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Ranking Economics Departments in a Contested Discipline: A Bibliometric Approach to Quality Equality Between Theoretically Distinct Subdisciplines

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  • Frederic S. Lee
  • Therese C. Grijalva
  • Clifford Nowell

Abstract

Quality ranking of economic journals and departments is a widespread practice in the United States. The methods used are peer review and bibliometric measures. In a divided discipline such as economics scientific knowledge is contested. So knowing which journals and departments are the best in terms of research is somewhat muddied. If the methods used to measure the production of quality scientific knowledge are tilted towards one of the contested approaches, the resulting quality rankings of journals and departments are tilted as well. So if the objective is the open‐minded pursuit of the production of scientific knowledge, then it is important to have measures of quality that treat the different contested approaches equally. Our article explores this issue by examining the impact that a quality‐equality bibliometric measure can have on the quality rankings of doctoral economic programs in the United States.

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  • Frederic S. Lee & Therese C. Grijalva & Clifford Nowell, 2010. "Ranking Economics Departments in a Contested Discipline: A Bibliometric Approach to Quality Equality Between Theoretically Distinct Subdisciplines," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(5), pages 1345-1375, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ajecsc:v:69:y:2010:i:5:p:1345-1375
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1536-7150.2010.00749.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Derek Yu & Atoko Kasongo & Mariana Moses, 2017. "Examining the Performance of the South African Economics Departments, 2005-2014," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 85(1), pages 138-158, March.
    2. Konstantinos Chatzimichael & Pantelis Kalaitzidakis & Vangelis Tzouvelekas, 2017. "Measuring the publishing productivity of economics departments in Europe," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 113(2), pages 889-908, November.
    3. Bouchikhi, Hamid & Kimberly, John R., 2014. "Micro Processes and Isomorphic Adaptation: Insights from the Struggle for the Soul of Economics at the University of the Holy Spirit," ESSEC Working Papers WP1409, ESSEC Research Center, ESSEC Business School.
    4. Ferenc Moksony & Rita Hegedűs & Melinda Császár, 2014. "Rankings, research styles, and publication cultures: a study of American sociology departments," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 101(3), pages 1715-1729, December.
    5. Zdravka Todorova & Tae-Hee Jo, 2015. "Frederic S. Lee's contributions to heterodox economics," Working Papers PKWP1504, Post Keynesian Economics Society (PKES).
    6. Lee, Frederic, 2011. "History of the economics department at University of Missouri-Kansas City," MPRA Paper 30492, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Dürmeier, Thomas, 2012. "Wissenschaftlicher Pluralismus als Entdeckungsverfahren und das Monopol der Modellökonomik," ZÖSS-Discussion Papers 30, University of Hamburg, Centre for Economic and Sociological Studies (CESS/ZÖSS).
    8. repec:hal:journl:hal-00993435 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Hamid Bouchikhi & John R. Kimberly, 2014. "Micro Processes and Isomorphic Adaptation: Insights from the Struggle for the Soul of Economics at the University of the Holy Spirit," Working Papers hal-00993435, HAL.

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