--- name: jcr-workflow description: Use when deciding which jcr-* sub-skill to invoke next, or when sequencing manuscript work from topic selection through rebuttal for a Journal of Consumer Research (JCR) manuscript. Routes — it does not replace — the specialized skills. --- # Journal of Consumer Research Workflow (jcr-workflow) ## Overview This is the router. It does not replace any specialized skill; it tells you **which jcr-* skill to use right now** for your JCR manuscript. Default assumption: unless the user says otherwise, treat the target as JCR — the multi-disciplinary flagship of consumer behavior research, founded 1974 and published by Oxford University Press for Journal of Consumer Research, Inc. JCR's overriding criterion is **advancing understanding of consumer behavior or the conduct of consumer research**. It is explicitly interdisciplinary — psychology, anthropology, sociology, economics, marketing, statistics, communication — and its identity is institutionalized by a Policy Board of ~11 sponsoring professional societies. The non-negotiable bar is a clear **conceptual contribution** that advances, deepens, or repudiates existing theory about consumption, backed by appropriate empirical evidence. Two flagship genres coexist under one masthead: rigorous **multi-study behavioral experiments** and interpretive **Consumer Culture Theory (CCT)** work — JCR is one of the few top journals where ethnography and lab experiments compete on equal footing. > Editorial team changes: Oleg Urminsky (Chicago Booth) is Editor in Chief for the term Jan 1, 2025 – Dec 31, 2028; the active co-editor roster is time-sensitive (待核实) — verify the current masthead at consumerresearcher.com. As of Jan 1, 2025 JCR also considers **Registered Reports** and **Brief Commentaries** beyond the standard empirical paper. ## When to trigger - "What should I do next?" with a half-built JCR manuscript - You have a robust effect but no clear conceptual story about consumption - A reviewer/editor pushes on "contribution to consumer theory" and you are unsure which stage is the real bottleneck - You received a JCR decision letter (R&R or reject) and need to switch into response mode - You keep bouncing between theory, studies, and writing without a plan ## Routing table | Current symptom | Next skill | |----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------| | Idea is vague; not sure it is a consumer-behavior question or JCR-fit | `jcr-topic-selection` | | Effect is real but there is no psychological/sociocultural mechanism | `jcr-theory-development` | | Front end reads as gap-spotting; the consumer-research conversation is thin | `jcr-literature-positioning`| | Unsure whether to run experiments, CCT fieldwork, or a mixed design | `jcr-methods` | | Have studies; unsure about process evidence, mediation, robustness | `jcr-data-analysis` | | Results exist but the conceptual "so what for consumer theory" is thin | `jcr-contribution-framing` | | Tables/figures cluttered, off house style, or not self-explanatory | `jcr-tables-figures` | | Prose buries the consumer insight or is jargon-heavy | `jcr-writing-style` | | Ready to submit; need the ScholarOne preflight + transparency apparatus | `jcr-submission` | | Want to understand how JCR review/decisions work before/after submit | `jcr-review-process` | | Received an R&R; need to plan and draft the response | `jcr-rebuttal` | ## Default order 1. `jcr-topic-selection` — lock a consumer-behavior question with JCR fit 2. `jcr-theory-development` — build the psychological/sociocultural mechanism 3. `jcr-literature-positioning` — join the consumer-research conversation across disciplines 4. `jcr-methods` — choose experiments vs. CCT vs. mixed; design multi-study evidence 5. `jcr-data-analysis` — process evidence, mediation/moderation, interpretive trustworthiness 6. `jcr-contribution-framing` — write the conceptual contribution + Consumer Relevance Statement 7. `jcr-tables-figures` — finalize exhibits (study tables, process figures, interaction plots) 8. `jcr-writing-style` — front-load the consumer insight; Chicago house style 9. `jcr-submission` — ScholarOne preflight, anonymization, Data Collection Statement 10. `jcr-review-process` — set expectations for the developmental, multi-round process 11. `jcr-rebuttal` — after an R&R, plan revisions then draft the response letter > `jcr-tables-figures` and `jcr-writing-style` are **late-stage polish**. Do not invoke them while the conceptual contribution or process story is still unsettled. ## Decision shortcuts - "I have a cool effect but no theory" → `jcr-topic-selection` then `jcr-theory-development` - "My intro says 'no one has studied X'" (gap-spotting) → `jcr-literature-positioning` - "Reviewers will want process evidence" → `jcr-data-analysis` (mediation/moderation) - "Is this an experiments paper or a CCT paper?" → `jcr-methods` - "Reviewer says contribution is incremental" → `jcr-contribution-framing` - "Submitting next week" → `jcr-submission` (60-page cap, Data Collection Statement) - "Got an R&R" → `jcr-review-process` then `jcr-rebuttal` ## Difference vs. JM / JCP / JMR stacks - **JCR**: the conceptual, multi-disciplinary flagship of consumer **behavior**; bar is a theory contribution about consumption; experiments and CCT compete on equal footing; OUP; 60-double-spaced-page cap; ScholarOne at mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jconres. - **JCP (Journal of Consumer Psychology)**: psychology-focused, typically tighter behavioral process work. - **JMR / JM (AMA journals)**: broader marketing scope including modeling, strategy, and managerial relevance, not exclusively consumer behavior. If your paper is a managerial-strategy or analytical-modeling marketing paper with no real consumer-theory advance, JCR is the wrong venue. ## Anti-patterns - **Do not** skip `jcr-theory-development` — JCR rejects atheoretical "interesting effects." - **Do not** let `jcr-tables-figures` beautify exhibits before the conceptual contribution is settled. - **Do not** treat the Consumer Relevance and Contribution Statement as an afterthought — it is a JCR-specific gate handled in `jcr-contribution-framing` / `jcr-submission`. - **Do not** let `jcr-writing-style` substitute polish for a real contribution to consumer theory.