A follow‐up ranking of academic journals

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a ranking of knowledge management and intellectual capital academic journals.

Design/methodology/approach

A revealed preference, also referred to as citation impact, method was utilized. Citation data were obtained from Google Scholar by using Harzing's Publish or Perish tool. The h‐index and the g‐index were employed to develop a ranking list. The revealed preference method was compared to the stated preference approach, also referred to as an expert survey. A comprehensive journal ranking based on the combination of both approaches is presented.

Findings

Manual re‐calculation of the indices reported by Publish or Perish had no impact on the ranking list. The revealed preference and stated preference methods correlated very strongly (0.8 on average). According to the final aggregate journal list that combined stated and revealed preference methods, Journal of Knowledge Management and Journal of Intellectual Capital are ranked A+, and The Learning Organization, Knowledge and Process Management, and Knowledge Management Research & Practice are ranked A.

Research limitations/implications

This study was the first of its kind to develop a ranking system for academic journals in the field based on the journals' citation impact metrics. This list is vital for knowledge management and intellectual capital academics for tenure, merit, and promotion decisions. It may also help them achieve recognition among their peers and colleagues from other disciplines.

Practical implications

The proposed ranking list may be fruitfully employed by knowledge management and intellectual capital practitioners, librarians making journal subscription decisions, academics looking for best outlets, and various academic committees.

Originality/value

This paper represents the first documented attempt to develop a ranking of knowledge management and intellectual capital academic journals by using the h‐index and the g‐index that reflect journal citation impact.

Citation

Bontis, N. and Serenko, A. (2009), "A follow‐up ranking of academic journals", Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 16-26. https://doi.org/10.1108/13673270910931134