The impact of qualitative methods on article citation: an international business research perspective

Qualitative methods have traditionally been underused in international business, and their research potential in this area has not been widely investigated. The main objective of the present study is to determine whether the use of qualitative methods by authors is a predictor of the impact their articles have in terms of the citations received. The analysis is based on empirically-based articles published in the Journal of International Business between 2000 and 2020. A total of 925 articles were examined. A quantitative regression technique was used to test the model. The results indicated that articles in the field of international business tended to be cited more if they employed qualitative methods. This suggests an avenue by which international business researchers can increase the impact of their work. This study also demonstrates the relevance of the qualitative approach in international business and reveals the close relationship between citation rates and research methods. Also, is important to use titles that draw people´s attention and, in some cases, reduce the number of pages of their publications.