AN ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC-ADMINISTRATION JOURNALS - THE PERSPECTIVE OF EDITORS AND EDITORIAL-BOARD MEMBERS

What do editors and editorial boards look for in a public administration journal? The boundaries and characteristics of public administration are partly shaped and defined by professional journals. This research stratifies the journals responsible for disseminating theoretical and practical knowledge in the discipline of public administration, including the fields of policy analysis, budgeting and finance, personnel administration, and organization studies. Based on a survey of editors and editorial board members, this study identifies and ranks the top ten journals in each field. Results indicated that the most highly ranked journals have broad mission statements, focus on core public administration issues, have stringent review requirements, and are published in the United States.