Journals edited by faculty earn high rankings

Two journals edited by University of Wisconsin–Madison La Follette School of Public Affairs faculty are the two top-ranked journals in public policy and administration, while a third is highly ranked for economics.

The Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, edited by Professor of Public Affairs Carolyn Heinrich, ranked No. 1 in terms of citation impact in 2005 in the field of public administration. Governance, co-edited by Professor of Public Affairs and Political Science Graham Wilson, ranked No. 2 for 2005.

In addition, the Journal of International Economics, co-edited by Professor of Public Affairs and Economics Charles Engel, ranked first in international economics and 17th among all economics journals for 2005, regardless of field.

“Having three top-ranked journals affiliated with a single school of public affairs is very unusual,” says incoming La Follette School Director Barbara Wolfe. “We’re very pleased that these three journals call the La Follette School home.”

The ranking places the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory at the top of 26 journals in the field of public policy and administration. A citation impact rating system measures the number of times authors cited articles from the journal within the past two years. Citations of published research are key indicators of the influence of scholarly work.

In 2004, Governance ranked No. 1 and the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory ranked No. 7 in public administration. For that same year, the Journal of International Economics ranked first in international economics and 19th among all economics journals regardless of field.

The Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory is a newer journal, established in 1990 to bridge public policy studies and public administration scholarship. Its multidisciplinary aim is to embrace the organizational, administrative, and policy sciences as they apply to government and governance. For 2004, it edged out the Public Administration Review, which has been described as “the premier journal in the field of public administration research, theory and practice for more than 60 years.”

“The journal’s success is a tribute to the public management and policy scholars who have committed to advancing the highest standards for theory-based, empirical research in this area,” Heinrich says.