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wonderful · 07-31-2008, 05:13 AM

I would like to initiate a discussion on the importance of publishing papers in top economic journal. To start, following is my questions with integrated opinions:

1. What do you think to be the TRUE top Economic Journal?

I would say AER which is consistently ranked number 1 on a number of different studies. One of the reasons is that, unlike other journals AER is published by the AEA which is independent from any university research institute. Accordingly, one can expect to see a less biasness in the selection process. Equally important is the perception that having a paper published in AER is considered one of the most beautiful things to mention in a CV for an economist. Thus, most economists would like to have the paper published in AER which in turn lead to high competition. The result of this competition is that only the top papers can be published in AER. The same could be applied for other top econ journal; however, the perception that AER is the true top Econ journal seems dominant in economic field.

2. How to publish in top Econ journal?

I would say one of the best way is to coauthor with some famous professors. The great thing is that we can benefit greatly from the process of team-working. Thanks to the internet, it is very easy to write a paper with others from different universities by exchanging emails.

3. Does publishing in top economic journal significantly increase your probability of finding a good job or getting admitted to top school?

This is certainly true, especially with respect to academic positions.

The above is my personal opinions. Yours may vary. Please feel free to share any thing relating to journal publication with us.

Have A Great Day!

Gecko · 07-31-2008, 05:42 AM

Just curious here, AER seems easier to read than JET. Do less technical journals mean that they are more well-reputed?

sonicskat · 07-31-2008, 06:43 AM

While for many the prospect of publishing in a top journal is an admirable dream to those in grad school, the reality is that it typically takes many years to get a paper published in these journals. Talking to profs, they talk about how they spend about 5 or 6 years in the revise and resubmit mode in order to get their publication...and these are the profs!!!

This is why in most seminars you go to, you will see working papers, which is really on the frontier of the field, while published articles are typically a few years outdated.

PTD · 07-31-2008, 06:57 AM

1. Jay Peee Eeeee

wonderful · 07-31-2008, 07:47 AM

I also think that AER is somewhat less "technical" than other top econ journals say Econometrica; thus, it gets a greater attention from a broader circle of audiences. That said, AER is highly reputed among econ circle itself.

Regarding the the time it takes to publish a paper in top journal it is very true that it requires a great deal of time, effort, and persistence even among top professors who have been publishing for a while. In many cases, the working papers are cited long before the papers are published. Thanks to the internet research ideas can be exchanged much faster than the time when reading journal was the key method of gaining ideas.

JPE is certatinly one of the top journal. However, it might have Chicago's influence. Anyway AER, JPE, EMA are certainly the top three economic journals. Having papers published in these journals is a big plus in the job market. It is a bit hard for grad student to publish in top econ journal. However, it is possible. I know one Harvard Ph.D student has a forthcoming paper in AER. He received an offer from Stanford to be an assistant professor.

breakz · 07-31-2008, 09:41 AM

No mention of QJE here? I thought it was top also? Or does its publisher (Harvard) preclude it from discussion?

crslr · 07-31-2008, 02:57 PM

Econometrica is normally considered the top theory journal, and AER the most prestigious applied journal. The people who might publish in both are theorists, and they rank Econometrica above AER.

About co-authoring with senior professors: often, though not always, the junior co-author effectively writes the paper, and the senior co-author makes some time available for discussion and final proof-reading. So there is a cost to you in following this route: you spend the time it takes to write a full paper by yourself, but you only get partial credit. In the job market, co-authored papers with a senior professor are discounted somewhat, because they are not "proof" that you can publish independently. On the other hand, the name and expertise of your co-author can certainly smooth the road to acceptance by a good journal, which is always valuable.

Golden Rule · 07-31-2008, 08:59 PM

On the OP's questions:

(1) I agree with what's been said about AER and Econometrica. A seminal contribution to economic theory will typically end up in the latter, everything else in the former. The AER might get a good theory contribution if the authors are aiming for a wider audience. I'd call them 1A and 1B.

JPE, JET, QJE are the rest of what I've seen most consider the top 5 journals. I guess I'd agree JPE is generally more reputable, but certainly some papers might be a better fit for one journal or the other.

Not sure what people think of how the new AEA journals, the "American Economic Journals" will pan out. So I get the sense that they'll end up more highly regarded than the various field journals, and just below the top five. They may get closer to the top five as they develop a history. I haven't really talked to anyone about this.

(2) To state the obvious, the first-order concern in getting into top journals is about producing what others in the field consider to be good research. Easier said than done. To do this you need to find what questions your field considers to be interesting, then use that to guide yourself in developing your own questions, which you had better find to be interesting too or else you'll never see them to the end. And the best way to get started on this is to go to seminars, go to conferences, and see what's up. Maybe your field courses and reading papers online helps some at first, but it's not a perfect substitute for actual face-to-face interaction at these events.

