Developing an Understanding of the Ten-Stage Framework for Writing Effective Conceptual Articles

ABSTRACT

Review articles have become increasingly popular among academicians for their wide-range and comprehensive illustration of the existing literature in unique ways. However, limited guidance exists regarding the ways to write effective review articles, thus publishing review articles in top tier journals is getting very challenging for researchers. Hence, this article discusses some of the common challenges in writing review articles, as well as offers a new qualitative approach for publishing review articles in top tier management and social science journals. This opinion article is based on review of the existing management literature, and uses the STAR model as an initial framework for proposing a step-wise systematic approach. Based on the suggested framework, it is suggested that combination of integrative and systematic approaches might be more useful, as compared to narrative reviews in developing novel theoretical framework in review articles. Moreover, the use of a step-wise systematic approach would help ensuring transparency, robustness and replicability in review articles, similar to the empirical articles, and hence would enhance the chances of publishing review articles in top tier journals. Using the STAR (situation, task, action, result) approach proposed in this article, future researchers may follow a ten-stage process for enhancing the effectiveness and robustness of their review articles. These stages are 1) alignment with the aims of a journal 2) identifying a right topic/s 3) clarifying aims of the research 4) focusing on a research question 5) selecting a type of the review, 6) using a crystallized methodological approach 7) specifying analytical technique/s 8) covering adequate subject matter 9) following a structured format and 10) artistic presentation of the key findings.

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