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International Journal of Market Research

International Journal of Market Research

Published in Association with Market Research Society

eISSN: 25152173 | ISSN: 14707853 | Current volume: 66 | Current issue: 1 Frequency: Bi-monthly

Founded in 1958, the aim of the International Journal of Market Research (IJMR) is to be the leading primary authoritative source of information about excellent practice and new thinking in research, insight and data analysis worldwide.

The IJMR provides a bridge between practitioners and academics to share, discuss and debate all aspects of research, insight and data: applications, methodologies, new technologies, technology and methodology adoption and adaption from related areas, solutions, strategic and management issues.

IJMR is SSCI-ranked and is rated by the Association of Business Schools as a 2* journal.

Readers are looking for ways to optimise and leverage research, insight and data, and trust the integrity of the IJMR to provide them with leading edge and authoritative thinking that can be practically applied in a business and societal context.

The IJMR is first and foremost a journal that publishes the best from academia and practitioners and whilst the primary audience is the professional researcher at all levels and all spheres, the IJMR also seeks to encourage a dialogue between practitioners, academics and those in the business or public sectors who rely on research, insight and data to make effective decisions, deliver impact and drive change.

The editorial team is interested in papers that are evidence based, clearly written and unambiguous; that are original and contain new and practical ideas. The style should demonstrate authority and expertise but be accessible to the wider audience. In particular, every paper must engage and stimulate readers, be relevant to their needs and ensure that the practical applications of the ideas and concepts within the papers are readily apparent.

Whatever the topic, the material published within the IJMR is written by experts in their field and all submissions are reviewed prior to publication by their peers to ensure that high standards and integrity are maintained.

In summary, the IJMR is the place to find new thinking in research, insight and data. The content is rigorously vetted, stimulating and essential reading.

This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Founded in 1958 the aim of the International Journal of Market Research (IJMR) is to publish original research addressing key challenges in market research and insight.

The IJMR is first and foremost an applied journal that seeks to encourage a dialogue between practitioners, academics, and those in the business or public sectors who rely on research and insight to make effective decisions, deliver impact and drive change. IJMR publishes theoretical and empirical papers from both established and emerging scholars, from a wide range of methodological backgrounds.

IJMR seeks to achieve impact through the relevance of the work it publishes. Papers must address a problem of relevance to stakeholders and provide actionable insights for practice. Whilst broad based, IJMR typically publishes papers that either make a methodological contribution or are novel examples of applied consumer research.

