How international are public administration journals? An analysis of the persistent Anglo-American dominance in public administration journals
Jianzheng Liu
School of Public Affairs, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Search for more papers by this authorYifei Xu
School of Public Affairs, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Search for more papers by this authorXinyun Zhang
School of Public Affairs, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Search for more papers by this authorWenxuan Yu
School of Public Affairs, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Haotian Zhong
School of Public Administration and Policy, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
Correspondence
Haotian Zhong, School of Public Administration and Policy, Renmin University of China, 59 Zhongguancun Street, Beijing 100872, China.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorJianzheng Liu
School of Public Affairs, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Search for more papers by this authorYifei Xu
School of Public Affairs, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Search for more papers by this authorXinyun Zhang
School of Public Affairs, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Search for more papers by this authorWenxuan Yu
School of Public Affairs, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Haotian Zhong
School of Public Administration and Policy, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
Correspondence
Haotian Zhong, School of Public Administration and Policy, Renmin University of China, 59 Zhongguancun Street, Beijing 100872, China.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
This study provides a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of four dimensions (editors, editorial board members, authors, and geographical focus of research) of the internationalization of 45 major public administration journals and examines whether and how one dimension is related to the others. We find that Anglo-American dominance is significant and persistent across all four dimensions in most public administration journals during 2011–2020, with the dimension of editors being the most pronounced, followed by the dimension of editorial board members, the authors' dimension, and the dimension of geographical focus of research. There are notable differences between journals. Further analyses show that the Anglo-American dominance in editors has a self-perpetuating tendency and is likely to lead to the Anglo-American dominance in editorial board members, which is further significantly and positively associated with the Anglo-American dominance in authors and the Anglo-American dominance in geographical foci of research in public administration journals.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
This article analyzes existing, publicly available data. Data on editors and editorial board members for each journal were collected from the journal home pages or the mastheads of print versions. The publication records in these journals were collected by searching the Web of Science database.
REFERENCES
- Aalbers, M.B. (2004) Creative destruction through the Anglo-American hegemony: a non-Anglo-American view on publications, referees and language. Area, 36(3), 319–322. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0004-0894.2004.00229.x
- Aoki, N., Elliott, I.C., Simon, J. & Stazyk, E.C. (2022) Putting the international in public administration: an international quarterly. A historical review of 1992-2022. Public Administration, 100(1), 41–58. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12822
- Baron, R.M. & Kenny, D.A. (1986) The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51(6), 1173–1182.
- Beagles, J.E., Schnell, S. & Gerard, C. (2019) Overcoming parochialism in American public administration. Perspectives on Public Management and Governance, 2(4), 255–266. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1093/ppmgov/gyz009
10.1093/ppmgov/gyz009 Google Scholar
- Berger, J., Cohen, B.P. & Zelditch, M. (1972) Status characteristics and social interaction. American Sociological Review, 37(3), 241–255. Available from: https://doi.org/10.2307/2093465
- Bernick, E. & Krueger, S. (2010) An assessment of journal quality in public administration. International Journal of Public Administration, 33(2), 98–106. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/01900690903188891
10.1080/01900690903188891 Google Scholar
- Bertelli, A.M., Hassan, M., Honig, D., Rogger, D. & Williams, M.J. (2020) An agenda for the study of public administration in developing countries. Governance, 33(4), 735–748. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/gove.12520
- Bianchi, A.J. (2010) Status characteristics/expectation states theory. In: J.M. Levine & M.A. Hogg (Eds.) Encyclopedia of group processes and intergroup relations. California: SAGE Publications, Inc, pp. 844–848.
- Burgess, T.F. & Shaw, N.E. (2010) Editorial board membership of management and business journals: a social network analysis study of the financial times 40. British Journal of Management, 21(3), 627–648. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8551.2010.00701.x
- Candler, G.G. (2006) Linguistic diglossia and parochialism in American Public Administration: the missing half of Guerreiro Ramos's Redução Sociológica. Administrative Theory & Praxis, 28(4), 540–561.
10.1080/10841806.2006.11029561 Google Scholar
- Candler, G.G., Azevedo, A. & Albernaz, R.O. (2010) Towards global scholarship in public affairs. Public Administration, 88(3), 836–850. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.2010.01842.x
- Cascio, W.F. (2008) How editors are selected. In: Y. Baruch, A.M. Konrad, H. Aguinis & W.H. Starbuck (Eds.) Opening the black box of editorship. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 231–238.
10.1057/9780230582590_23 Google Scholar
- Collyer, F.M. (2018) Global patterns in the publishing of academic knowledge: Global North, Global South. Current Sociology, 66(1), 56–73. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392116680020
- Dhanani, A. & Jones, M.J. (2017) Editorial boards of accounting journals: gender diversity and internationalisation. Accounting Auditing & Accountability Journal, 30(5), 1008–1040. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1108/aaaj-08-2014-1785
- Faraldo-Cabana, P. & Lamela, C. (2021) How international are the top international journals of criminology and criminal justice? European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research, 27(2), 151–174. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10610-019-09426-2
- Feeney, M.K., Carson, L. & Dickinson, H. (2019) Power in editorial positions: a feminist critique of public administration. Public Administration Review, 79(1), 46–55. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.12950
- Feldman, D.C. (2008) Building and maintaining a strong editorial board and cadre of ad hoc reviewers. In: Y. Baruch, A.M. Konrad, H. Aguinis & W.H. Starbuck (Eds.) Opening the black box of editorship. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 68–74.
