The reference list creates confidence in expertise.
After looking at the title and abstract, I often turn to the back of a manuscript or an article and study the reference list. This is especially true when I am reviewing a manuscript that has been submitted to a journal. I am looking for depth of knowledge about areas of expertise. In a methodological article submitted to a journal like the Journal of Mixed Methods Research, Methods in Psychology, or the International Journal of Qualitative Inquiry, I am looking for a balance of references between the topic area and the research methods. If there are only a few generic references to articles about research methods, I know that it is not a methodological article. Regardless of how it is labelled, it is one that focuses on the disciplinary topic area.
On average, a reference list in an empirical article has 50 to 60 references. The reference list provides a way to gauge expertise. It gives me a sense if the authors know what they are talking about. I start off with a good impression when the reference list shows a depth of knowledge that is timely in that it is up to date. A robust reference list is no guarantee the research methods are strong, of course.
The Reference List of a Methodological Article
A methodological article centers on a research method, procedure, or an issue that has been the subject of the recent literature. I just reviewed an article about mixed methods grounded theory (MM-GT) submitted to a journal that aims to highlight innovation in the way a research method is used. The reference list included 80 entries that are equally divided between research methods and the topic area.
The references for a methodological article cluster in three areas: the topic or subject matter, mixed methods research in general, and the aspect of the research methods or procedures being discussed. They should be roughly balanced and show comparable expertise in research methods as in the topic. A robust references list includes articles published on the topic in the journal that it appears.
The Reference List Should Mirror the Key Words
I’ve written in other blog posts about key words and how, when identified at the front end, they provide a type of concept map that can be carried through each section of an article. This same observation applies to the reference list. It should reflect literature that has been published on each of the keywords. This is what makes it easy to establish the need in the introduction and position the contribution to the literature in the discussion section.
Along with how accurately the work is cited within the text, a reference list is a key indicator that a publication is scholarly. In a way, they can be little marvels in themselves in that they expose the breadth and depth of the work that influenced an article’s authors.