Small Group Research
Meeting Your Needs
A leader in the field, Small Group Research: An International Journal of Theory, Investigation and Application offers you the latest research, theory and empirically supported applications. Small Group Research is devoted to increasing communication among specialists who, like yourself, are interested in the systematic study of small groups and small group phenomena.
Comprehensive
Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the journal addresses and connects three vital areas of study:
- The psychology of small groups
- Communication within small groups
- Organizational behavior of small groups
Small Group Research offers research and comprehensive theory relating to all types of groups, such as:
- Intact Work Groups
- Family Groups
- Mixed-Profession Groups
- Self-Help Groups
- Groups in Educational Settings
- Social Work Groups
- Teams
- Experimental and Laboratory Groups
- Therapy and Treatment Groups
You'll find complete theoretical coverage of:
- Conflict Management
- Social Perception
- Team Productivity
- Team Building
- Group Decision Making
- Mediation
- Group Cohesiveness
- Status Generalization
- Group Development
- Network Analysis
In-Depth Coverage
Small Group Research occasionally supplements its broad coverage with in-depth studies of critical topics. These Special Issues are guest-edited by experts in the field, providing a balanced analysis of the subject at hand.
"Small Group Research gives me a single source for keeping up with the small group field. I find that the articles cover topics very much along the lines of my own interests. The Special Issues are particularly noteworthy" James G. Stenler Associate Dean, University of Portland
Small Group Research is an international and interdisciplinary journal presenting research, theoretical advancements, and empirically supported applications with respect to all types of small groups. Through advancing the systematic study of small groups, this journal seeks to increase communication among all who are professionally interested in group phenomena.
| Dennis Kivlighan | University of Maryland, USA |
| Lyn Van Swol | University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA |
| Bret H. Bradley | University of Oklahoma, USA |
| Nale Lehmann-Willenbrock | University of Hamburg, Germany |
| Bertolt Meyer | Technical University Chemnitz, Germany |
| Paul Hangsan Ahn | University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA |
| Joseph A. Allen | University of Utah, USA |
| Raquel Asencio | Purdue University, USA |
| Daniel G. Bachrach | University of Alabama, USA |
| Michael R. Baumann | University of Texas at San Antonio, USA |
| Stephenson J. Beck | North Dakota State University, USA |
| Wendy Bedwell | The University of Memphis, USA |
| Kristin Behfar | London Business School, UK |
| Erich Bergiel | University of West Georgia, USA |
| Lucy Betts | Nottingham Trent University, UK |
| Katerina Bezrukova | University at Buffalo, USA |
| Torsten Biemann | University of Mannheim, Germany |
| Laura W. Black | Ohio University, USA |
| Anita Lynn Blanchard | University of North Carolina, Charlotte, USA |
| Joseph A. Bonito | University of Arizona, USA |
| Bryan Bonner | University of Utah, USA |
| Bret H. Bradley | University of Oklahoma, USA |
| Aaron M. Brower | University of Wisconsin Extended Campus, USA |
| Kyle Brykman | University of Windsor, Canada |
| Michael Josef Burtscher | Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland |
| Jin Wook Chang | Korea University, South Korea |
| Yunhyung Chung | University of Idaho, USA |
| Mark Clark | American University, USA |
| Alexandra (Sasha) Cook | University of Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Chris Dakes | University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA |
| Jeremy Dawson | Sheffield University, UK |
| Eric Anthony Day | University of Oklahoma, USA |
| Simon De Jong | Maastricht University, Netherlands |
| Vanessa Druskat | University of New Hampshire, USA |
| Kyle Emich | University of Delaware, USA |
| Mark Eys | Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada |
| Jennifer Feitosa | Claremont McKenna University, Canada |
| Colin M. Fisher | University College London, UK |
| Charles D. Garvin | University of Michigan, USA |
| Josette Gevers | Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands |
| Kenneth T. Goh | Singapore Management University, Singapore |
| Martin Götz | University of Zurich, Switzerland |
| Lisa Handke | Free University of Berlin, Germany |
| Sarah Harvey | University College London, UK |
| Verlin B. Hinsz | North Dakota State University, USA |
| Andrew Ishak | Santa Clara University, USA |
| Michele Jackson | College of William and Mary, USA |
| Alan R. Johnson | Nord University, Norway |
| Aimee Kane | Duquesne University, USA |
| Steve Karau | Southern Illinois University, USA |
| Tal Katz-Navon | Reichman University, Israel |
| Shannon Kerwin | Brock University, Canada |
| Richard Kettner-Polley | Global Synergy University, USA |
| Joann N. Keyton | North Carolina State University, USA |
| D. Martin Kivlighan | University of Iowa, USA |
| Florian Klonek | Deakin University, Australia |
| Tine Köhler | University of Melbourne, Australia |
| Florian Kunze | University of Konstanz, Germany |
| Nale Lehmann-Willenbrock | University of Hamburg, Germany |