10.1057/9780230582590_7 Google Scholar
- Fox, C.W., Meyer, J. & Aime, E. (2023) Double-blind peer review affects reviewer ratings and editor decisions at an ecology journal. Functional Ecology, 37(5), 1144–1157. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14259
- Gulrajani, N. & Moloney, K. (2012) Globalizing public administration: today's research and tomorrow's agenda. Public Administration Review, 72(1), 78–86. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2011.02489.x
- Gutierrez, J. & Lopez-Nieva, P. (2001) Are international journals of human geography really international? Progress in Human Geography, 25(1), 53–69. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1191/030913201666823316
- Haque, M.S. (2013) Public Administration in a Globalized Asia: intellectual identities, challenges, and prospects. Public Administration and Development, 33(4), 262–274. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/pad.1658
- Haque, M.S., van der Wal, Z. & van den Berg, C. (2021) Comparative studies in public administration: intellectual challenges and alternative perspectives. Public Administration Review, 81(2), 344–348. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13349
- Hattke, F. & Vogel, R. (2023) Theories and theorizing in public administration: a systematic review. Public Administration Review, 83(6), 1542–1563. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13730
- Hou, Y.L., Ni, A.N.Y., Poocharoen, O.O., Yang, K.F. & Zhao, Z.R.J. (2011) The case for public administration with a global perspective. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 21, i45–i51. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/muq070
- Howell, T.M., Harrison, D.A., Burris, E.R. & Detert, J.R. (2015) Who gets credit for input? Demographic and structural status cues in voice recognition. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100(6), 1765–1784. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000025
- Imhof, N. & Muller, M. (2020) How international are geography journals? Not international enough. Environment and Planning A-Economy and Space, 52(7), 1246–1249. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518x20907608
- Ko, K. (2013) Knowledge accumulation in Asian public administration research: a critical review. Public Administration and Development, 33(4), 320–324. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/pad.1662
- Kong, L. & Qian, J.X. (2019) Knowledge circulation in urban geography/urban studies, 1990-2010: testing the discourse of Anglo-American hegemony through publication and citation patterns. Urban Studies, 56(1), 44–80. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098017717205
- Lasswell, H. (1948) The structure and function of social communication. In: L. Bryson (Ed.) The communication of ideas. New York: The Institute for Religious and Social Studies.
- Lazarsfeld, P.F. & Merton, R.K. (1954) Friendship as a social process: a substantive and methodological analysis. In: M. Berger, T. Abel & H. Charles (Eds.) Freedom and control in modern society. New York: Van Nostrand, pp. 18–66.
- Liu, F., Rahwan, T. & AlShebli, B. (2023) Non-white scientists appear on fewer editorial boards, spend more time under review, and receive fewer citations. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 120(13), e2215324120. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2215324120
- Lodge, M. (2022) Editing public administration. Public Administration, 100(1), 12–16. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12824
- McCandless, S., Bishu, S.G., Hernandez, M.G., Eraso, E.P., Sabharwal, M., Santis, E.L. et al. (2022) A long road: patterns and prospects for social equity, diversity, and inclusion in public administration. Public Administration, 100(1), 129–148. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12830
- McDonald, B.D., III. (2021) A new era for public administration. Public Administration, 99(1), 3–4. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12727
- McDonald, B.D., III, Hall, J.L., O'Flynn, J. & Thiel, S. (2022) The future of public administration research: an editor's perspective. Public Administration, 100(1), 59–71. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12829
- McPherson, M., Smith-Lovin, L. & Cook, J.M. (2001) Birds of a feather: homophily in social networks. Annual Review of Sociology, 27, 415–444. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.27.1.415
- Melhem, G., Rees, C.A., Sunguya, B.F., Ali, M., Kurpad, A. & Duggan, C.P. (2022) Association of International editorial staff with published articles from low- and middle-income countries. JAMA Network Open, 5(5), e2213269. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.13269
- Ongaro, E. (2021) Non-Western philosophies and public administration. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, 43(1), 6–10. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/23276665.2020.1844027
- Perry, J.L. (2016) Building global public administration knowledge. Public Administration Review, 76(4), 533–534. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.12588
- Rhodes, R.A.W. (2022) A long and winding road: 25 years as editor. Public Administration, 100(1), 6–11. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12810
- Riggs, F.W. (1998) Public administration in America: why our uniqueness is exceptional and important. Public Administration Review, 58(1), 22–31. Available from: https://doi.org/10.2307/976886
- Schwoerer, K., Keppeler, F., Mussagulova, A. & Puello, S. (2022) CO-DESIGN-ing a more context-based, pluralistic, and participatory future for public administration. Public Administration, 100(1), 72–97. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12828
- Smith, O.M., Davis, K.L., Pizza, R.B., Waterman, R., Dobson, K.C., Foster, B. et al. (2023) Peer review perpetuates barriers for historically excluded groups. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 7(4), 512–523. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-01999-w
- Van Wart, M. & Cayer, N. (1990) Comparative public administration: defunct, dispersed, or redefined? Public Administration Review, 50(2), 238–248. Available from: https://doi.org/10.2307/976871
- Ventriss, C. (1991) Contemporary issues in American public administration education: the search for an educational focus. Public Administration Review, 51(1), 4–14. Available from: https://doi.org/10.2307/976631
- Wang, J.Y., Begeny, J.C., Hida, R.M. & Oluokun, H.O. (2020) Editorial boards of 45 journals devoted to school and educational psychology: international characteristics and publication patterns. School Psychology International, 41(2), 110–136. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034319887522
- Welch, E. & Wong, W. (1998) Public administration in a global context: bridging the gaps of theory and practice between Western and non-Western nations. Public Administration Review, 58(1), 40–49. Available from: https://doi.org/10.2307/976888
- Wu, D.S., Lu, X.L., Li, J.P. & Li, J. (2020) Does the institutional diversity of editorial boards increase journal quality? The case economics field. Scientometrics, 124(2), 1579–1597. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-020-03505-6