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Ranking Journals Using Social Science Research Network Downloads

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Abstract

I use a new approach to rank journals, namely the number and percent frequency of articles a journal publishes that are heavily downloaded from the Social Science Research Network (SSRN). I rank 18 accounting and finance journals, and I identify five journals not considered by the two most recent major published ranking studies of publications by accounting faculty, namely (in rank order): Journal of Financial Economics, Review of Accounting Studies, Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Journal of Corporate Finance, and Journal of International Financial Management and Accounting. I show that financial accounting faculties are more likely to post their working papers to SSRN, and papers posted by financial faculties generate more downloads. I mitigate this bias in favor of the financial area by providing separate rankings based on authors in the financial versus non-financial areas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Georgia State University, USA

    Lawrence D. Brown (J. Mack Robinson Distinguished Professor of Accountancy)

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  1. Lawrence D. Brown
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Brown, L.D. Ranking Journals Using Social Science Research Network Downloads. Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting 20, 291–307 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023628613622

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