ABS&Comment: Zinkhan, Assessing the quality ranking of the Journal of Advertising

[Gretchen Whitney]

TITLE   :       Assessing the quality ranking of the Journal of Advertising,
1986-1997
AUTHOR  Zinkhan GM, Leigh TW
JOURNAL JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING   28: (2) 51-70 SUM 1999

 Document type: Article    Language: English    Cited References: 36
Times Cited: 0

Abstract:
Recent attention has been paid to the use of citation analysis as an
approach to examining relative journal quality and prestige, as well as the
relative scholarly status of academic communities and disciplines. The
fundamental notion is that citations are objective indicators of knowledge
use by scholars and knowledge flows among academic communities. In that
context, the authors examine the journal quality ranking of the Journal of
Advertising in relation to 33 marketing, advertising, and business
journals over the 1986-1997 time period. They find evidence that JA ranks
respectably among specialty marketing, advertising, and business journals,
but, as expected, generally below the general marketing, and business
journals.

KeyWords Plus:
PRODUCTIVITY, MANAGEMENT, PATTERNS, INDEX

Addresses:
Zinkhan GM, Univ Georgia, Terry Coll Business, Dept Mkt, Coca Cola Ctr Mkt
Studies, Athens, GA 30602 USA.
Univ Georgia, Terry Coll Business, Dept Mkt, Coca Cola Ctr Mkt Studies,
Athens, GA 30602 USA.
Univ Georgia, Terry Coll Business, Dept Mkt, Mkt Res Program, Athens, GA
30602 USA.

Publisher:
CTC PRESS/JOA, CLEMSON

IDS Number:
237EU

ISSN:
0091-3367
Copyright © 1999 Institute for Scientific Information
Please visit their website at www.isinet.com

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COMMENTS


>>From the title and abstract of this paper the casual reader would not be
aware that the authors provide an extremely interesting review of the
strengths, weaknesses, and analytic possibilities of detailed, careful
citation analyses.


(last paragraph of above paper...)
"PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
        Journal quality is of interest to scholars in its own right.
Scholars like to know where they stand as scientists, and journal quality is
a signal of their relative standing.  However, the realities of university
life indicate that journal quality, rightly or wrongly, carries significant
weight in peer recognition, career advancement, and financial rewards.  The
academic advertising community therefore needs to study the quality of its
journals.  Journal quality assessment should be as systematic and objective
as possible.  That is where citation analysis can play a key role.  Citation
analysis provides a behavioral trace of knowledge use.  Hence, it provides
an objective perspective to balance expert opinions of journal quality.
Citation analysis is not a panacea, however.  We do not advocate "mindless"
use of citation analysis as a substitute for informed judgment.  There is no
substitute for personal assessment of the scholarship embodied in an
author's work.  Nonetheless, we believe citation analysis, systematically
done and appropriately applied, can significantly enhance the credibility of
a variety of practical academic decisions."


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