World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Journal of Civil Society
H-index 4

Journal of Civil Society

1744-8689

Published by: Taylor & Francis

https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/rcis20

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Political Science 266 6 5 4

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 9
Documents by Best Scientists*: 7
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 2
SCIMAGO H-index: 27
SCIMAGO SJR: 0.253
Impact Factor: 0.9

Overview

Top Research Topics at Journal of Civil Society?

The main research concerns discussed in Journal of Civil Society are Civil society, Law, Political economy, Politics and Public administration. In addition to Civil society research, the journal aims to explore topics under Social psychology, Public relations, State (polity), Social movement and Democracy. Social psychology research presented in the journal encompasses a variety of subjects, including Civic engagement, Social capital and Voluntary association.

Journal of Civil Society focused on Law research but expanded to cover Corporate governance. While Political economy is the focus of the journal, it also provided insights into the studies of Social change, Collective action, Authoritarianism and Democratization. Some problems in Public administration that were presented in Journal of Civil Society overlapped with concepts under Global governance and Socioeconomics.

  • Civil society (97.69%)
  • Law (47.44%)
  • Political economy (33.85%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • Social Capital, Voluntary Associations and Collective Action: Which Aspects of Social Capital Have the Greatest 'Civic' Payoff? (144 citations)
  • The Institutional Shaping of EU–Society Relations: A Contribution to Democracy via Participation? (121 citations)
  • The Externalities of Strong Social Capital: Post-Tsunami Recovery in Southeast India (105 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Journal of Civil Society:

The published articles explore disciplines such as Civil society, Law, Political economy, Democracy and Politics. The published papers hold forums on Civil society that merge themes from other disciplines such as Social psychology, Voluntary association, Public relations, Public administration and Social capital. The studies on Law discussed at the most cited publications can also contribute to research in the domains of Corporate governance and European integration.

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

  • Law
  • Politics
  • China

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

Journal of Civil Society focuses largely on the fields of Civil society, Politics, Political economy, Democracy and Gender studies. The Civil society works featured in it incorporate elements from Economic history, Caste, Educational attainment, Economy and Civic engagement. While work presented in it provided substantial information on Politics, it also covered topics in Post colonialism and Law and economics.

The work on Political economy tackled in Journal of Civil Society brings together disciplines like Anti corruption, Corruption, Frame analysis, Framing (social sciences) and Transparency (behavior). Democracy research featured in the journal incorporates concerns from various other topics such as Epistemology, Liberal theory, Human rights and Communicative rationality. Journal of Civil Society facilitates discussions on Gender studies that incorporate concepts from other fields like Colonialism, Elite and State (polity).

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • Does a plural civil society matter? Reflecting on the varieties of associational life in India (1 citations)
  • Semi-civil society: A missing link in explaining the transformation of communist dictatorships? (0 citations)
  • Cross-partisanship and the vulnerability democracy: how civility and nonpartisanship undermined civil society in interwar Germany (0 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 Journal of Civil Society (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Jan Aart Scholte (4 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Helmut K. Anheier (4 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Jennifer Y.J. Hsu (3 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Jeremy Kendall (3 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Gerard Clarke (3 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 Journal of Civil Society (based on the number of publications) are:

  • London School of Economics and Political Science (16 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Roskilde University (8 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • University of Bergen (8 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Heidelberg University (7 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Cardiff University (6 papers) published 1 paper at the last 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, 8.33% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 9.09% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 0.00% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 0.00% of all publications and 90.91% 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.

Academic Career Paths Related to the Journal's Research Focus

For those interested in contributing to this rich academic field, attaining proper qualifications and relevant professional experience is vital. This is especially important for those aiming to become professors, researchers, or academic librarians, focusing on the areas of social psychology, political economy, law, politics, and public administration. Becoming an academic librarian, for instance, involves acquiring a master's degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS), gaining relevant work experience, obtaining a state-specific certification, if required, and constantly keeping up with latest research trends in the field. Those who consider an academic career in Indiana might find our article on how to become a librarian in Indiana particularly helpful. The academic path towards becoming a professor or a researcher also requires a strong academic foundation often in the form of a Ph.D. Those aiming to specifically contribute academic research in civil society, law, political economy, democracy, politics, and related areas, should consider advanced degree programs that include these areas in their curriculum. Apprenticeships in governmental or non-governmental organisations, internships, and coursework in public administration can also provide a helpful boost. Whether your role is an educator, researcher, or academic librarian, staying updated and active in professional and academic communities is critical. Contributions to scholarly journals like Journal of Civil Society can enhance not only career prospects but also the overall body of knowledge in the field.

Top Publications

  • Introduction: Civicness in conflict

    (2022)
    11 Citations
  • Ratification of Multilateral Environmental Agreements: Civil Society Access to International Institutions

    Vassiliki Koubi;Steffen Mohrenberg;Thomas Bernauer

    (2020)
    6 Citations
  • Producing democracy in armed violence settings: Elections and citizenship in Eastern DRC

    (2022)
    6 Citations
  • Good seed makes a good crop? The relationship between civil society and post-independence democracy levels

    (2021)
    4 Citations
  • Trends in forms of civic involvement in the Netherlands between 2008 and 2020

    (2023)
    2 Citations

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Political Science offers a versatile foundation for various graduate studies and career opportunities. For those interested in shaping urban environments, pursuing an urban planning master can be a natural extension. This degree emphasizes sustainable development and policy-making to improve community living spaces.

If you’re intrigued by how legal systems intersect with human behavior, a forensic psychology degree can complement political science knowledge by providing insights into criminal behavior and legal processes.

For advanced scholars seeking efficient doctoral options, 1 year phd programs online no dissertation offer accelerated paths to top-tier academic credentials, allowing professionals to deepen expertise without the traditional dissertation requirement.

Additionally, the 1 year mpa online programs are excellent for those aiming to enter or advance in public administration, combining practical leadership skills with policy analysis relevant to political science careers.

Best Scientists Contributing to This Journal

Recently Published Articles