The editorial team would like to wish all readers of Studies in Higher Education a happy and prosperous 2017.
In reflecting on the past year I first would like to thank all of our referees who have so professionally reviewed articles in 2016. Your names have been listed in the final issue of 2016, but this is only a very partial acknowledgement of the time and expertise referees have devoted to the journal. The success of the journal is dependent on the goodwill of the international scholarly community who give unselfishly of their time to review articles. As the number of articles submitted to the journal increases so does the need to solicit the services of a larger number of referees. However, academics everywhere are working in complex environments where multiple demands require more and more of their time. While recognising the difficulty of fitting reviewing articles into what are often impossibly busy schedules, an effective peer review system must be maintained for the sake of the integrity of academic publishing.
Of course, the other key element of the journal’s success is the continuous flow of top quality manuscript submissions. In 2014, the journal received 741 new submissions, which was a substantial increase on 2013. In 2015, the journal received 899 submissions. At the time of writing, it appears that well over 1000 new submissions will be received by the end of 2016.
Articles published in the journal are amongst the most highly cited in the field of higher education research. The 2015 Journal Citation Reports from Thomson Reuters were published in June 2016. The Impact Factor for Studies is 1.222, which ranks the journal at 64th out of 231 journals in the educational research category. This compares to an Impact Factor of 1.038 and a rank position of 69 in the 2014 edition. According to Scopus, the 2015 Impact Factor per publication is 1.305. By all indications, the ranking of the journal in 2016 will continue on its upward trajectory.
The sheer volume of manuscripts puts pressure on the timeliness of the appearance of articles in print versions of the journal. However, authors and readers are reminded that articles appear online in eight weeks or less following acceptance. Taylor & Francis Online platform has been redesigned to make it more user friendly and interactive.
Both in terms of articles submitted and readership, international interest in the journal continues to rise. This is due in part to the journal’s broad aims and scope:
Studies in Higher Education is a leading international journal publishing research-based articles dealing with higher education issues from either a disciplinary or multi-disciplinary perspective. Empirical, theoretical and conceptual articles of significant originality will be considered. The journal welcomes contributions that seek to enhance understanding of higher education policy, institutional management and performance, teaching and learning, and the contribution of higher education to society and the economy. Comparative studies and analysis of inter-system and cross-national issues are also welcomed, as are those addressing global and international themes. The journal will publish annually two special issues on topics of international significance to higher education.
In 2016, the Special Issues focused on gender research in higher education and the workplace (May) and on early career academics in sub-Saharan Africa (October). The latter was the result of a major research project in Africa sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
In 2017, the Special Issues will deal with international student flows in global higher education and with ‘hybrid universities’ in Asia (combining features of both Western and Eastern academic practice).
I remind readers that the journal takes a somewhat unique approach in commissioning Special Issues, with a particular emphasis on the two criteria of topicality and global relevance. Please consult the journal’s website for an overview of the policy.
There can be no doubt that 2017 will be another exciting year for the journal as the flow to its readers of interesting and relevant articles of academic excellence continues to expand.