The ranking of top IS journals: a perspective from the London School of Economics

Abstract

The Information Systems and Innovation Group at the London School of Economics has developed a distinct profile of social theory driven research across a wide range of mainstream and specialist IS topics. In this paper, we explain why we do not find existing IS journal rankings appropriate for the assessment of quality of the publications of our Group. We present a set of lists of internationally recognised outlets that we provide to the committee responsible for promotions decisions in our university and we use to advise junior staff and students on where they should publish their work. In addition to these lists, decisions on research quality in our university require the opinion of specialist experts on both the particular outlet of a publication and the publication itself. We argue for the merits of our research quality assessment approach and reflect on its risks.

Keywords:

• research quality assessment
• IS journal ranking
• Information Systems and Innovation Group
• London School of Economics

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Leslie Willcocks

About the authors

Chrisanthi Avgerou is Professor of Information Systems at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her main interests concern the relationship of ICT to organisational change and the role of ICT in socio-economic development. She is Chairperson of the IFIP Technical Committee 9 on Social Implications of Information Technology and she chaired the IFIP WG 9.4 group on computers in developing countries from 1996 till 2003. Among her recent publications are Information Systems and Global Diversity, and The Social Study of Information and Communication Technology: Innovation, Actors and Contexts, both published by Oxford University Press.

Edgar A Whitley

Edgar Whitley is a reader in Information Systems at the London School of Economics and Political Science. His research interests lie in identity management, especially the U.K. identity cards scheme. He also looks at philosophically and sociologically based interpretations of IS and actor-network theory.

Chrisanthi Avgerou

Leslie Willcocks is Professor of Technology Work and Globalisation at the London School of Economics and Political Science. His major research interests include outsourcing, IT management, large-scale complex projects, for example, CRM, ERP, organisational change and IT measurement. He is also engaged in looking at technology in globalisation and the strategic use of IT, IT leadership, IT-enabled organisational change as well as business process outsourcing and offshoring, organisational behaviour, social theory and philosophy for information systems, and public sector IT Policy.