IJMR is SSCI-ranked, rated as an ‘A’ quality journal by the ABDC, and as an ‘Internationally Recognised’ (2*) journal by the Chartered Association of Business Schools.
Editor in Chief
Daniel Nunan University of Warwick, UK
Associate Editors
Arnold Japutra University of Western Australia
Alena Kostyk University of Glasgow, UK
Clifford Lewis Charles Sturt University, Australia
Leo Paas The University of Auckland, New Zealand
Christopher Pich University of Nottingham, UK
Valentina Pitardi University of Surrey, UK
Billy Sung Curtin University, Australia
Arry Tanusondjaja Ehrenberg Bass Institute, University of South Australia, Australia
Anca Yallop Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
Editorial Review Board
Zachary William Anesbury Ehrenberg Bass Institute, University of South Australia, Australia
Paolo Antonetti NEOMA Business School, France
Richard Asquith Richard Asquith Consulting, UK
Paul Baines University of Leicester, UK
Chris Barnham Chris Barnham Research and Strategy, UK
Zhiling Bei University of Missouri, USA
Clive Boddy University of Tasmania, Australia
Roger Byatt University of Portsmouth, UK
Colin Campbell University of San Diego, USA
Simon Chadwick Cambiar, USA
Walid Chaouali University of Tunis Carthage, Tunisia
Michelle Cowley-Cunningham Dundalk Institute of Technology, Ireland
Harry Davies Google, UK
John Dawes Ehrenberg Bass Institute, University of South Australia, Australia
Philly Desai Turnstone Research, UK
Maria Laura Di Domenico Surrey Business School, UK
Don A. Dillman Washington State University, USA
Markus Eberl TNS Infratest, Germany
Laurent Florès SLPV Analytics, France
Rachel Fuller University of South Australia, Australia
Roberto Furlan Kantar, UK
Peter Furness Peter Furness, UK
Tobias Gummer GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, Germany
Chris Hackley Royal Holloway University of London, UK
Joe Hair University of South Alabama, USA
Mariann Hardey Durham University
Nicole Hartnett Ehrenberg Bass Institute, University of South Australia, Australia
Erika Hlédik ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
David Jiménez-Castillo University of Almeria, Spain
Jan Karem Höhne University of Mannheim, Germany
Rachel Kennedy Ehrenberg Bass Institute, University of South Australia, Australia
Philipp Klaus International University of Monaco, INSEEC U Research Center, Monaco
Tanja Kunz GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, Germany
James Leonhardt University of Nevada, USA
Tim Macer Meaning, UK
Armando Maria Corsi University of Adelaide, Australia
Frauke Mattison-Thompson Amsterdam Business School, Netherlands
Gunnar Mau Centre for Consumer Protection and Vulnerable Consumers, Germany
George Miaoulis Sheffield University / City College Thessaloniki, Greece
Sebastián Molinillo University of Malaga, Spain
Alejandro Mollá-Descals Universitat de Valencia, Spain
Virginia Monk Motif Limited, UK
Leigh Morris Bonamy Finch, UK
Corrine Moy Independent Researcher
Graham Mytton Audience Research Training and Consultancy, UK
Mihai Niculescu New Mexico State University, USA
Suha Omar De Montfort University, UK
Jo Pabari University of Portsmouth, UK
Ray Poynter The Future Place, UK
Jenni Romaniuk Ehrenberg Bass Institute, University of South Australia, Australia
Joss Roßmann GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, Germany
Samer Sarsam Sunway University, Malaysia
Marko Sarstedt Ludwig Maximilians University, Germany
Yasmin Sekhon University of Southampton, UK
Anjul Sharma Walnut Unlimited, UK
Sharan Sharma University of Maryland, USA
Trevor Sharot Red Research, Singapore
Karsten Shaw London School of Economics, UK
Nikoletta Theofania Siamagka Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Jason Sit University of Portsmouth, UK
Christopher M. Smith Wake Forest University, USA
Ineke Stoop Independent Researcher, Netherlands
Pia Storvang University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
Bradley Taylor GITR Limited, UK
Luke Taylor Kantar Public, UK
Mark Thorpe Truth Consulting, UK
Giang Trinh Ehrenberg Bass Institute, University of South Australia, Australia
Georgios Tsimonis De Montfort University, UK
Kelly Vaughan Ehrenberg Bass Institute, University of South Australia, Australia
Andrea Vocino Deakin University, Australia
Zachary Williams Western Michigan University, USA
Natyra Xharavina University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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  • Manuscript Submission Guidelines: International Journal of Market Research

    Please read the guidelines below then visit the Journal’s submission site https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/intjmr to upload your manuscript. Please note that manuscripts not conforming to these guidelines may be returned.

    Only manuscripts of sufficient quality that meet the aims and scope of The International Journal of Market Research will be reviewed.

    Please click here for the current Call for Papers.

    There are no fees payable to submit or publish in this Journal. Open Access options are available - see section 3.3 below.

    As part of the submission process you will be required to warrant that you are submitting your original work, that you have the rights in the work, that you are submitting the work for first publication in the Journal and that it is not being considered for publication elsewhere and has not already been published elsewhere, and that you have obtained and can supply all necessary permissions for the reproduction of any copyright works not owned by you.

    If you have any questions about publishing with Sage, please visit the Sage Journal Solutions Portal

     

    1. What do we publish?
      1.1 Aims & Scope
      1.2 Article types
      1.3 Writing your paper
    2. Editorial policies
      2.1 Peer review policy
      2.2 Authorship
      2.3 Acknowledgements
      2.4 Funding
      2.5 Declaration of conflicting interests
      2.6 Data
    3. Publishing policies
      3.1 Publication ethics
      3.2 Contributor's publishing agreement
      3.3 Open access and author archiving
    4. Preparing your manuscript
      4.1 Formatting
      4.2 Artwork, figures and other graphics
      4.3 Supplementary material
      4.4 Reference style
      4.5 English language editing services
    5. Submitting your manuscript
      5.1 ORCID
      5.2 Information required for completing your submission
      5.3 Permissions
    6. On acceptance and publication
      6.1 Sage Production
      6.2 Online First publication
      6.3 Access to your published article
      6.4 Promoting your article
    7. Further information

     

    1. What do we publish?

    1.1 Aims & Scope

    Before submitting your manuscript to The International Journal of Market Research, please ensure you have read the Aims & Scope.

