A Social Network Analysis of Publishing Networks in the “Big 5” Journals in Criminology and Criminal Justice

• Published date: 01 August 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/10439862231170954
• Author: Danielle M. Fenimore,Sean P. Roche,Wesley G. Jennings,Remy Heinen
• Date: 01 August 2023

https://doi.org/10.1177/10439862231170954

Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice

2023, Vol. 39(3) 429 –445

© The Author(s) 2023

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DOI: 10.1177/10439862231170954

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Article

A Social Network Analysis

of Publishing Networks

in the “Big 5” Journals in

Criminology and Criminal

Justice

Danielle M. Fenimore1, Sean P. Roche2,

Wesley G. Jennings3, and Remy Heinen3

Abstract

Prior research has frequently employed various methods for investigating issues

surrounding publication productivity and authorship, including examinations of the

number of co-authors in peer-reviewed journal articles and the order of authorship.

Relying on 5 years of data from publications from the “Big 5” journals in criminology

and criminal justice (i.e., Criminology, Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency, Journal

of Quantitative Criminology, Crime & Delinquency, and Justice Quarterly), the current

study extends this extant research by providing a social network analysis of publishing

networks. Results are consistent with previous findings, suggesting that publishing

networks are largely decentralized, although key networks and definitive leaders in

these networks exist as well. In addition, several authors were identified that have

significant leverage over the publishing networks. Study limitations and directions for

future research are also discussed.

Keywords

publication productivity, social network analysis, rankings, criminology, criminal

justice

1Police Executive Research Forum, Washington, DC, USA

2Texas State University, San Marcos, USA

3The University of Mississippi, University, USA

Corresponding Author:

Wesley G. Jennings, Department of Criminal Justice & Legal Studies, The University of Mississippi, 84

Dormitory Row West, H313, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677, USA.

Email: wgj@olemiss.edu

1170954CCJXXX10.1177/10439862231170954Journal of Contemporary Criminal JusticeFenimore et al.

research-article2023

430Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice 39(3)

Introduction

Publication productivity has been a topic of much conversation in the academic

literature in general and in the criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) academic

literature more specifically. This genre of science has typically focused on a host of

topics including efforts to identify academic “stars” in the discipline, ranking jour-

nals in the discipline, ranking departments/programs in the disciplines, and investi-

gating other publication productivity metrics (i.e., number of co-authors, etc.)

(Barranco et al., 2016; Cohn & Farrington, 1998; Copes et al., 2012; Fabianic,

2001, 2002; Cohn & Farrington, 2007; Frost et al., 2007; Jennings et al., 2009;

Jennings, Gibson, et al., 2008; Jennings, Schreck, et al., 2008; Khey et al., 2011;

2017; Kleck et al., 2007; Kleck & Mims, 2017; Long et al., 2011; Parker &

Goldfeder, 1979; Poole & Regoli, 1981; Rice et al.,2005, 2007; Shichor et al.,

1981; Shutt & Barnes, 2008; Sorensen et al., 1992, 2006; Sorensen & Pilgrim,

2002; Stack, 1987; Steiner & Schwartz, 2006). Importantly, these publication pro-

ductivity metrics have also been explored for female scholars, minority scholars,

and for programs beyond those that only house doctoral programs (Ahlin, 2020; del

Carmen & Bing, 2000; Greene et al., 2018; Potter et al., 2011; Rice et al., 2007).

Although this prior research has contributed greatly to providing an empirical

resource to the CCJ field, much less is understood regarding whether “invisible

colleges” or publishing networks exist in the CCJ discipline and how these net-

works may (or may not) influence the scholarship that resides in our discipline’s

top-tier “Big 5” journals, particularly for scholars in the United States (i.e.,

Criminology [CRIM], Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency [JRCD],

Journal of Quantitative Criminology [JQC], Crime & Delinquency [C&D], and

Justice Quarterly [JQ]). With recognition of this gap in the literature, the current

student provides an exploration into these very concepts through the application of

a social network analysis framework.

Literature Review

Trends in Publishing

Since publication productivity plays such an important role in scholarly communica-

tion, several studies have been conducted to discover patterns, one of which is Lee

and Bozeman’s (2005) study of the relationship between collaboration and publishing

productivity. Specifically, they consulted CVs and administered surveys to academics

affiliated with American universities. In the 3 years after their surveying phase, they

monitored the normal count and fractional count for journal publications of each of

the participants. The normal count referred to all of a participant’s peer-reviewed

journal articles in the 3-year time frame (2001–2003), whereas the fractional count

was determined by dividing each of the publications by the number of co-authors.

Lee and Bozeman (2005) found that while the normal count of publications did dem-

onstrate a strong correlation with publishing productivity, the fractional count and

publishing productivity lacked a significant relationship. Furthermore, they found