POLITICAL SCIENCE JOURNALS
Journals differ in purpose, visibility, and quality. The term “quality” refers to their standing in
academia, the intellectual rigor and theoretical relevance required for a paper to be accepted for publication.
“Low quality” journals may still be good but not necessarily “academically.” For example, a journal’s
audience may emphasize practitioners where extensive focus on research methodology is not something
readers are interested in or can evaluate.
The academic quality assessment is used by departments to evaluate applicants for hiring and tenure.
Faculty can usually judge the quality of work only in their own subfields. For other fields they rely on the
reputation of journals the person has published in. Publishing in journals known for emphasizing important
and well-done research is a sign that a person is a good scholar even if you are not familiar with that subject
matter.
For the beginning graduate student it is important to emphasize reading articles in good quality
journals as exemplars of what is expected of your for course papers, the dissertation, and doctoral qualifying
exams. Assessments of journal quality differ. Political scientists suffer from the same failings and egos of
all humans, so who you ask affects the results you get. Below is a pretty good assessment of journal quality
(for another view see Garand & Giles, PS, April 2003). Use it as a guide, but not gospel. Some lower
ranked journals may be very important to a particular subfield. The professors you take courses from and
those on your dissertation committees may suggest some of value for specific purposes. For example,
Presidential Studies Quarterly is not highly ranked but is getting better under a new editor and may contain
some articles of particular value to those researching the presidency.
5, Outstanding recognition in the field, highly prestigious, refereed
Recognized as leading political science journals by scholars in multiple subfields.
American Journal of political science
International studies quarterly
American political science review
Journal of politics
British journal of political science. Not at the
Political research quarterly. Good journal, but not
same level as APSR, AJPS, or JOP (at least for
Americanists)
Comparative political studies
Comparative politics
International organization
as strong as some of the others. Formerly
Western Political Quarterly.
Political theory
Public administration review
World politics
4, Highly respected in the field, refereed
High quality general readership journals not included as 5s, and leading subfield journals
Administration and society
Political Analysis
American Politics Research. Formerly American
Political behavior
Political Quarterly
Political science quarterly. Small readership.
Electoral Studies
Quality varies considerably.
International Journal of Public Opinion Research
Polity. The weakest of the regional journals
International security
Public choice. Some seminal work, but the quality
of the articles varies a great deal.
Journal of conflict resolution
Public opinion quarterly
Journal of Law, Economics, & Organization.
Social science quarterly
Selective relevance to Political Science. Some
articles are of top quality.
State Politics & Policy Quarterly. New journal,
Journal of peace research
sponsored by the state politics & policy section
of the APSA.
Latin American Research Review
Legislative studies quarterly
Disagreement on whether constitutes a 4 or a 3
Canadian Journal of Political Science
Foreign affairs. High visiblity, articles are usually
invited, good intellectual quality, but not normally
research articles
International affairs
Journal of Democracy. Articles tend to be
descriptive not theoretical.
Journal of Law & Economics. A fine journal,
though not a prominent outlet for political
scientists
Journal of Modern African Studies. A top african
studies journal
Journal of Policy Analysis & Management. A
fine journal without broad readership--beyond PA
and policy--in political science. Highly regarded
in policy field.
Journal of Political Economy. A prominent
journal among economists and public choice
scholars.
Journal of Theoretical Politics. A nice journal with
a somewhat limited readership. A top specialty
journal for rational choice
Journal of Urban Affairs. The official journal of
Urban Affairs Association. Highly
interdisciplinary
Publius
Signs. Interdisciplinary, good for social science
research on women
Studies in American Political Development.
Premier journal in American Political
Development
3, Good reputation, selective in publication, refereed
Predominance of research articles contributed by scholars. Externally refereed. Few, if any articles
that are primarily descriptive, or position papers.
American Behavioral Scientist
Law and Society Review
American Journal of International Law
Middle East Journal
American Review of Public Administration
Middle Eastern Studies
Annals of the American Academy
Nationalism and Ethnic Politics
Armed Forces and Society
Party Politics. A solid journal, increasing
prominence for scholars emphasizing parties.
Asian Affairs
Perspectives on Political Science. High visiblity,
Asian Survey
a new journal published by the APSA, likely to
Behavioral Science
rise in prestige and quality over time.
China Quarterly
Policy Studies Journal
Communist and Post-Communist Studies
Political Geography. Prominent outlet for political
Comparative Studies in Society and History
geographers
Conflict Management and Peace Science
Political Psychology. Prominent outlet for political
Congress & the Presidency
psychologists. A good speciality journal
Economics and Politics
Politics & Gender. New journal from the Women &
European Journal of International Relations
Politics section of APSA.
European journal of political research
Presidential studies quarterly. Early volumes
primarily historical. Has improved when journal
Europe-Asia Studies. (Formerly Soviet Studies)
moved to Texas A&M with George Edwards as
Foreign Policy Analysis
editor.
Gender and Society
Review of International Political Economy
Global Governance
Review of politics
International Political Science Review
Security Studies
International Politics
Social Forces One of the better sociology journals
International Studies Review. High visiblity
Social Science Journal
Journal of Church and State
Studies in Comparative International
Journal of Developing Areas
Development
Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law
Urban affairs quarterly
Journal of Interdisciplinary History
West European Politics
Journal of International Affairs
Judicature
Women and Politics Women & Politics has been dropped by the APSA section on Women & Politics Research. It
has been replaced by Politics & Gender. Women & Politics will continue to be published but will receive fewer
submissions and probably decline in quality.
2, Average, fairly easy to publish in, typically refereed
Articles may emphasize description or practical applications rather than theoretical research. Some
articles may be reviewed primarily by editorial staff. Not very selective.
American Review of Politics
Law & Social Inquiry Quality has varied over the
years
Current History
Law and Policy
Demokratizatsiia
National Civic Review
Dissent
Orbis
Far Eastern Survey
Pacific Affairs
Government and opposition
Pacific Focus
International Interactions
Policy sciences
International Journal of Peace Studies
Political Quarterly
International Social Science Journal
Political Science
International Studies Perspectives Good for
Political Studies
review essays
Interpretation
Politics and Policy
Journal of Black Studies
PS: Political Science and Politics
Journal of Inter-American Studies and World
Public interest
Affairs
Public Policy
Journal of Latin American Studies
Slavic Review
Journal of Legislative Studies
Social Indicators Research
Journal of Northeast Asian Studies
Spectrum (Journal of State Government)
Jurimetrics
Washington Quarterly
Justice System Journal Multi-disciplinary, widely
Western Pacific Journal
read
World Economy
World Policy Journal
1, Below average publication, not discriminating on articles published
No review process or review for style only. Very few articles by academics.
Any Conference Proceedings
Journals not widely used by Political Scientists, quality undetermined
Australian Journal of Political Science
Journal of Medicine and Philosophy
Business & Politics
Journal of policy History
China Studies
Journal of Public Policy
Comparative European Politics
Journal of Strategic Studies
Economic Development and Cultural Change
Politics and Society
Ethics
Post Soviet Affairs
European Union Politics
Rationality and Society
Global Society
Seton Hall Journal of Diplomacy
Hastings Center Report
Social Science History
Health Affairs
Society
History of Political Thought
South European Society & Politics
Journal of Asian Studies
Theory & Society
Journal of Common Market Studies
Third World Quarterly
Journal of Empirical Legal Studies
Urban Studies
Journal of International Relations and
World Development
Development