Criminology Journals: Different Tanks Same Lawn

Different Tanks Same Lawn

Apropos my previous post, feedback on Twitter suggests some confusion but also scope for more info.

Graphic here shows top ten journals in Criminology according to Thomson Reuters in 2009 (seems to be the latest info revealed by Google search)

Criminology, the American Society of Criminology journal, is reassuringly first - though I often find it a bit too 'quanty' - and UK readers will know the BJC and Punishment and Society.  The others though look a touch specialist and this is confirmed by the full list.

Reassuring to see, in addition to BJC and P&S (numbers represent position in alpha order):

2. AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY

Tri-annual ISSN: 0004-8658

SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 1 OLIVERS YARD, 55 CITY ROAD, LONDON, ENGLAND, EC1Y 1SP

1. Social Sciences Citation Index
2. Current Contents - Social & Behavioral Sciences

4. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Quarterly ISSN: 1707-7753

UNIV TORONTO PRESS INC, JOURNALS DIVISION, 5201 DUFFERIN ST, DOWNSVIEW, TORONTO, CANADA, ON, M3H 5T8

1. Social Sciences Citation Index
2. Current Contents - Social & Behavioral Sciences

8. CRIME MEDIA CULTURE

SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 1 OLIVERS YARD, 55 CITY ROAD, LONDON, ENGLAND, EC1Y 1SP

1. Social Sciences Citation Index
2. Current Contents - Social & Behavioral Sciences 
3. 13. CRIMINOLOGY & CRIMINAL JUSTICE

   Bimonthly ISSN: 1748-8958
   

   SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 1 OLIVERS YARD, 55 CITY ROAD, LONDON, ENGLAND, EC1Y 1SP
   

   1. Social Sciences Citation Index
   2. Current Contents - Social & Behavioral Sciences

   14. DEVIANCE ET SOCIETE

   Quarterly ISSN: 0378-7931
   

   MEDECINE ET HYGIENE, CH DE LA MOUSSE 46, CASE POSTALE 475, CHENE-BOURG, SWITZERLAND, CH-1225
   

   1. Social Sciences Citation Index

   15. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY

   Bimonthly ISSN: 1477-3708
   

   SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 1 OLIVERS YARD, 55 CITY ROAD, LONDON, ENGLAND, EC1Y 1SP
   

   1. Social Sciences Citation Index
   2. Current Contents - Social & Behavioral Sciences

   16. EUROPEAN JOURNAL ON CRIMINAL POLICY AND RESEARCH

   Quarterly ISSN: 0928-1371
   

   SPRINGER, VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS, 3311 GZ
   

   1. Social Sciences Citation Index
   2. Current Contents - Social & Behavioral Sciences

   17. FEMINIST CRIMINOLOGY

   Quarterly ISSN: 1557-0851
   

   SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC, 2455 TELLER RD, THOUSAND OAKS, USA, CA, 91320
   

   1. Social Sciences Citation Index
   2. Current Contents - Social & Behavioral Sciences

   18. HOMICIDE STUDIES

   Quarterly ISSN: 1088-7679
   

   SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC, 2455 TELLER RD, THOUSAND OAKS, USA, CA, 91320
   

   1. Social Sciences Citation Index
   2. Current Contents - Social & Behavioral Sciences

   19. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LAW CRIME AND JUSTICE

   Quarterly ISSN: 1756-0616
   

   ELSEVIER SCI LTD, THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD, ENGLAND, OXON, OX5 1GB
   

   1. Social Sciences Citation Index
   2. Current Contents - Social & Behavioral Sciences  
    

    

   But less sure about:

   21. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPEECH LANGUAGE AND THE LAW 

   24. JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY & PSYCHOLOGY

    

    

    

    

Whose tanks on criminology's lawn?

 

 The table above from Thomson Reuters Science Watch is fascinating.  If you were choosing to go to University for under graduate or post graduate study or to ask someone to do some criminological research you might reasonably chose the University of Birmingham.  A google search for 'university of birmingham criminology' returns their Centre for Forensic and Criminological Psychology in the Psychology Dept which runs an appropriate Masters.  A search of the University's website reveals no under graduate criminology provision.  The next few results are for the many undergraduate and post graduate courses at Birmingham City University home to Professor David Wilson Britain's best known criminologist.

 Similarly the University of Nottingham has no under graduate criminololgy and again only a very specialist post grad provision.  This in the Law School.  The criminologists at Kings are to be found in the Law School teaching a Masters but also contributing criminology modules to the under graduate degree programme.  Cambridge hosts the Institute of Criminology focused on post graduate courses.  It and Leicester, though fourth and fifth, most clearly fit my idea of the broadly criminological.

So what are all these publications from the University of Birmingham that Thomson Reuters have declared to be criminological?  This is the list journals: CRIM JUSTICE BEHAV, AGGRESS VIOLENT BEH, PSYCHOL CRIME LAW, SEX ABUSE-J RES TR, J INTERPERS VIOLENCE, J FORENSIC PSYCHI PS, CRIMINOLOGY, TRAUMA VIOLENCE ABUS, SEX ABUSE-J RES TR, LEGAL CRIMINOL PSYCH, AGGRESS VIOLENT BEH, BRIT J CRIMINOL, LEGAL CRIMINOL PSYCH, AGGRESS VIOLENT BEH, INT J OFFENDER THER, CRIM LAW REV, POLIC SOC, J CRIM JUST, POLICING, PSYCHIAT PSYCHOL LAW, SOC LEGAL STUD.  I only have knowledge of those in red.

Looking at the authors and topics we find at 10th, in the Birmingham list Coupe, (Cambridge) and Blake (Birmingham) in Criminology writing on Burglary.  At 25 we find Garland (Leicester), Spalek (Birmingham) and Chakraborti (Leicester) in the British Journal of Criminology writing on Researching 'Hidden' Ethnic Minorities.  Next up is 'The management of domestic violence cases in the mode of trial hearing - Prosecutorial control and marginalizing victims' by Cammiss a Law Lecturer at Birmingham in the British Journal of Criminology.  In Policing and Society we find Best and 4 others writing on 'Gender differences in risk and treatment uptake in drug using offenders assessed in custody suite settings'.  Four are psychiatrists from a hospital which is part of the University and one a police officer.   In Policing Kebbell (Griffith University, Australia) and O'Kelly (Birmingham) writes on 'Police detectives' perceptions of giving evidence in court'.  And finally from those picked out in red above we have Piacentini (Strathclyde), Pallot (Oxford) and Moran (Birmingham) in Social and Legal Studies on 'Gender in Russian Penal Colonies'.

So we learn that despite having few 'criminologists' doctors and lawyers can top the criminology charts and that by dint of co-authoring also get into echt criminological journals.  I think a debate is needed.

Fessing up.  I acted as validator of Birmingham City University's MA in Criminology and have connections with Kings College London. Though a sociological/cultural criminologist I have no problem with psychology even biology within criminology but a deep fear that they become seen as the only 'Criminology'.  A recently elected member of the Executive Committee of the British Society of Criminology I write in my own capacity.  As a part time sociology/media lecturer at St Mary's UC don't expect to be troubling the REF panel for any subject.