The skewed few: people and papers of quality in management studies

[Eugene Garfield]

The skewed few: people and papers of quality in management studies

Author(s): Macdonald, S (Macdonald, Stuart); Kam, J (Kam, Jacqueline)
Source: ORGANIZATION  Volume: 18  Issue: 4  Pages: 467-475  DOI: 
10.1177/1350508411403533  Published: JUL 2011  

Abstract: Publication in the top journals of management studies is highly 
skewed. Very few authors publish in these top journals. They are said to be the 
best few, on the assumption that skew indicates quality. Yet, skew is natural in 
any distribution and would occur in the absence of all quality. Peer review is 
supposed to ensure that this cannot happen, but pressure to publish in top 
journals puts demands on the peer review system it was never intended to 
bear. One result is that the skewed few tend to be the same few. We look at 
how this is arranged. We investigate the citation of the skewed few. We find 
much self citation, mutual citation and group citation. This behaviour is 
encouraged by the paramount importance of the journal impact factor. The 
article looks at how this indicator has been contrived for commercial rather 
than academic reasons, and considers some of the consequences.

Language: English
Document Type: Article
Author Keywords: journal; quality; skew
KeyWords Plus: RESEARCH ASSESSMENT EXERCISE; IMPACT FACTOR; 
JOURNALS; SUCCESS; SCIENCE; EDITORS; GAMESMANSHIP; PRODUCTIVITY; 
UNIVERSITY; ECONOMICS

Addresses: [Macdonald, S] Univ Sheffield, Sch Management, Sheffield S1 4DT, 
S Yorkshire, England
[Kam, J] Univ Bristol, Sch Econ Finance & Management, Bristol BS8 1TH, Avon, 
England
Reprint Address: Macdonald, S (reprint author), Univ Sheffield, Sch 
Management, 9 Mappin St, Sheffield S1 4DT, S Yorkshire, England

E-mail Address: s.macdonald at sheffield.ac.uk
ISSN: 1350-5084
URL: http://org.sagepub.com/content/18/4/467.short