| Kyle Lewis | University of California- Santa Barbara, USA |
| Gaetano Roman Lotrecchiano | George Washington University, USA |
| Robert Lount | Ohio State University, USA |
| Mark Macgowan | Florida International University, USA |
| Randy H. Magen | Boise State University, USA |
| Mary M. Maloney | University of St. Thomas, USA |
| Poppy Lauretta McLeod | Cornell University, USA |
| Jamie McMinn | Westminster University, USA |
| Annika L. Meinecke | University of Hamburg, Germany |
| Julija Mell | Erasmus University, Netherlands |
| Abby Mello | Towson University, USA |
| Bertolt Meyer | Technical University Chemnitz, Germany |
| Thomas O'Neill | University of Calgary, Canada |
| John G. Oetzel | The University of Waikato, New Zealand |
| Yohsuke Ohtsubo | University of Tokyo, Japan |
| Esther Jihyun Paik | Texas Christian University, USA |
| Susannah Paletz | University of Maryland, USA |
| Ernest Park | Grand Valley State University, USA |
| Emily Paskewitz | University of Tennessee-Knoxville, USA |
| Paul Paulus | The University of Texas at Arlington, USA |
| Tuck Pescosolido | University of New Hampshire, USA |
| Andrew Pilny | University of Kentucky, USA |
| David Pincus | Chapman University, USA |
| Jane Prichard | University of Southhampton, UK |
| Anneloes Raes | University of Navarra, Spain |
| Torsten Reimer | Purdue University, USA |
| Hong Ren | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA |
| Charles D. Samuelson | University of Oslo, Norway |
| Cliff W. Scott | University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA |
| Valeria I. Sessa | Montclair State University, USA |
| Priti Pradhan Shah | University of Minnesota, USA |
| Marissa Shuffler | Clemson University, USA |
| Endre Sjøvold | Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway |
| Christine M Smith | Grand Valley State University, USA |
| Kim K. Smith | St. Norbert College |
| Paul R. Smokowski | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA |
| Anit Somech | University of Haifa, Israel |
| Chester S. Spell | Rutgers University, USA |
| Trevor M. Spoelma | University of New Mexico |
| Murat Tarakci | Erasmus University, Netherlands |
| Melissa Thomas-Hunt | University of Virginia, USA |
| Gergana Todorova | California State University, Fullerton, USA |
| Eric Donald Wesselmann | Illinois State University, USA |
| Jessica Wildman | Florida Institute of Technology, USA |
| Kevyn Yong | Singapore Institute of Management, Singapore |
| Kay Yoon | University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, USA |
| Alaina C. Zanin | Arizona State University, USA |
This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics.
Please read the guidelines below, then visit the submission site for Small Group Research here: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/sgr 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 Small Group Research will be reviewed.
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.
1. Article types
SGR invites manuscripts on a wide variety of groups and teams and their relevant issues. We especially seek research conducted from interdisciplinary perspectives. We also seek review papers that summarize and synthesize emerging areas within the field. Submissions should make contributions in theory, method, and/or practice. SGR is not restricted to a particular theoretical or methodological stance. We remind authors that both the journal’s review board and general readership are interdisciplinary and international; authors are encouraged to consider this in developing and writing their manuscripts.
SGR prefers to receive manuscripts in which data are collected about groups and from all group members. When data are missing, authors should clearly describe how missing data were handled, and the implication of missing data on interpretation. Data collected from individuals in groups and analyzed at the individual level can be submitted; however, authors should clearly identify the study’s contribution to the study of groups.
SGR encourages authors to state the purpose of the manuscript and study in the introduction in a brief and meaningful manner. Literature reviews should be analytical as well as descriptive. To aid the ease of reading, authors are encouraged to examine long lists of citations for recency and relevance. If possible, limit citation strings to three most relevant and recent entries following the abbreviation “e.g.,”
SGR uses APA (7th edition) style and formatting. The entire manuscript should be double-spaced (including the references), 1” margins, and in Times New Roman 12 point. Please include a title of no more than 12 words, and an abstract of no more than 100 words. SGR uses double-anonymized review; please do not include identifying information in the manuscript (e.g., revealing information in the method section or notes). If your work is published and it is cited in a submission, there is no need to hide or anonymize that reference.
Manuscripts should not exceed 30 pages, excluding references, figures, and tables. We encourage authors to present their papers in a concise and clear manner.
2. Editorial policies
2.1 Peer review policy
SGR adheres to a rigorous double-anonymized reviewing policy in which the identity of both the reviewer and author are always concealed from both parties.
