Comments on: Making an Impact as a Law Journal Editor (Spring 2008) http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2008/02/making_an_impac_2.html The Law, the Universe, and Everything Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:33:39 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.3 hourly 1 By: articles editor http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2008/02/making_an_impac_2.html/comment-page-1#comment-50186 articles editor Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:15:27 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2008/02/making-an-impact-as-a-law-journal-editor-spring-2008.html#comment-50186 The problem with the W&L impact factor is it takes an average of citations over articles, which it defines as pieces over 5 pages. Law reviews publish student work (i.e. notes/comments) in addition to articles. Student work is not cited as much as articles are, and student work is over 5 pages. Thus W&L's impact factor publishes journals with productive staffs. The other measure W&L uses is total number of citations. Obviously, the more articles a journal publishes, the more citations there will be. This punishes journals with small staffs that accept & edit fewer articles. W&L produces biased rankings ensured to advantage law reviews with large unproductive staffs. The problem with the W&L impact factor is it takes an average of citations over articles, which it defines as pieces over 5 pages. Law reviews publish student work (i.e. notes/comments) in addition to articles. Student work is not cited as much as articles are, and student work is over 5 pages. Thus W&L’s impact factor publishes journals with productive staffs.

The other measure W&L uses is total number of citations. Obviously, the more articles a journal publishes, the more citations there will be. This punishes journals with small staffs that accept & edit fewer articles.

W&L produces biased rankings ensured to advantage law reviews with large unproductive staffs.

]]> By: anon http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2008/02/making_an_impac_2.html/comment-page-1#comment-50185 anon Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:16:51 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2008/02/making-an-impact-as-a-law-journal-editor-spring-2008.html#comment-50185 Might I suggest that the citations rankings aren't the gold standard to which Law Reviews should hold themselves. First, assuming highest number of citations is the goal (a poor assumption at best) how could anyone predict with any certainty the number of citations articles will receive in the future? Second, the W&L rankings are rather flawed - from one year to the next they changed the weight of the "impact factor" from 57% to 34%. Seems like a drastic (and rather odd) change to make overnight. The best thing Editors can do is make sure their volumes are well-edited and published in a timely fashion. Might I suggest that the citations rankings aren’t the gold standard to which Law Reviews should hold themselves. First, assuming highest number of citations is the goal (a poor assumption at best) how could anyone predict with any certainty the number of citations articles will receive in the future? Second, the W&L rankings are rather flawed – from one year to the next they changed the weight of the “impact factor” from 57% to 34%. Seems like a drastic (and rather odd) change to make overnight.

The best thing Editors can do is make sure their volumes are well-edited and published in a timely fashion.

]]> By: shg http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2008/02/making_an_impac_2.html/comment-page-1#comment-50184 shg Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:44:12 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2008/02/making-an-impact-as-a-law-journal-editor-spring-2008.html#comment-50184 Thanks for the link Dave. I wonder if the editors realize that this means people, other than a handful of lawprofs and the author's wife, will read the articles and recognize their law reviews as being relevant. I don't know if law students realize how insular their world can be, and that after 3 years, the universe explodes and suddenly law school disappears into the mist. Thanks for the link Dave. I wonder if the editors realize that this means people, other than a handful of lawprofs and the author’s wife, will read the articles and recognize their law reviews as being relevant. I don’t know if law students realize how insular their world can be, and that after 3 years, the universe explodes and suddenly law school disappears into the mist.

]]> By: Paul Gowder http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2008/02/making_an_impac_2.html/comment-page-1#comment-50183 Paul Gowder Sun, 24 Feb 2008 01:41:33 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2008/02/making-an-impact-as-a-law-journal-editor-spring-2008.html#comment-50183 How about actual things that lead to quality in other disciplines, like instituting blind review and begging or bribing faculty members to read pieces? How about actual things that lead to quality in other disciplines, like instituting blind review and begging or bribing faculty members to read pieces?

]]>