    1.2 Article Types

    Contributions accepted for publication generally address one of the following areas:

    • Papers that advance methodological thinking. For example, through demonstrating a new technique, a significant advancement of an existing technique or a review of the effectiveness of existing techniques. The methodological contribution must be clear and widely applicable.

    • Papers that address a key issue relating to public policy or ethical issues emerging from research practice. For example, papers relating to research ethics and codes, or broader ethical concerns over privacy, inclusive research or the impacts of new technologies. 

    • Papers that provide new insights into consumer research that have broad applications. These insights are embedded in real expertise in the research phenomena.

    • A research note introducing a new issue for research practice or providing a call to action. For example, on a topic where the author feels that wider research evidence would be beneficial (e.g. outlining a new technique requiring more extensive validation).

    IJMR also accepted proposals for Special Issues relevant to the aims and scope of the journal. IJMR typically publishes one special issue per year. Proposals for special issue topics should be sent to the Editor in Chief in the first instance..  

     

    IJMR content

    Contributions are welcomed for either of the two main sections within IJMR:

    1. Full papers

    These constitute the main content within each issue. A paper under this heading will be evidenced based and address a topic of relevance to the aims and scope of the journal. Papers in this category have a maximum length of about 7,500 words and will be formally assessed in detail using the process outlined in the peer review policy below.

    2. Research Notes

    A research note is a shorter article, typically based around introducing a new issue for research practice or providing a call to action. Research notes are distinctive and not shorter versions of full empirical papers. Research notes undertake a single round of review and are typically published rapidly - we aim to have an initial decision with 30 days of submission. A research note is typically between 1,500 and 3,500 words. Whilst still peer reviewed, research notes are evaluated based on whether:

    • The argument or analysis is logical

    • There is sufficient and appropriate evidence cited to support the case being made

    • The article contains creative ideas or new thinking

    • There are clearly defined conclusions, recommendations or lessons for research practice or policy

    1.3 Writing your paper

    The Sage Author Gateway has some general advice and on how to get published, plus links to further resources.

    1.3.1 Make your article discoverable

    When writing up your paper, think about how you can make it discoverable. The title, keywords and abstract are key to ensuring readers find your article through search engines such as Google. For information and guidance on how best to title your article, write your abstract and select your keywords, have a look at this page on the Gateway: How to Help Readers Find Your Article Online

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    2. Editorial policies

    2.1 Peer review policy

    All submitted articles and research notes deemed by the Editor in Chief to be potentially suitable for IJMR are allocated to an Associate Editor. The Associate Editor will select reviewers (normally two) with appropriate expertise who will review papers anonymously. The referees are drawn from members of the Editorial Review Board, or other specialists in a particular field. Based on the reviews, the Associate Editor will provide feedback to authors containing suggested amendments necessary as a revision or, if the decision is a reject, will explain the reasons for this decision. It is the policy of the journal that an in-principal decision on whether to accept or reject a paper will be made after two rounds of review. We aim to have an initial decision on whether to send for review within two weeks of the paper reaching the editors, and a first decision within 8 weeks of initial submission.

    2.2 Authorship

    All parties who have made a substantive contribution to the article should be listed as authors. Principal authorship, authorship order, and other publication credits should be based on the relative scientific or professional contributions of the individuals involved, regardless of their status. A student is usually listed as principal author on any multiple-authored publication that substantially derives from the student’s dissertation or thesis.

    Please note that AI chatbots, for example ChatGPT, should not be listed as authors. For more information see the policy on Use of ChatGPT and generative AI tools.

    2.3 Acknowledgements

    All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in an Acknowledgements section. Examples of those who might be acknowledged include a person who provided purely technical help, or a department chair who provided only general support.

    Please supply any personal acknowledgements separately to the main text to facilitate anonymous peer review.

