Moizer, P (Moizer, Peter) Publishing in accounting journals: A fair game? ACCOUNTING ORGANIZATIONS AND SOCIETY, 34 (2): 285-304 FEB 2009

[Eugene Garfield]

E-mail Address: pm at lubs.leeds.ac.uk

Author(s): Moizer, P (Moizer, Peter) 

Title: Publishing in accounting journals: A fair game? 

Source: ACCOUNTING ORGANIZATIONS AND SOCIETY, 34 (2): 285-304 FEB 2009 

Language: English 

Document Type: Editorial Material 

KeyWords Plus: PROPER ROLES; EDITORS; REFEREES; ECONOMICS; AUTHORS; 
REFLECTIONS; DISCIPLINE; MANAGEMENT; STANDARDS; ARTICLES 

Abstract: Publication in the social sciences appears to have evolved into 
a game, played by four parties: the author, the reviewers, the editor and 
the bureaucrats using the simple criterion that a quality researcher 
publishes in quality journals. Acceptance rates for top quality journals 
now hover around the 10% mark. Something cannot be right with a system 
which creates so much apparent waste. Either too many authors are 
Submitting substandard articles or too many reviewers are setting 
unrealistically high hurdles over which authors have to jump. Most of the 
literature has focussed on the unrealistically high hurdle rate 
explanation and also oil the fallibility of reviewers and editors. The aim 
of this paper is to explore the issues of low acceptance rates as well as 
all increasingly lengthy publication process. The paper considers what is 
the purpose of publishing in academic journals and what are the 
motivations of authors, reviewers and editors. In order to inform both 
authors and reviewers of best practice, a summary of the extensive 
literature is given in the Appendix. The paper concludes with a survey of 
the suggestions that have been made to improve the publishing process in 
order to link back to the original purpose of publishing, that of 
communicating important results to inform public debate oil major Issues. 
(C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 

Addresses: Univ Leeds, Sch Business, Leeds LS2 9JT, W Yorkshire, England 

Reprint Address: Moizer, P, Univ Leeds, Sch Business, Leeds LS2 9JT, W 
Yorkshire, England. 

E-mail Address: pm at lubs.leeds.ac.uk 

Cited Reference Count: 91 

Times Cited: 0 

Publisher: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD 

Publisher Address: THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 
1GB, ENGLAND 

ISSN: 0361-3682 

DOI: 10.1016/j.aos.2008.08.003 

29-char Source Abbrev.: ACCOUNT ORGAN SOC 

ISO Source Abbrev.: Account. Organ. Soc. 

Source Item Page Count: 20 

Subject Category: Business, Finance 

ISI Document Delivery No.: 407UK 

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