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Sociology of Religion
H-index 5

Sociology of Religion

1069-4404

Published by: Oxford University Press

https://academic.oup.com/socrel

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Social Sciences and Humanities 1326 7 7 2

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 11
Documents by Best Scientists*: 13
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 1
SCIMAGO H-index: 59
SCIMAGO SJR: 1.144
Impact Factor: 1.7

Overview

Top Research Topics at Sociology of Religion?

The main points discussed in Sociology of Religion deals with Religious studies, Theology, Gender studies, Social psychology and Social science. The studies on Religious studies discussed can also contribute to research in the domains of Politics and Faith. The work on Social psychology presented in the journal focuses on Religiosity in particular.

Social science study tackled is connected to the field of Epistemology.

  • Religious studies (24.78%)
  • Theology (13.95%)
  • Gender studies (11.65%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • Dramas, Fields, and Metaphors: Symbolic Action in Human Society by Victor Turner. Ithaca: Cornell University Press and Peyote Hunt: The Sacred Journey of the Huichol Indians by Barbara G. Myerhoff. Ithaca: Cornell University Press (389 citations)
  • Secularization, R.I.P. (384 citations)
  • Religion as Context: Hellfire and Delinquency One More Time* (307 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Sociology of Religion:

The published articles explore disciplines such as Social psychology, Gender studies, Secularization, Sociology of religion and Social science. While work presented in the journal publications provide substantial information on Gender studies, it also covers topics in Identity (social science), Protestantism, Ethnic group and Immigration. Secularization research discussed in the published articles aims to provide more information in the subject of Religious studies.

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

  • Law
  • World War II
  • Epistemology

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

The scientific interests tackled in the journal are Religious studies, Gender studies, Social psychology, Islam and Psychoanalysis. It deals with Religious studies in conjunction with Spirituality and similar fields in Politics. Sociology of Religion facilitates discussions in Racial diversity as part of the larger field of Gender studies, however, it also tackles fields such as Social justice.

Many of the research works in Social psychology, specifically Religiosity and Sexual orientation, closely connected to disciplines like Religious belief and Group (mathematics). The subject of Attendance, which is connected to the field of Test (assessment), serves as the foundation of the Religiosity research featured in the journal. Sociology of Religion explores issues in Islam which can be linked to other research areas like Context (language use), Habitus, Underdevelopment and Heresy.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • Making Meaning without a Maker: Secular Consciousness through Narrative and Cultural Practice (4 citations)
  • Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States, by ANDREW L. WHITEHEAD and SAMUEL L. PERRY (2 citations)
  • Religious Diversity Reconsidered: Local Religious Contexts and Individual Religiosity (2 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 Sociology of Religion (based on the number of publications) are:

  • William H. Swatos (24 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • James V. Spickard (22 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Rodney Stark (21 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Joseph B. Tamney (19 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Ted G. Jelen (15 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 Sociology of Religion (based on the number of publications) are:

  • University of Notre Dame (63 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
  • Fordham University (42 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition,
  • Loyola University Chicago (40 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Baylor University (38 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition,
  • University of Toronto (34 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, 3.28% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 11.86% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 11.86% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 10.17% of all publications and 66.10% 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 the Field of Sociology of Religion

While the Sociology of Religion offers a wide variety of topics for academic research, it also has numerous career applications. Graduates with a focus in this discipline can aspire to roles such as social science researchers, higher education lecturers, mental health counselors, and community developers amongst many others. Each role contributes separately and significantly to the understanding and application of Sociology of Religion in our societies.

Among these potential careers, the role of a mental health counselor in particular can be greatly enhanced by a strong understanding of religious studies. Counselors who are knowledgeable in this area can better understand the religious and spiritual beliefs of their clients, facilitating more effective therapy sessions. For those interested in pursuing this route, you can read more about this career path on our page, How to become a mental health counselor in Colorado.

It's also essential to note that career prospects can vary significantly depending on your location, the demand for these roles, and other factors. Therefore, individuals interested in pursuing a career in Sociology of Religion should conduct thorough research into job prospects in their area and nationally.

Top Publications

  • “Electronic Church” 2.0: Are Virtual and In-Person Attendance Associated with Mental and Physical Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

    (2023)
    9 Citations
  • Switch to Web-Based Surveys During COVID-19 Pandemic Left Out the Most Religious, Creating a False Impression of Rapid Religious Decline

    (2023)
    4 Citations
  • Handing Down the Faith: How Parents Pass Their Religion to the Next Generation, by CHRISTIAN SMITH and AMY ADAMCZYK

    (2022)
    2 Citations
  • Feminizing Patriarchy: Christian Churches and Gender Inequality in Rural Africa

    (2024)
    1 Citations
  • Birth Control Battles: How Race and Class Divided American Religion, by MELISSA J. WILDE

    John P Bartkowski

    (2020)
    0 Citations
  • Divine Purpose? Religion, Race, and Attitudes Toward Life Extension Technology

    (2024)
    0 Citations
  • Called to Work: Developing a Framework for Understanding Spiritual Orientations Towards Work

    (2023)
    0 Citations

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