December

The mission of Academy of Management Discoveries (AMD) is to be the premier journal of empirical exploratory research in the areas of management and organizations.

What distinguishes AMD is that we publish …

… articles motivated by research questions that address compelling and underexplored phenomena, novel or unusual contexts, and that reveal empirical patterns that cannot be explained by existing theory;

… articles written with a different, more inquisitive voice and that include an open discussion of the research journey;

… articles that present clear and compelling discoveries: empirical findings that challenge existing assumptions while opening new theoretical paths or that otherwise promote future, “down-the-road,” theorizing;

and we do not publish…

… articles that test hypotheses or are deductively framed in their empiricism; 

… articles that are motivated solely by theoretical argument rather than by exploration of phenomenon or context. 

Articles at AMD employ rigorous state-of-the-art methods and display strong and persuasive evidence. We present these empirical discoveries in innovative and accessible ways.

Read selected AMD "From the Editors" articles.

 

Defining Features of AMD

  • AMD is a premier journal for the empirical exploration of data describing or investigating compelling phenomena where there is a lack of clear, explanatory, existing theory. The goal with every AMD paper is to use empirical explorations, and the novel theoretical explanations such findings suggest, to open new lines of inquiry in management research.

  • At AMD, we encourage transparency and openness in presenting research. Authors are able to present the results of data mining without the need to “reverse engineer” any theoretical framework or hypotheses (HARKing). AMD publishes discoveries resulting from the exploration of both quantitative and qualitative data sources.

  • Research appearing in AMD explores phenomena that are not well understood. AMD is not a journal for deductive theorizing or hypothesis testing. As such, AMD papers should be written in a way that is more phenomenon-forward rather than theory-forward.  The goal of the front end of an AMD paper, unlike other journals, should primarily be to demonstrate the novelty/interestingness of the phenomenon and why current theory fails to explain such phenomenon. This should culminate in one or more research questions that motivate the empirical exploration.

  • AMD strongly supports creativity in writing and presentation. While such creativity is encouraged in every AMD submission, AMD “Discoveries-through-Prose” are specifically designed to promote this objective. Our goal is to work with authors to use their own voice to turn stylized facts (with the same level of methodological rigor) into compelling stories for any audience. These submissions should look more like a magazine feature article rather than an academic article. Information on how to craft a Discoveries-through-Prose submission can be found here.
  • Part of our mission as a journal that supports creativity is how we present AMD research papers. AMD authors have the opportunity to work with our media team to create animated whiteboards, record their experiences conducting the research, talk to practitioners about research, and build unique data visualizations.

  • As a journal that is committed to the principles of responsible research, AMD is pleased to welcome Registered Reports. Submitting a study idea as a registered report promotes transparency in scientific research by making a clear distinction between a priori and post hoc procedures or analyses. For AMD, registered reports are particularly beneficial for research questions where the presence of a non-finding would be particularly compelling or challenging to the field. Information on how to submit a registered report to AMD can be found here.
  • At AMD, we use a Reviewer Template to facilitate reviews. Whether submitting to AMD or reviewing for AMD, we suggest you familiarize yourself with this document.

 


AMD Calls, Events, and Updates

AMD Paper Development Workshops

AMD is committed to running multiple paper-development workshops each year. Prior to each workshop, interested participants will be able to submit an extended abstract for possible acceptance in the workshop. If accepted, attendees should expect a mixture of the following activities:

  • Overview of AMD as a journal (mostly pre-work by attendees)
  • Question and answer sessions with the editor, associate editors, and/or editorial review board members about AMD.
  • Individual working sessions for each author with a member (or members) from the editorial team.
  • Networking between authors

Each virtual workshop lasts 3 hours and are scheduled to accommodate as many time zones as possible.

Event:

AMD Special Research Forum - Organizational Insights in Health Care

AMD Special Research Forum Call for Submissions: Organizational Insights in Health Care. Submission period: 1-31 October 2025.
Event:

Call for Submissions: AMD Discoveries-through-Prose

Discoveries-through-Prose invites submissions of nontraditional manuscripts that provide a riveting narrative and directly connect to management and organizational research.
Event:

Call for Submissions: AMD Registered Reports

Scholars are encouraged to submit a Registered Report: the introduction, methods, measurement info, and analysis plan (but not the results) of a completed or planned study.


AMD Videos

How Do I Know if My Paper is Right for AMD?

Aug 5, 2018

Things to Consider Before Submitting

What Makes AMD Unique?

Aug 5, 2018

What Makes AMD Unique and Why You Should Publish Your Next "Discovery" With Us


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