Journal Editors and Journal Writers: Service vs Publication as a Measure of Faculty and Department Productivity

Abstract

Traditionally, productivity among criminal justice and criminology programs has been assessed through publication rates. While this is a valid measure of productivity and quality, it is only one dimension of the tripartite mission of faculty members—the other two being teaching and service. This research examines faculty and department productivity through service to the discipline. Editorial boards for eight of the leading journals in criminal justice and criminology were reviewed for member names and affiliations. Data from national and regional criminal justice and criminology organizations were gathered and analyzed. Results from these analyses, along with implications for better measures of faculty and department quality, are discussed.

Notes

1. The regional organizations of ACJS were dropped for this analysis because only the presidents of these organizations were examined. Since these faculty would have only held one position, typically for one year, they would not have influenced the findings of this analysis. This expectation was borne out in preliminary analyses where all of the top faculty in service to ACJS regional affiliates were also members of the ACJS executive board.