(3) I think the answer here is surely yes and yes. But that doesn't mean that it's a necessary or sufficient condition for getting in / getting a good job. In addition, rushing through a publication process for the sake of being published might not be the best use of one's time. Plenty of people get into good schools and get good jobs without any publications. You do of course need a job market paper with top journal potential, good references, and a well-though out research agenda to get a good job. One caveat is that the marginal benefit of a publication might be stronger for someone coming from a less reputable program.

vivek31 · 07-31-2008, 11:18 PM

Noone considers JET a top journal. As far as I know JET is considered a top field journal, certainly not a top journal. As far as I know from my professors AER is the top journal followed by Econometrica and JPE and a bit below that QJE. Some people consider Review of Economic Studies as the 5th of the group but I heard some professors disagree on this. After this group my professors say JME is probably the 6th and after that comes JET 7th. But I guess that the more one moves down the less agreement on the ranking.

Tex Jansen · 07-31-2008, 11:33 PM

I have seen these rankings cited quite a few times:

Rankings of Academic Journals and Institutions in Economics by Kalaitzidakis, Mamuneas and Stengos, JEEA, (2003)

The previous post could not be more incorrect about JET. First, it is a general interest theory journal (albeit one that publishes a lot of macro and game theory), not a field journal. Second, it is almost universally well regarded. Finally, many departments will value a JET more than a QJE or JPE because, although it does not have the same impact factor, it is seen as a more honest publication. QJE and JPE have reputations for helping out recent grad students and assistants affiliated with Cambridge or Chicago respectively.

JME is clearly the top macro journal (withholding judgement on the new AEJs), but comparing field journals with general interest journals is difficult. A top macro paper in a given year simply may not fit well in a general interest journal and may thus end up in JME. I imagine the same is true with JLE, Journal of Econometrics, etc..

Econometrica vs. AER is tough. Econometrica has a narrow focus, mostly high brow theory. The AER is far more receptive to empirical work and applied theory. An opinion about which one is better is probably more reflective of the type of work that the economist does than of the journals' quality.

07-31-2008, 05:13 AM	#1 (permalink)
wonderful Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 11	Publishing in top economic journals I would like to initiate a discussion on the importance of publishing papers in top economic journal. To start, following is my questions with integrated opinions: 1. What do you think to be the TRUE top Economic Journal? I would say AER which is consistently ranked number 1 on a number of different studies. One of the reasons is that, unlike other journals AER is published by the AEA which is independent from any university research institute. Accordingly, one can expect to see a less biasness in the selection process. Equally important is the perception that having a paper published in AER is considered one of the most beautiful things to mention in a CV for an economist. Thus, most economists would like to have the paper published in AER which in turn lead to high competition. The result of this competition is that only the top papers can be published in AER. The same could be applied for other top econ journal; however, the perception that AER is the true top Econ journal seems dominant in economic field. 2. How to publish in top Econ journal? I would say one of the best way is to coauthor with some famous professors. The great thing is that we can benefit greatly from the process of team-working. Thanks to the internet, it is very easy to write a paper with others from different universities by exchanging emails. 3. Does publishing in top economic journal significantly increase your probability of finding a good job or getting admitted to top school? This is certainly true, especially with respect to academic positions. The above is my personal opinions. Yours may vary. Please feel free to share any thing relating to journal publication with us. Have A Great Day!

07-31-2008, 06:43 AM	#3 (permalink)
sonicskat Within my grasp! Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 256	While for many the prospect of publishing in a top journal is an admirable dream to those in grad school, the reality is that it typically takes many years to get a paper published in these journals. Talking to profs, they talk about how they spend about 5 or 6 years in the revise and resubmit mode in order to get their publication...and these are the profs!!! This is why in most seminars you go to, you will see working papers, which is really on the frontier of the field, while published articles are typically a few years outdated. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ UVA-- A first year, no longer

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07-31-2008, 05:42 AM	#2 (permalink)
Gecko Eager! Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 52	Just curious here, AER seems easier to read than JET. Do less technical journals mean that they are more well-reputed?

07-31-2008, 06:57 AM	#4 (permalink)
PTD Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 14	1. Jay Peee Eeeee

07-31-2008, 07:47 AM	#5 (permalink)
wonderful Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 11	I also think that AER is somewhat less "technical" than other top econ journals say Econometrica; thus, it gets a greater attention from a broader circle of audiences. That said, AER is highly reputed among econ circle itself. Regarding the the time it takes to publish a paper in top journal it is very true that it requires a great deal of time, effort, and persistence even among top professors who have been publishing for a while. In many cases, the working papers are cited long before the papers are published. Thanks to the internet research ideas can be exchanged much faster than the time when reading journal was the key method of gaining ideas. JPE is certatinly one of the top journal. However, it might have Chicago's influence. Anyway AER, JPE, EMA are certainly the top three economic journals. Having papers published in these journals is a big plus in the job market. It is a bit hard for grad student to publish in top econ journal. However, it is possible. I know one Harvard Ph.D student has a forthcoming paper in AER. He received an offer from Stanford to be an assistant professor.

