<![CDATA[This study analyzes how data collection techniques construct evidence in educational management research, focusing on the fit between instruments and the social-organizational phenomena under investigation. A focused PRISMA-based Systematic Literature Review was conducted on articles published from 2021 to 2026. Of 120 initial records, 7 articles met the strict criteria because they explicitly reported research designs, data sources, instruments, and the functions of data integration. The extracted data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Interviews or focus groups appeared in 6 articles, questionnaires or surveys in 4, documents or literature in 3, secondary data in 2, and process logs in 1; 5 articles employed mixed-methods designs. The synthesis identified three evidentiary functions: mapping patterns, explaining social-psychological mechanisms, and contextualizing institutional processes. In studies of trust, collaboration, mental health, and school quality, quantitative instruments were effective for identifying trends and relationships, whereas interviews, focus groups, and documents explained the meanings, relationships, crisis experiences, and organizational boundaries underlying those patterns. The novelty of this study lies in an instrument-phenomenon fit matrix that assesses data collection techniques according to their evidentiary functions rather than merely contrasting qualitative and quantitative approaches. The findings are limited to methodological patterns within the selected corpus and should not be interpreted as prevalence estimates for the entire field of educational management research.]]>
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