The methodologies of the marketing literature: mechanics, uses and craft

Of the three scholastic modes with which to develop ideas and create knowledge in research: logic, empirics, and the literature, the latter is perhaps one of the least understood and studied. This paper is a first-of-its-kind delve into what the literature is, how it is used, and its impact as a foundation for theory and conceptual work in the discipline of marketing. We create a novel approach that provides a framework to understand the way literature functions in the research process and expose the hidden mechanics of how it creates and ties together various forms of meaning through what we call, citation-based reasoning. It is through this lens that we conclude with insights for how a deeper understanding of the literature can stoke continued impact in the marketing discipline, especially for theory building and conceptual development.