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Critical Social Policy
H-index 10

Critical Social Policy

0261-0183

Published by: SAGE

https://journals.sagepub.com/home/csp

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Social Sciences and Humanities 772 9 9 7

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 15
Documents by Best Scientists*: 17
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 0
SCIMAGO H-index: 80
SCIMAGO SJR: 1.015
Impact Factor: 2.2

Overview

Top Research Topics at Critical Social Policy?

The main research concerns discussed in the journal are Media studies, Political economy, Social policy, Welfare and Public administration. Topics in Media studies were tackled in line with various other fields like Religious studies, Gender studies and Social work. While work presented in it provided substantial information on Political economy, it also covered topics in State (polity), Market economy and Welfare state, Politics.

The Social policy study featured in it draws parallels with the field of Economic growth. The Public administration study featured in it draws connections with the study of Government.

  • Media studies (14.68%)
  • Political economy (12.71%)
  • Social policy (12.14%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • New Labour’s citizens: activated, empowered, responsibilized, abandoned?: (373 citations)
  • Immigration, social cohesion and social capital: A critical review (314 citations)
  • The concept of social exclusion and the new Durkheimian hegemony (294 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Critical Social Policy:

The most cited publications cover a variety of subjects, including Economic growth, Social policy, Public relations, Welfare and Politics. While the most cited papers focused on Social policy, they were also able to explore topics like Government, Social science, Social change and Public administration. Aside from discussions in Politics, the most cited articles also deal with the subject of Political economy which intersects with State (polity) disciplines.

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

  • Law
  • World War II
  • Politics

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

The journal investigates areas of study like Welfare, Social work, Political economy, Criminology and Public administration. While it focused on Social work, it was also able to explore topics like Social care and Media studies. The Political economy works featured in it incorporate elements from Politics, Immigration, Refugee and Social protection.

Immigration works presented in the journal have a specific focus on Deportation. The studies tackled, which mainly focus on Public administration, apply to Austerity as well.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • Redrawing the border through the 'Right to Rent': exclusion, discrimination and hostility in the English housing market (4 citations)
  • Competitive clientelism, donors and the politics of social protection uptake in Ghana: (3 citations)
  • Australia’s remote workfare policy: Rhetoric versus reality of ‘community’ empowerment: (3 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

The top authors publishing in Critical Social Policy (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Gerry Mooney (26 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Norman Ginsburg (20 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition,
  • Steve Rogowski (20 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 1 more than at the previous edition,
  • Paul Michael Garrett (17 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition, 1 less than at the previous edition,
  • Pete Alcock (13 papers) absent at the last edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in Critical Social Policy (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Open University (43 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition,
  • University of Leeds (31 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition, 1 less than at the previous edition,
  • University of Nottingham (31 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition,
  • National University of Ireland, Galway (30 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 2 less than at the previous edition,
  • London School of Economics and Political Science (27 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition, 1 less than at the previous edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2021 edition, 22.08% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 23.33% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 8.33% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 20.00% of all publications and 48.33% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

  • Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
  • Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
  • Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
  • Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
  • Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

Career Opportunities in Social Policy Research

For those captivated by the research topics and findings in this journal, you may want to consider a career in Social Policy Research. Social policy researchers conduct studies and statistical analyses on social issues, influencing the development, implementation, and evaluation of social policies and programs.

Common pathways to embark on this career include obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Sociology, or Political Science, followed by a Master's degree in Social Policy or a related field. Apart from academia, social policy researchers can find opportunities in think tanks, non-profit organizations, and governmental departments.

However, career tracks may vary based on your geographical location. For instance, if you're interested in becoming a researcher within the education sector in New Mexico, the requirements may be different from those within the healthcare sector in New York. Additional credentials may be needed based on your chosen research field and location. To illustrate, you can refer to this guide how to become a librarian in New Mexico, which can provide insights into the specific qualifications and processes needed for that role.

If the academic route appeals to you, consider getting involved with research projects within the social policy domain during your studies. This will not only enhance your understanding and skills in research but will also offer opportunities to co-publish papers in social policy journals like Critical Social Policy.

Remember, your career pathway will heavily depend on your interests, academic qualifications, and experiences. Hence, leverage the information provided here, coupled with additional research, to design and navigate your career journey in social policy research.

Top Publications

  • ‘Do they ever think about people like us?': The experiences of people with learning disabilities in England and Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic

    (2022)
    26 Citations
  • Navigating multiple pandemics: A critical analysis of the impact of COVID-19 policy responses on gender-based violence services

    (2022)
    23 Citations
  • The administration of harm: From unintended consequences to harm by design

    (2022)
    18 Citations
  • Personalisation policy in the lives of people with learning disabilities: a call to focus on how people build their lives relationally:

    Andrew Power;Andy Coverdale;Abigail Croydon;Edward Hall

    (2021)
    11 Citations
  • Problem-solving for problem-solving: Data analytics to identify families for service intervention

    Rosalind Edwards;Val Gillies;Sarah Gorin

    (2021)
    10 Citations
  • A cure-all for energy poverty? Thinking critically about energy advice

    (2023)
    9 Citations
  • Disciplinary and pastoral power, food and poverty in late-modernity:

    Maddy Power;Neil Small

    (2021)
    7 Citations
  • The multiple and competing functions of local reviews of serious child abuse cases in England

    (2023)
    0 Citations
  • Governing poverty and migration in European nation-states – keywords revisited: Postscript

    (2024)
    0 Citations

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

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