    2.3.1 Third party submissions
    Where an individual who is not listed as an author submits a manuscript on behalf of the author(s), a statement must be included in the Acknowledgements section of the manuscript and in the accompanying cover letter. The statements must:

    • Disclose this type of editorial assistance – including the individual’s name, company and level of input
    • Identify any entities that paid for this assistance
    • Confirm that the listed authors have authorized the submission of their manuscript via third party and approved any statements or declarations, e.g. conflicting interests, funding, etc.

    Where appropriate, Sage reserves the right to deny consideration to manuscripts submitted by a third party rather than by the authors themselves.

    2.3.2 Writing assistance

    Individuals who provided writing assistance, e.g. from a specialist communications company, do not qualify as authors and so should be included in the Acknowledgements section. Authors must disclose any writing assistance – including the individual’s name, company and level of input – and identify the entity that paid for this assistance. It is not necessary to disclose use of language polishing services.

    2.4 Funding

    International Journal of market Research requires all authors to acknowledge their funding in a consistent fashion under a separate heading.  Please visit the Funding Acknowledgements page on the Sage Journal Author Gateway to confirm the format of the acknowledgment text in the event of funding, or state that: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

    2.5 Declaration of conflicting interests

    International Journal of Market Research encourages authors to include a declaration of any conflicting interests and recommends you review the good practice guidelines on the Sage Journal Author Gateway

    2.6 Data

    Sage acknowledges the importance of research data availability as an integral part of the research and verification process for academic journal articles.

    International Journal of Market Research requests all authors submitting any primary data used in their research articles to be published in the online version of the journal, or provide detailed information in their articles on how the data can be obtained. This information should include links to third-party data repositories or detailed contact information for third-party data sources. Data available only on an author-maintained website will need to be loaded onto either the journal’s platform or a third-party platform to ensure continuing accessibility.

    Examples of data types include but are not limited to statistical data files, replication code, text files, audio files, images, videos, appendices, and additional charts and graphs necessary to understand the original research. The editor can also grant exceptions for data that cannot legally or ethically be released. All data submitted should comply with Institutional or Ethical Review Board requirements and applicable government regulations.

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    3. Publishing Policies

    3.1 Publication ethics

    Sage is committed to upholding the integrity of the academic record. We encourage authors to refer to the Committee on Publication Ethics’ International Standards for Authors and view the Publication Ethics page on the Sage Author Gateway

    This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

    3.1.1 Plagiarism

    International Journal of Market Research and Sage take issues of copyright infringement, plagiarism or other breaches of best practice in publication very seriously. We seek to protect the rights of our authors and we always investigate claims of plagiarism or misuse of published articles. Equally, we seek to protect the reputation of the journal against malpractice. Submitted articles may be checked with duplication-checking software. Where an article, for example, is found to have plagiarised other work or included third-party copyright material without permission or with insufficient acknowledgement, or where the authorship of the article is contested, we reserve the right to take action including, but not limited to: publishing an erratum or corrigendum (correction); retracting the article; taking up the matter with the head of department or dean of the author's institution and/or relevant academic bodies or societies; or taking appropriate legal action.

    3.1.2 Prior publication

    If material has been previously published it is not generally acceptable for publication in a Sage journal. However, there are certain circumstances where previously published material can be considered for publication. Please refer to the guidance on the Sage Author Gateway or if in doubt, contact the Editor at the address given below.

    3.2 Contributor's publishing agreement

    Before publication, Sage requires the author as the rights holder to sign a Journal Contributor’s Publishing Agreement. Sage’s Journal Contributor’s Publishing Agreement is an exclusive licence agreement which means that the author retains copyright in the work but grants Sage the sole and exclusive right and licence to publish for the full legal term of copyright. Exceptions may exist where an assignment of copyright is required or preferred by a proprietor other than Sage. In this case copyright in the work will be assigned from the author to the society. For more information please visit the Sage Author Gateway

    3.3 Open access and author archiving

    International Journal of Market Research offers optional open access publishing via the Sage Choice programme and Open Access agreements, where authors can publish open access either discounted or free of charge depending on the agreement with Sage. Find out if your institution is participating by visiting Open Access Agreements at Sage. For more information on Open Access publishing options at Sage please visit Sage Open Access. For information on funding body compliance, and depositing your article in repositories, please visit Sage’s Author Archiving and Re-Use Guidelines and Publishing Policies.

