World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Social Service Review
H-index 6

Social Service Review

0037-7961

Published by: The University of Chicago Press

https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/ssr/current

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Social Sciences and Humanities 943 14 15 5

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 27
Documents by Best Scientists*: 22
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 1
SCIMAGO H-index: 70
SCIMAGO SJR: 0.614
Impact Factor: 2.2

Overview

Top Research Topics at Social Service Review?

The journal generally zeroes in on subjects such as Social work, Public administration, Welfare, Law and Criminology. Social work research featured in the journal incorporates concerns from various other topics such as Social science, Social Welfare, Social psychology and Public relations. Public administration and State (polity) are closely related fields of research discussed in the journal.

  • Social work (13.71%)
  • Public administration (12.44%)
  • Welfare (8.06%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • Antecedents to Retention and Turnover among Child Welfare, Social Work, and Other Human Service Employees: What Can We Learn from Past Research? A Review and Metanalysis (745 citations)
  • Experiential knowledge: a new concept for the analysis of self-help groups. (301 citations)
  • Inside the Welfare Contract: Discretion and Accountability in State Welfare Administration (256 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Social Service Review:

The most cited articles mainly deal with areas of study such as Welfare, Social work, Social psychology, Developmental psychology and Public relations. While the journal papers focused on Social work, they were also able to explore topics like Epistemology, Social science and Social change. While Social psychology is the key highlight in the published articles, thet also covered some subjects on Psychological intervention and Intervention (counseling).

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

  • Law
  • World War II
  • Social psychology

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

The objective of Social Service Review is to combine knowledge in the areas of Child support, Payment, Race (biology), Welfare and Foster care. The research on Child support tackled can also make contributions to studies in the areas of Developmental psychology, Earnings, Qualitative research and Demographic economics. The studies on Payment discussed can also contribute to research in the domains of Economic growth, Poverty, Social support and Service (business).

Some problems in Race (biology) that were presented in the journal overlapped with concepts under Political economy, Voter turnout, Voting, Reductionism and Religious studies. The close relationship between Harm and Psychological intervention is one of the points of interest dissected in Welfare research. The work on Foster care tackled in the journal brings together disciplines like Unintended consequences and Public economics.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • All Work and No Play: Indigenous Women "Pulling the Weight" in Home Life. (1 citations)
  • Bridging the Divide between Child Welfare and Home Visiting Systems to Address the Needs of Pregnant and Parenting Youth in Care (1 citations)
  • Shaping a Science of Social Work: Professional Knowledge and Identity. Edited by John Brekke and Jeane Anastas. New York: Oxford University Press, 2019. Pp. 252. $45.00 (cloth). (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 Social Service Review (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Wayne McMillen (83 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Charlotte Towle (70 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Alton A. Linford (66 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Victor S. Yarros (64 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Rachel Marks (62 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 Social Service Review (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Columbia University (14 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • University of Chicago (13 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Bryn Mawr College (12 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison (11 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • University of Michigan (9 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, 94.12% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 0.00% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 100.00% 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 0.00% 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 for Researchers in Social Services

An important factor that researchers consider when choosing a field of study is career prospects. In the field of social services, one attractive career path is Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC), especially in regions like North Dakota where there is a significant demand for mental health professionals. Becoming an LPC, however, will require meeting certain qualifications which include advanced degree in counseling or a related field, supervised professional experience, and passing nationally recognized exams among others. As researchers in the field of social services, having extensive knowledge, analytical skills, and research experience can provide an edge and can make the licensure process more manageable. With a career as an LPC, researchers can have access to various opportunities for private practice, consulting, and even policy-making. If you are interested in becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor in North Dakota, our resource about the LPC requirements in North can provide further information. Reviewing these regulations can be beneficial not only for those planning to pursue a career as an LPC but even for researchers seeking to delve deeper into the profession’s intricacies for future studies. Overall, the career of an LPC presents an intersection of research and practice – a fulfilling path for dedicated researchers in the field of social services.

Top Publications

  • The Effects of Child Poverty Reductions on Child Protective Services Involvement

    (2023)
    26 Citations
  • Relationships That Persist and Protect: The Role of Enduring Relationships on Early-Adult Outcomes among Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care

    (2023)
    11 Citations
  • Dual Debtors: Child Support and Criminal Legal Financial Obligations

    (2022)
    9 Citations
  • Poverty Reduction through Federal and State Policy Mechanisms: Variation over Time and across the United States

    (2023)
    8 Citations
  • Paying for Childcare to Work? Evaluating the Role of Policy in Affordable Care and Child Poverty

    (2022)
    6 Citations
  • Tolerating Risk: Professional Judgment in Suicide Risk Assessment

    (2022)
    5 Citations
  • Voting Infrastructure and Process: Another Form of Voter Suppression?

    Kyle Pitzer;Gena Gunn Mcclendon;Michael Sherraden

    (2021)
    5 Citations
  • Youth Justice at a Crossroads: Twenty-First Century Progressive Reforms and Lessons to Inform the Path Forward

    (2023)
    4 Citations
  • Unconditional Cash and Breastfeeding, Child Care, and Maternal Employment among Families with Young Children Residing in Poverty

    (2024)
    3 Citations
  • Lost Time: Family Reintegration following a Youth Life Sentence

    (2022)
    1 Citations

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Exploring online degrees in Social Sciences and Humanities can open doors to diverse career paths. Programs such as the best online library science programs equip students with essential research and organizational skills, preparing them for dynamic roles in information management and archival sciences.

Language proficiency degrees also offer valuable opportunities. An online degree in Spanish stands out for its affordability and career versatility, ideal for those interested in translation, education, or international relations. Veterans can find tailored support through Spanish degree online for veterans, making higher education more accessible with programs designed to meet their unique needs.

For those drawn toward criminal psychology and law enforcement, understanding the career of an FBI profiler highlights the intersection between social sciences and criminal justice. These professionals require specialized knowledge and training, making this an exciting and impactful career option.

Whether you aim to build expertise in languages, library sciences, or forensic psychology, the wide range of online degrees in Social Sciences and Humanities ensures flexible, career-focused education tailored to modern demands.

Best Scientists Contributing to This Journal

Recently Published Articles