Tools for evaluating research output: Are citation-base rankings of economics journals stable?

Sutter, Matthias; Kocher, Martin G. (2001): Tools for evaluating research output: Are citation-base rankings of economics journals stable? In: Evaluation Review, Vol. 25, No. 5: pp. 555-566

Abstract

Journal rankings are important for evaluating research output, for academic promotions, and for allocating funds. Examining the assignment of economics journals to different quartiles of citation-based rankings, the authors found that about 60% of journals remain in the same quartile and about 95% of journals remain in the same or move in a neighborhood quartile within 5- to 10-year intervals. Top journal rankings exhibit even more inertia, which is a desirable property for decisions on promotion, tenure, or institutional evaluation. A reexamination of journal assignment to different quality categories every 5 or 10 years, therefore, suffices for practical evaluation purposes.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Form of publication: Publisher's Version
• Faculties: Economics; Economics > Chairs > Chair of Empirical Economics
• Subjects: 300 Social sciences > 330 Economics
• Alliance/National Licence: This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.
• Language: English