Peer Review Process: At least two referees review each manuscript. All manuscripts are reviewed as rapidly as possible, and an editorial decision is generally reached within 6 to 8 weeks of 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 typically listed as principal author on any multiple-authored publication that substantially derives from the student’s dissertation or thesis. Please note that all authors will be required to include their ORCID iD upon submission.
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. Please supply any personal acknowledgements separately to the main text to facilitate anonymous peer review
2.4 Funding
SGR 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
SGR encourages authors to include a declaration of any conflicting interests and recommends you review the good practice guidelines on the SAGE Journal Author Gateway.
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.
3.1.1 Plagiarism
SGR 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 plagiarized 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 license agreement which means that the author retains copyright in the work but grants SAGE the sole and exclusive right and license 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 our Frequently Asked Questions on the SAGE Journal Author Gateway.
3.3 Open access and author archiving
SGR 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.
3.4 Permissions
Authors are responsible for obtaining 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 visit our Frequently Asked Questions on the SAGE Journal Author Gateway.
3.5 Acknowledgement of datasets
If your manuscript presents data being used for multiple reports or publications, the following three steps are required:
- In your cover letter, notify the editors if the manuscript presents data from a dataset that has been used or is currently being used in another report or publication, or that may be used for a report or publication that you plan to submit for publication within one year of your manuscript submission to Small Group Research.
- Include a data table (see, for example: https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/apl/data-transparency-appendix-example) at the time of submission.
- Use a blind citation for the dataset if other publications or other academic documents use the same dataset.
Doing so will allow the editors to evaluate if the submitted manuscript represents a new contribution.
4. Preparing your manuscript
4.1 Word processing formats
Preferred formats for the text and tables of your manuscript are Word DOC, RTF, XLS. The text should be double-spaced throughout and with a minimum of 1” for left and right hand margins and 1” at head and foot. Text should be standard 12 point. A Word template is 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 .
4.3 Supplementary material
This journal is able to host additional materials online (e.g. datasets, images, worksheets, etc.) alongside the full-text of the article. These will be subjected to peer-review in conjunction with the article. For more information, please refer to our guidelines on submitting supplementary files, which can be found within our Manuscript Submission Guidelines page.
4.4 Journal layout
SGR conforms to the SAGE house style. View the SAGE UK House Style guidelines.
4.5 Reference style
SGR adheres to the APA reference style. View the APA guidelines to ensure your manuscript conforms to this reference style. If you use software to manage citations and reference list, please turn this software off on the document before submitting the manuscript.
4.6 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.
5. Submitting your manuscript
5.1 How to submit your manuscript
SGR is hosted on SAGE Track, a web-based online submission and peer review system powered by ScholarOne™ Manuscripts. Visit http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/sgr to login* and submit your article online.
*Please check whether you already have an account in the system before trying to create a new one. If you have reviewed or authored for the journal in the past year it is likely that you will have had an account created. For further guidance on submitting your manuscript online please visit ScholarOne Online Help.
5.2 Title, keywords, and abstracts
Please supply a title, short title, an abstract and keywords to accompany your article. The title, keywords and abstract are key to ensuring readers find your article online through online search engines such as Google. Please refer to the information and guidance on how best to title your article, write your abstract and select your keywords by visiting the SAGE Journal Author Gateway for guidelines on How to Help Readers Find Your Article Online.
5.2 Corresponding author contact details
Provide full contact details for the corresponding author including email, mailing address and telephone numbers. Academic, or professional, affiliations and a working email address are required for all co-authors. These details should be presented separately to the main text of the article to facilitate anonymous peer review.
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 Access to your published article
SAGE provides authors with online access to their final article.
6.3 Online publication
Online First allows final revision articles (completed articles in queue for assignment to an upcoming issue) to be published online prior to their inclusion in a final journal issue which significantly reduces the lead time between submission and publication. For more information please visit our Online First Fact Sheet.
7. Further information
Any correspondence, queries or additional requests for information on the manuscript submission process should be sent to the SGR editorial office as follows:
Please contact Co-Editors Dennis Kivlighan (email) or Lyn Van Swol (email).
SAGE Choice
If you or your funder wish your article to be freely available online to nonsubscribers immediately upon publication (gold open access), you can opt for it to be included in SAGE Choice, subject to payment of a publication fee. The manuscript submission and peer review procedure is unchanged. On acceptance of your article, you will be asked to let SAGE know directly if you are choosing SAGE Choice. To check journal eligibility and the publication fee, please visit SAGE Choice. For more information on open access options and compliance at SAGE, including self author archiving deposits (green open access) visit SAGE Publishing Policies on our Journal Author Gateway.