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Politics
H-index 12

Politics

0263-3957

Published by: SAGE

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

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Political Science 88 20 20 11

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 22
Documents by Best Scientists*: 24
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 4
SCIMAGO H-index: 45
SCIMAGO SJR: 1.07
Impact Factor: 2.5

Overview

Top Research Topics at Politics?

The concepts of Politics, Political economy, Law, Public administration and Social science are tackled in the journal. The main emphasis of it is the research on Politics, emphasizing the topic of Democracy. Studies on Political economy discussed in it link to the field of Development economics.

Many of the studies tackled connect Law with a similar field of study like Law and economics. The studies tackled, which mainly focus on Public administration, apply to Government as well.

  • Politics (35.27%)
  • Political economy (18.99%)
  • Law (17.86%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • Learning Lessons and Transferring Policy across Time, Space and Disciplines (332 citations)
  • Introducing Students to the Generic Terminology of Social Research (281 citations)
  • Elite Interviewing: Approaches and Pitfalls (253 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Politics:

The most cited articles explore disciplines such as Politics, Political economy, Social science, Law and Epistemology. The most cited papers explore topics in Politics which can be helpful for research in disciplines like Context (language use), Positive economics, Public relations and Public administration. The journal articles explore issues in Political economy which can be linked to other research areas like Ideology, Governmentality, Power (social and political), Economic system and Populism.

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

  • World War II
  • Law
  • Politics

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

Politics mainly deals with areas of study such as Political economy, Politics, Populism, Democracy and Foreign policy. The overlapping concepts between Parliament and Order (business) and Relevance (law) are the key highlights of Political economy study. The main emphasis of the journal is the subject of Politics, focusing on Political engagement.

The Populism research presented in it explores the relationship between Ideology and the closely related topic of Epistemology. In addition to Foreign policy research, it aims to explore topics under Rhetoric and Presidency. It addresses concerns in Government which are intertwined with other disciplines, such as Georgian and State (polity).

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • Populism and President Trump’s approach to foreign policy: An analysis of tweets and rally speeches (13 citations)
  • In search of enemies: Donald Trump’s populist foreign policy rhetoric: (11 citations)
  • Introduction to the special issue: Elections, rhetoric and American foreign policy in the age of Donald Trump: (9 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 Politics (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Henry Mayer (18 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Kyle Grayson (10 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Joan Rydon (10 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Ian McAllister (9 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Marian Sawer (9 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 Politics (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Australian National University (62 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • University of Sydney (52 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
  • University of Sheffield (37 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
  • University of Birmingham (35 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition,
  • University of New South Wales (31 papers) absent 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, 22.73% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 14.71% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 1.47% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 23.53% of all publications and 60.29% 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.

Becoming A Researcher in Political Fields

If you're passionate about political topics such as Democracy, Political economy, Social sciences and more, you might be interested in a career as a researcher in these fields. The path to becoming a political researcher often begins with obtaining the right education and experience. Your journey may start with a bachelor's degree in Political Science, International Relations or a related field. These programs typically include courses in research methods, comparative politics, political theory and international relations. Working on research projects as a student is an excellent way to gain practical experience and to build a strong foundation in Political science. Some students also opt to pursue a master's degree in Political Science or a related field to further specialize their knowledge and skills. After gaining a foundation in Politics, you can focus your studies and research on particular areas of interest such as Political economy, Law, and Public administration. This might involve completing a Ph.D. program, working as a research assistant, or gaining experience in research-focused roles. While education and practical experience in the field are key, it's also important to continuously expand your knowledge and stay informed about the latest research and trends in Politics. Being able to conduct advanced research, analyze data, write detailed reports, and present findings clearly and effectively are all crucial skills for a career in this field. Besides being a political researcher, there are also other career paths you could pursue with your knowledge in Politics such as being a policy analyst, a public relations specialist, or even a school librarian where you can guide students and researchers to the right resources in this field. For example, check out this guide on how to become a school librarian in Kansas to explore this unique career path. In summary, not only does a career in political research allows you to explore and investigate intricate political issues, it also offers opportunities to contribute to our understanding and knowledge of the political world. Start your journey today and make an impact in the field of Politics.

Top Publications

  • How candidate characteristics matter: Candidate profiles, political sophistication, and vote choice:

    Hilde Coffé;Åsa von Schoultz

    (2021)
    25 Citations
  • Intra-generational inequalities in young people’s political participation in Europe: The impact of social class on youth political engagement

    Maria Grasso;Marco Giugni

    (2021)
    25 Citations
  • Illiberal democratic attitudes and support for the EU

    Wouter van der Brug;Sebastian Adrian Popa;Sara B Hobolt;Hermann Schmitt

    (2021)
    24 Citations
  • Gender inequalities in political participation and political engagement among young people in Europe: Are young women less politically engaged than young men?:

    Maria Grasso;Katherine Smith

    (2021)
    22 Citations
  • All on the same boat? Voting for pirate parties in comparative perspective

    Simon Otjes

    (2020)
    20 Citations
  • Unpacking the politics of ‘sportswashing’: It takes two to tango

    (2023)
    18 Citations
  • Ideologically consistent, but for whom? An empirical assessment of the populism-elitism-pluralism set of attitudes and the moderating role of political sophistication:

    Bram Spruyt;Matthijs Rooduijn;Andrej Zaslove

    (2021)
    17 Citations
  • Mobilizing mini-publics: The causal impact of deliberation on civic engagement using panel data:

    Shelley Boulianne;Kaiping Chen;David Kahane

    (2020)
    17 Citations
  • Kinder and gentler ministers in consensus democracies? Personality and the selection of government members

    (2022)
    17 Citations
  • Youth doing politics in times of increasing inequalities

    Marco Giugni;Maria Grasso

    (2021)
    16 Citations

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Pursuing a degree in Political Science opens doors to various allied fields that focus on law, justice, and public policy. For those interested in the legal system, an outstanding option is exploring online paralegal programs, which provide practical skills for supporting attorneys in legal environments.

If your interests lean more toward law enforcement or rehabilitation, considering an criminal justice degree price and curriculum can help identify affordable, quality programs. For those starting out, the best online associate degree programs in criminal justice offer foundational knowledge with flexible online options.

For advanced career paths in psychology and law enforcement, pursuing an online master's in forensic psychology combines the study of human behavior with criminal investigations, broadening your opportunities in both public and private sectors.

Exploring these related online degrees can complement a Political Science background and enhance your versatility in careers related to governance, law, and criminal justice.

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