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What makes a journal international? A case study using conservation biology journals

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Abstract

The qualitative label ‘international journal’ is used widely, including in national research quality assessments. We determined the practicability of analysing internationality quantitatively using 39 conservation biology journals, providing a single numeric index (IIJ) based on 10 variables covering the countries represented in the journals’ editorial boards, authors and authors citing the journals’ papers. A numerical taxonomic analysis refined the interpretation, revealing six categories of journals reflecting distinct international emphases not apparent from simple inspection of the IIJs alone. Categories correlated significantly with journals’ citation impact (measured by the Hirsch index), with their rankings under the Australian Commonwealth’s ‘Excellence in Research for Australia’ and with some countries of publication, but not with listing by ISI Web of Science. The assessments do not reflect on quality, but may aid editors planning distinctive journal profiles, or authors seeking appropriate outlets.

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Abbreviations

AMN:

American Midland Naturalist

AMNov:

American Museum Novitates

ABC:

Animal Biodiversity and Conservation

AC:

Animal Conservation

ACMFE:

Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems

ANCLR:

Archives of Nature Conservation and Landscape Research

B&C:

Biodiversity and Conservation

BC:

Biological Conservation

BI:

Biological Invasions

BCI:

Bird Conservation International

BAMNH:

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History

CFN:

Canadian Field Naturalist

CCB:

Chelonian Conservation and Biology

CB:

Conservation Biology

CE:

Conservation Ecology/Ecology and Society

CG:

Conservation Genetics

CSWA:

Conservation Science Western Australia

DD:

Diversity and Distributions

EEC:

Ecology, Environment & Conservation

ERC:

Ecos: a Review of Conservation

EC:

Environmental Conservation

GCB:

Global Change Biology

JJCB:

Japanese Journal of Conservation Ecology

JNC:

Journal for Nature Conservation (Muzaffarnagar)

JCC:

Journal of Coastal Conservation

JIC:

Journal of Insect Conservation

JNH:

Journal of Natural History

NH:

Natural History

N-EN:

Northeastern Naturalist

PCB:

Pacific Conservation Biology

P:

Paleobiology

PB:

Polar Biology

PANSP:

Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia

PLSNSW:

Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales

RCHN:

Revista Chilena de Historia Natural

SC:

Science for Conservation

S-EN:

Southeastern Naturalist

S-WN:

Southwestern Naturalist

WNAN:

Western North American Naturalist

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Acknowledgments

We thank, without implication, Harry Recher, Helmut Abt and an anonymous reviewer for helpful reviews. Chris Dickman sourced editorial details for a journal we could not access readily and staff from the document delivery section of the Murdoch University library located information for titles not held in Western Australia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia

    Michael Calver & Stuart Bradley

  2. Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia

    Grant Wardell-Johnson

  3. School of Accounting, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia

    Ross Taplin

Authors
  1. Michael Calver
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  2. Grant Wardell-Johnson
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  3. Stuart Bradley
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  4. Ross Taplin
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Correspondence to Michael Calver.

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Calver, M., Wardell-Johnson, G., Bradley, S. et al. What makes a journal international? A case study using conservation biology journals. Scientometrics 85, 387–400 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-010-0273-x

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Keywords

Mathematical Subject Classification (2010)

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