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Ranking Law Journals And The Limits Of Journal Citation Reports

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  • THEODORE EISENBERG
  • MARTIN T. WELLS

Abstract

type="main" xml:id="ecin12133-abs-0001"> Journal rankings published by Journal Citation Reports (JCR) are widely used to assess research quality, which influences important decisions by academic departments, universities, and countries in the allocation of research funds. We study refereed law journal rankings by JCR and Washington and Lee Law Library (W&L). JCR's rankings are uncorrelated with W&L's. The differences appear to be attributable to underrepresentation of law journals in JCR's database. We illustrate the effects of database bias on rankings through case studies of three elite journals, the Journal of Law and Economics, Supreme Court Review, and the American Law and Economics Review. (JEL C18, C81, Y10)

Suggested Citation

  • Theodore Eisenberg & Martin T. Wells, 2014. "Ranking Law Journals And The Limits Of Journal Citation Reports," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 52(4), pages 1301-1314, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecinqu:v:52:y:2014:i:4:p:1301-1314
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    Cited by:

    1. Mu-hsuan Huang & Wang-Ching Shaw & Chi-Shiou Lin, 2019. "One category, two communities: subfield differences in “Information Science and Library Science” in Journal Citation Reports," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 119(2), pages 1059-1079, May.
    2. M. Ryan Haley & M. Kevin McGee, 2023. "A flexible functional method for jointly valuing journal visibility and author citation count," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(6), pages 3337-3346, June.
    3. Haley, M. Ryan & McGee, M. Kevin, 2020. "Jointly valuing journal visibility and author citation count: An axiomatic approach," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 14(1).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • C15 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Statistical Simulation Methods: General
    • D02 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact
    • L89 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Other

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