joap-topic-selection
Use when deciding whether an I-O / applied-psychology project fits the Journal of Applied Psychology (JAP) and which article type to target. JAP wants a genuine theoretical contribution to work-and-organizational science backed by rigorous measurement, not a rigorous study with no theoretical advance. Frames the question and tests fit; it does not collect data.
Profile →npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill joap-topic-selection --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# Topic Selection & Fit (joap-topic-selection) JAP publishes original work that **advances theory about individual, team, and organizational phenomena at work** — motivation, leadership, selection and assessment, teams, job attitudes and well-being, justice, training, turnover. The cardinal fit test is **dual**: a real **theoretical contribution** *and* the **measurement/design rigor** to support a causal or cumulative claim. Use this skill to pressure-test fit before investing. ## When to trigger - Choosing among possible projects or framings for JAP - A reader said the work feels "atheoretical," "applied-but-not-novel," or "a better fit elsewhere" - Deciding between a **Feature Article** and a **Research Report** - Deciding whether the contribution is empirical, theory-development, or meta-analytic ## The fit test A strong JAP paper usually clears all four: 1. **Theoretical contribution.** It changes how I-O scholars understand a work phenomenon — a new mechanism, boundary condition, integration, or construct — not just a new context for a known effect. State the theoretical advance in one sentence. 2. **Measurement & design rigor.** Constructs are validly measured; the design su
- When to trigger
- The fit test
- Article type
- Fit scoring — worked example (illustrative)
- Article-type decision rules
- Reviewer / editor pushback at the fit stage
- Anti-patterns
- Output format
- Supplementary resources
What does the joap-topic-selection skill do?
Use when deciding whether an I-O / applied-psychology project fits the Journal of Applied Psychology (JAP) and which article type to target. JAP wants a genuine theoretical contribution to work-and-organizational science backed by rigorous measurement, not a rigorous study with no theoretical advance. Frames the question and tests fit; it does not collect data.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills --skill joap-topic-selection --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills, a repository with 909 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.