Analysis of the application of research methods in core journals in the field of management science in China

Journal of Measurement and Evaluation

JME, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2026, pp.96-117.

Print ISSN: 3106-0463; Online ISSN: 3106-0471

Journal homepage: https://www.jmeacta.com 

DOI：Https://doi.org/10.64058/JME.26.1.06

Analysis of the application of research methods in core journals in the field of management science in China

Wei Ruibin, Li Bowen, Kang Xinlu(translator)

Abstract：By sorting out the application of research methods in the field of management science in China from 2008 to 2022, we assist researchers in correctly understanding and selecting research methods and provide reference for subsequent research. This article uses bibliometrics, cluster analysis, co-occurrence analysis, and network analysis to analyze four dimensions: "method-quantity", "method-topic", "method-author", and "method-method" to summarize the application patterns of research methods. The research shows that quantitative research is more than qualitative research, with increasing attention to qualitative research methods such as case studies and rooting theory in recent years; single research methods are more than mixed research methods, and the use of multiple research methods in combination is gradually increasing; there is a clear bias in the use of research methods under different research themes; and the distribution of research methods used by core authors is more dispersed.

Keywords：Management Science; Research methods; Research topic; Bibliometrics; Co-occurrence analysis

Author Biographies: Wei Ruibin, Ph.D., Professor, specializing in scientometrics and knowledge graphs. E-mail: rbwxy@126.com. Li Bowen, Master's student (2021 cohort), specializing in management information systems. Kang Xinlu (translator), corresponding author, a Master's student at the School of Statistics and Data Science, Zhejiang Gongshang University. Research direction: economic statistics.

Received: 04 Jan 2026 / Revised: 01 Feb 2026 / Accepted: 15 Feb 2026 / Published online: 30 Apr 2026 / Print published: 30 May 2026.

This article is an English translation of the following Chinese article: Wei, R., & Li, B. (2023). Analysis of the application of research methods in core journals in the field of management science in China. Information Research, (12), 69-78. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1005-8095.2023.12.009