Bias in the Social Science Publication Process: Are There Exceptions?

This paper explores the possibility that journals in the management area of the social sciences may not reflect the same degree of publication bias that has typically been found in other areas. Data from structured interviews and quantitative comparisons indicated that top tier journals in the management area have lower acceptance rates than our comparison group, generally require a greater number of reviewers than the comparison group, publish a higher percentage of articles by authors affiliated with the schools of the editors than would be expected by chance, and there are significant differences in the publication rates for various disciplines within the management area that are associated with the disciplines of the editors. It is concluded that the management area is not immune from bias. It is suggested that continued research of this nature can be an important source of information for both contributors and editors enabling them to become aware of and manage the types of biases to which editors are most susceptible.