Writing for publication: what counts as a ‘high status, eminent academic journal’?

Abstract

One of the key professional concerns for staff working in higher and, to some extent, further education is to be involved in scholarly publishing. Within that concern, as a direct result of recent research assessment exercises, is the question of ‘what counts as a high status journal’? The question is a vitally important one for lecturers and researchers who are striving to achieve highly in research ratings. Yet it has not been the subject of either wide debate or extensive empirical work. In an attempt to provoke discussion on this issue, this article reports and discusses a recent survey of professors in both the UK and USA which aimed to elicit their views on the criteria for eminence and high status and also asked them to name journals that come into this category. Although the responses show that there is some degree of consensus, large differences exist between the views of individual respondents. In addition, a large number of journals are named as being of ‘high status’. Important differences between perceptions in the UK and USA are also highlighted. The aim of the paper is to open up a debate on journals and their status in a way which might be valuable for personal and institutional development in the future.

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