A Stepwise Strategy for Upgrading Publication Outcomes to A* in Management

Achieving publication in highly ranked journals is increasingly important for scholars’ career progression. But just as it becomes more important, it also becomes more competitive. This paper makes a contribution by advancing a stepwise strategy that can help scholars who have not previously published in top-ranked journals, but who have published in lower ranked journals, make the leap to publish in A* journals more achievable. At the heart of this strategy is the way new research projects are conceived. Instead of scholars developing new research projects driven by their knowledge and passions, the stepwise strategy is evidence-based. It requires that scholars choose their target journal, analyze relevant papers in that journal, and then design a study that will take the next step to extend the existing literature. In advocating this approach, I assert that research moves forward in steps, each one building on previously published studies. I also argue that the most important factor in determining whether or not a paper can be published in an A* journal is the establishment of a research question to which scholars reading that A* journal want to know the answer.