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    4. Preparing your manuscript for submission

    4.1 Formatting

    The preferred format for your manuscript is Word. LaTeX files are also accepted. Word and (La)Tex templates are available on the Manuscript Submission Guidelines page of our Author Gateway.

    4.2 Artwork, figures and other graphics

    For guidance on the preparation of illustrations, pictures and graphs in electronic format, please visit Sage’s Manuscript Submission Guidelines 

    Figures supplied in colour will appear in colour online regardless of whether or not these illustrations are reproduced in colour in the printed version. For specifically requested colour reproduction in print, you will receive information regarding the costs from Sage after receipt of your accepted article.

    4.3 Supplementary material

    This journal is able to host additional materials online (e.g. datasets, podcasts, videos, images etc) alongside the full-text of the article. For more information please refer to our guidelines on submitting supplementary files

    4.4 Reference style

    International Journal of Market Research adheres to the Sage Harvard reference style. View the Sage Harvard guidelines to ensure your manuscript conforms to this reference style.

    If you use EndNote to manage references, you can download the Sage Harvard EndNote output file

    4.5 English language editing services

    Authors seeking assistance with English language editing, translation, or figure and manuscript formatting to fit the journal’s specifications should consider using Sage Language Services. Visit Sage Language Services on our Journal Author Gateway for further information.

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    5. Submitting your manuscript

    5.1 ORCID

    As part of our commitment to ensuring an ethical, transparent and fair peer review process Sage is a supporting member of ORCID, the Open Researcher and Contributor ID. ORCID provides a unique and persistent digital identifier that distinguishes researchers from every other researcher, even those who share the same name, and, through integration in key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submission, supports automated linkages between researchers and their professional activities, ensuring that their work is recognized.

    The collection of ORCID iDs from corresponding authors is now part of the submission process of this journal. If you already have an ORCID iD you will be asked to associate that to your submission during the online submission process. We also strongly encourage all co-authors to link their ORCID ID to their accounts in our online peer review platforms. It takes seconds to do: click the link when prompted, sign into your ORCID account and our systems are automatically updated. Your ORCID iD will become part of your accepted publication’s metadata, making your work attributable to you and only you. Your ORCID iD is published with your article so that fellow researchers reading your work can link to your ORCID profile and from there link to your other publications.

    If you do not already have an ORCID iD please follow this link to create one or visit our ORCID homepage to learn more.

    5.2 Information required for completing your submission

    You will be asked to provide contact details and academic affiliations for all co-authors via the submission system and identify who is to be the corresponding author. These details must match what appears on your manuscript. At this stage please ensure you have included all the required statements and declarations and uploaded any additional supplementary files (including reporting guidelines where relevant).

    5.3 Permissions

    Please also ensure that you have obtained any necessary permission from copyright holders for reproducing any illustrations, tables, figures or lengthy quotations previously published elsewhere. For further information including guidance on fair dealing for criticism and review, please see the Copyright and Permissions page on the Sage Author Gateway

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    6. On acceptance and publication

    6.1 Sage Production

    Your Sage Production Editor will keep you informed as to your article’s progress throughout the production process. Proofs will be sent by PDF to the corresponding author and should be returned promptly.  Authors are reminded to check their proofs carefully to confirm that all author information, including names, affiliations, sequence and contact details are correct, and that Funding and Conflict of Interest statements, if any, are accurate. 

    6.2 Online First publication

    Online First allows final articles (completed and approved articles awaiting assignment to a future issue) to be published online prior to their inclusion in a journal issue, which significantly reduces the lead time between submission and publication. Visit the Sage Journals help page for more details, including how to cite Online First articles.

    6.3 Access to your published article

    Sage provides authors with online access to their final article.

    6.4 Promoting your article

    Publication is not the end of the process! You can help disseminate your paper and ensure it is as widely read and cited as possible. The Sage Author Gateway has numerous resources to help you promote your work. Visit the Promote Your Article page on the Gateway for tips and advice.

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    7. Further information

    Any correspondence, queries or additional requests for information on the manuscript submission process should be sent to the International Journal of Market Research editorial office as follows:

    ijmr.queries@sagepub.co.uk

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