07-31-2008, 09:41 AM	#6 (permalink)
breakz all things in balance Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 118	No mention of QJE here? I thought it was top also? Or does its publisher (Harvard) preclude it from discussion?

07-31-2008, 02:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
crslr Within my grasp! Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 165	Econometrica is normally considered the top theory journal, and AER the most prestigious applied journal. The people who might publish in both are theorists, and they rank Econometrica above AER. About co-authoring with senior professors: often, though not always, the junior co-author effectively writes the paper, and the senior co-author makes some time available for discussion and final proof-reading. So there is a cost to you in following this route: you spend the time it takes to write a full paper by yourself, but you only get partial credit. In the job market, co-authored papers with a senior professor are discounted somewhat, because they are not "proof" that you can publish independently. On the other hand, the name and expertise of your co-author can certainly smooth the road to acceptance by a good journal, which is always valuable.

07-31-2008, 08:59 PM	#8 (permalink)
Golden Rule TestMagic Guru-in-Training Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 552	On the OP's questions: (1) I agree with what's been said about AER and Econometrica. A seminal contribution to economic theory will typically end up in the latter, everything else in the former. The AER might get a good theory contribution if the authors are aiming for a wider audience. I'd call them 1A and 1B. JPE, JET, QJE are the rest of what I've seen most consider the top 5 journals. I guess I'd agree JPE is generally more reputable, but certainly some papers might be a better fit for one journal or the other. Not sure what people think of how the new AEA journals, the "American Economic Journals" will pan out. So I get the sense that they'll end up more highly regarded than the various field journals, and just below the top five. They may get closer to the top five as they develop a history. I haven't really talked to anyone about this. (2) To state the obvious, the first-order concern in getting into top journals is about producing what others in the field consider to be good research. Easier said than done. To do this you need to find what questions your field considers to be interesting, then use that to guide yourself in developing your own questions, which you had better find to be interesting too or else you'll never see them to the end. And the best way to get started on this is to go to seminars, go to conferences, and see what's up. Maybe your field courses and reading papers online helps some at first, but it's not a perfect substitute for actual face-to-face interaction at these events. (3) I think the answer here is surely yes and yes. But that doesn't mean that it's a necessary or sufficient condition for getting in / getting a good job. In addition, rushing through a publication process for the sake of being published might not be the best use of one's time. Plenty of people get into good schools and get good jobs without any publications. You do of course need a job market paper with top journal potential, good references, and a well-though out research agenda to get a good job. One caveat is that the marginal benefit of a publication might be stronger for someone coming from a less reputable program.

07-31-2008, 11:18 PM	#9 (permalink)
vivek31 Eager! Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 46	Noone considers JET a top journal. As far as I know JET is considered a top field journal, certainly not a top journal. As far as I know from my professors AER is the top journal followed by Econometrica and JPE and a bit below that QJE. Some people consider Review of Economic Studies as the 5th of the group but I heard some professors disagree on this. After this group my professors say JME is probably the 6th and after that comes JET 7th. But I guess that the more one moves down the less agreement on the ranking.

07-31-2008, 11:33 PM	#10 (permalink)
Tex Jansen Within my grasp! Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 171	I have seen these rankings cited quite a few times: Rankings of Academic Journals and Institutions in Economics by Kalaitzidakis, Mamuneas and Stengos, JEEA, (2003) The previous post could not be more incorrect about JET. First, it is a general interest theory journal (albeit one that publishes a lot of macro and game theory), not a field journal. Second, it is almost universally well regarded. Finally, many departments will value a JET more than a QJE or JPE because, although it does not have the same impact factor, it is seen as a more honest publication. QJE and JPE have reputations for helping out recent grad students and assistants affiliated with Cambridge or Chicago respectively. JME is clearly the top macro journal (withholding judgement on the new AEJs), but comparing field journals with general interest journals is difficult. A top macro paper in a given year simply may not fit well in a general interest journal and may thus end up in JME. I imagine the same is true with JLE, Journal of Econometrics, etc.. Econometrica vs. AER is tough. Econometrica has a narrow focus, mostly high brow theory. The AER is far more receptive to empirical work and applied theory. An opinion about which one is better is probably more reflective of the type of work that the economist does than of the journals' quality.

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