Modeling quality and prestige in applied linguistics journals: A bibliometric and synthetic analysis

IF 3.7 1区文学 Q1 LINGUISTICS Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching Pub Date : 2023-12-28 DOI:10.14746/ssllt.40215

Yiran Xu, Jingyuan Zhuang, Ryan Blair, Amy I. Kim, Fei Li, Rachel Thorson Hernández, Luke Plonsky

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Abstract

The importance of academic journals in second language (L2) research is evident on at least two levels. Journals are, first of all, central to the process of disseminating scientific findings. Journals are also critical on a professional level as most L2 researchers must publish articles to advance their careers. However, not all journals are perceived as equal; some may be considered more prestigious or of higher quality and may, therefore, achieve a greater impact on the field. It is therefore necessary that we understand the identity and quality of L2 research journals, yet very little research (e.g., Egbert, 2007; VanPatten & Williams, 2002) has considered these issues to date. The current study sought to explore L2 journal identity and quality, and the relationship between these constructs. In order to do so, a database was compiled based on three different types of sources: (1) a questionnaire eliciting L2 researchers’ perceptions of the quality and prestige of 27 journals that publish L2 research (N = 327); (2) manual coding of different types of articles (e.g., empirical studies, review papers), data (quantitative, qualitative, mixed), research settings, and authorship patterns (K = 2,024) using the same 27 journals; and (3) bibliometric and submission data such as impact factors, citation counts, and acceptance rates. Descriptive statistics were applied to explore overall quality and prestige ratings as well as publication trends found in each journal. The relationships between those patterns and subjective ratings were also examined. In addition, regression models were built to determine the extent to which perceptions of journal quality and prestige could be explained as a function of journal and article features. We discuss the findings of the study in terms of on-going debates concerning publication practices, study quality, impact factors, journal selection, and the “journal culture” in applied linguistics.

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应用语言学期刊的质量和声望模型：文献计量学和综合分析

学术期刊在第二语言（L2）研究中的重要性至少体现在两个方面。首先，期刊是传播科研成果的核心。期刊在专业层面上也至关重要，因为大多数第二语言研究人员必须通过发表文章来促进自己的职业发展。然而，并非所有期刊都是一视同仁的；有些期刊可能被认为更有声望或质量更高，因此可能对该领域产生更大的影响。因此，我们有必要了解 L2 研究期刊的身份和质量，但迄今为止，很少有研究（如 Egbert, 2007; VanPatten & Williams, 2002）考虑过这些问题。本研究试图探讨 L2 期刊的特性和质量，以及这两个概念之间的关系。为此，我们根据三种不同的资料来源编制了一个数据库：(1) 问卷调查，了解 L2 研究人员对 27 种发表 L2 研究的期刊的质量和声望的看法（N = 327）；(2) 使用相同的 27 种期刊，对不同类型的文章（如实证研究、综述论文）、数据（定量、定性、混合）、研究环境和作者模式进行人工编码（K = 2,024）；(3) 文献计量学和投稿数据，如影响因子、引用次数和录用率。我们采用描述性统计来探讨每种期刊的总体质量和声望评级以及出版趋势。我们还研究了这些模式与主观评价之间的关系。此外，我们还建立了回归模型，以确定期刊质量和声望在多大程度上可以作为期刊和文章特征的函数来解释。我们将从当前关于应用语言学中的出版实践、研究质量、影响因子、期刊选择和 "期刊文化 "的争论角度讨论研究结果。

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来源期刊

Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching LINGUISTICS-

CiteScore

5.30

自引率

2.90%

发文量

审稿时长

12 weeks

期刊介绍： Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching (ISSN 2083-5205) is a refereed journal published four times a year by the Department of English Studies, Faculty of Pedagogy and Fine Arts, Adam Mickiewicz University, Kalisz, Poland. The language of publication is English. The journal is devoted to reporting previously unpublished highest quality theoretical and empirical research on learning and teaching second and foreign languages. It deals with the learning and teaching of any language, not only English, and focuses on a variety of topics ranging from the processes underlying second language acquisition, various aspects of language learning in instructed and non-instructed settings, as well as different facets of the teaching process, including syllabus choice, materials design, classroom practices and evaluation. Each issue carries about 6 papers, 6000-8000 words in length, as well as reply articles and reviews. At least one of the four issues per year is a special focus issue devoted to a particular area of second language learning and teaching, sometimes with a guest editor who is an expert on a specific topic.