Guest Editors
- Matt Huml, University of Cincinnati
- Brian Mills, University of Texas
- Bradley Baker, Temple University
For decades, scholars in a wide array of disciplines have addressed dangers arising from challenges to publishing null results. Most central to this problem, Rosenthal (1979) identified the “file drawer problem,” where studies with statistically significant results are published while those with null findings remain unpublished. More recently, peer-reviewed journals and scientific research have come under increased scrutiny related to publication bias that leads to the underrepresentation of null results. The file drawer problem results in a highly biased literature favoring studies that only include low p-values and, as such, do not properly represent the true uncertainty over scientific results. The magnitude of this problem is substantial. Scheel et al. (2021) found positive results for the first hypothesis in 96% of hypothesis-testing articles published through traditional processes, but in only 44% of registered reports—a publication format designed to minimize selection based on statistical significance (Chambers & Tzavella, 2022). Beyond obscuring scientific uncertainty, this bias populates the literature with false positives (Ioannidis, 2005). While some authors have claimed null results are non-informative or that they are a product of low-quality research (e.g., Leavitt, 2013), there is growing awareness that well-designed research that generates null results can offer meaningful insight. For example, Abadie (2020) argued that failing to reject a null hypothesis can create a highly informative discussion. This expresses our goal of having a special issue about null results, where scholars have an opportunity to discuss their findings and craft an argument on why they are compelling for theoretical and practical insights. This weighs the consideration that publishing null results necessitates a critical interpretation of the author’s methodological and theoretical approach to ensure sound study design (Leavitt, 2013).
This special issue arrives at an opportune moment for sport management. While other established fields—including management, psychology, finance, and information technology—have published null results special issues, this represents the first such effort in sport management. Therefore, we are making a special call for manuscripts with null results. This will allow purposeful review of research with null results that are most likely to provide important context for sport management scholars to calibrate theory and uncertainty over results in the literature. We are looking for:
- Unlike traditional calls for papers, this special issue is not context specific. Authors are allowed to submit a variety of research topics that fall under the umbrella of sport management research related to the governance, management and consumption of sport.
- Editorial review for the special issue will be determined principally by the manuscript’s methodological design and theoretical framework. This special issue seeks to champion empirical work with sound design and theoretical arguments that resulted in null, but novel results.
Submission Guidelines
Manuscripts should follow American Psychological Association (www.apa.org) publication formatting and should be prepared in accordance with the Journal of Sport Management “Author Guidelines.” Manuscripts must not have been previously published and must not be submitted to another journal while under review at the Journal of Sport Management.
Manuscripts should be submitted on a soft deadline of January 1, 2027 and no later than July 30th, 2027, using ScholarOne on the Journal of Sport Management website. We chose this flexible and extended deadline recognizing that scholars may have suspended analysis on projects after obtaining null results. This timeline allows authors to revisit previous findings and articulate their arguments for this special issue. Because of this extended deadline, the editorial team plans on reviewing and publishing papers on a rolling basis to avoid any delay for publishing articles. Accepted papers will move to DOI and be published online well before the full special issue appears “in print.”
Authors should indicate in their cover letter that the submission is to be considered for the special issue on “Null Results in Sport Management Research”.
Please note: When submitting your manuscript, please ensure to select the ‘Special Issue’ option within the ScholarOne system. Each author is allowed to submit up to two manuscripts for this special issue, ensuring broader participation and diverse contributions. Editorial team members are limited to one submission, in addition to their authorship of the special issue introduction.
Contact Information for Guest Editors
- Matt Huml, PhD
Associate Professor & Doctoral Program Coordinator
School of Human Services
University of Cincinnati 1607 N. Market Street • Champaign IL 61825-5076 • Phone (217) 351-5076 https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jsm
E-mail: matt.huml@uc.edu - Brian M. Mills, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Kinesiology & Health Education
University of Texas at Austin
E-mail: brian.mills@austin.utexas.edu - Bradley Baker, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management
Temple University
E-mail: bradley.baker@temple.edu
- Matt Huml, PhD
