Abstract
The editorial team of Small Group Research invites authors to submit proposals for the 2026 Review Issue. Articles for the Review Issue are high-impact scholarly surveys of important group and team research literatures. They summarize recent research, provide integration across disciplines, emphasize theory, and highlight important directions for future inquiries. The Review Issue is open to all areas of group and team research, including research methods and group-based learning activities.
We are interested in interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary reviews that (a) address critical turning points in the literature in terms of evolving theory, enduring issues where reviews can reveal future areas of attention, levels of analysis issues, or improvements in methodological approaches, and (b) explore the topic, theory, or method across disciplines. Manuscripts by a team of interdisciplinary authors are preferred.
Proposals should be submitted
Please note that we are not accepting manuscripts
Proposals should be double-spaced and include no more than ten pages of text. References, tables, and appendices do not count in this page limit. After the heading on the first page of the body, place the words – SUBMISSION FOR ANNUAL REVIEW 2026 – in caps and centered on the page. All proposals will be subject to editorial review. Please do not send complete papers–if you have a draft of your paper, please note that in the proposal.
Submissions will be evaluated with respect to the following criteria (we encourage you to address these in your proposal):
(a) Relevance. The proposed manuscript should thoroughly review a significant and important research area within the group and team literature.
(b) Integration across disciplines. The proposed manuscript should aim to integrate theory and research across the different disciplines that study groups. If the proposed review is limited to specific disciplines, identify this and explain why these disciplines are selected.
(c) Viability. The proposal should represent an achievable project within the tight time constraints required. More detail on the timeline is provided below.
(d) Organization and Coherence. The proposal should follow a logical structure, read clearly, and thoroughly represent the available research.
(e) Insight for Future Work. The proposal should convey important implications for future theoretical or methodological developments, or applications.
Review Issue Timeline:
April 1, 2024 through May 1, 2024 Proposals due to the Small Group Research online submission portal at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/sgr. Be sure to select “Proposal” in the Manuscript Type pull down box. Also indicate that your submission is a 2025 Review Issue Proposal in your cover letter.
September 15, 2024: Final decision on proposal and initial feedback provided to authors.
February 15, 2025: Full draft of paper due to Small Group Research.
April 15, 2025: Feedback to authors on full paper.
June 15, 2025: Final paper submitted to Small Group Research.
February 2026: Publication of 2025 review issue of Small Group Research
The following list represents the topics published (or accepted to be published) in the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 review issues. Please review to avoid overlap or to build on previous reviews if topics intersect.
Algorithms for computational faultline/subgroup detection
Bona fide group
Cognitive diversity
Conceptual, methodological, and logistical problems of emergent states research
Cross-disciplinary health care
Creativity and Innovation
Demonstrability
Evolution of teams
Examination of partner effects in group contexts
Feedback in virtual teams
Group communication and transactive memory systems
Group deviance
Hidden profile paradigms
High Reliability Teams
History of teamwork
Interactive input-process-output models of group social influence
Interdependent work
Language and group process
Leadership and innovation
Minority influence in CMC
Motivational systems theory of group involvement
Multiple team membership
Peer feedback
Personality in small groups
Resilience
Science of multiteam systems
Teaching teamwork skills
Team emergent states
Team person-role fit
Team reflexivity and team information processing failures
Team self-leadership
Team training
Technology to study team interaction
Virtual teams and Virtual Meetings
Work team design characteristic