Journal rankings · indicator year 2016
Choose a field to open its ranking, or a journal to find its row in its subfield’s list.
Subfield ranking · 2016
Public Administration journal rankings 2016
51 ranked journals · Subfield in Social Sciences
Public Administration has 51 ranked journals in 2016. The median OJR fell 0.15 on 2015 to 1.33, above the world average of 1.00; Q1 starts at OJR 2.16. The top three are Public Administration, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, and Public Management Review.
Ranks and citation indicators: 2016. Journal access status and listed APC: source snapshot September 23, 2026.
Journals whose main subfield sits in this category and that published at least 30 citable documents (articles, reviews and conference papers) in 2013–2015, the window the 2016 score is computed on.
The OpenJournalRank Indicator (OJR) is a free, publicly available metric of a journal’s field-normalized citation impact, computed from open OpenAlex citation data. It compares citations to a journal’s papers from the previous three years with the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type, so 1.00 is the world average and values can be compared across fields. It is computed with the NCI3 method.
The middle OJR among ranked journals in this category: half score higher, half lower. 1.00 is the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type.
The dot is this category, the solid tick is the median of all ranked journals and the dashed line is the world average.
Share of ranked journals in this category that are fully open access, so every paper is free to read. Hybrid journals, which sell subscriptions and open single papers for a fee, are not counted.
Median list price of the article processing charge, in US dollars, among ranked journals in this category that list a price above zero. Journals with a listed APC of $0 and journals with no known price are left out of this median. The At a glance table below gives a second median that includes the $0 prices.
Subfields of Social Sciences (22)
51 ranked journals
Filters
Rank is the position by OJR within the list on screen; 1 is the highest. | OJR is field-normalized 3-year citation impact: 1.00 is the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type, so values compare across fields. The badge is the journal’s quartile in this list. | Citations per paper over a two-year window, counted from OpenAlex. It is not field-normalized, so compare it only between journals of the same field. ▲ or ▼ is the change from 2015. This is OpenJournalRank’s own count, not Clarivate’s Journal Impact Factor. | Citable documents (articles, reviews and conference papers) published in 2013–2015, the window the 2016 OJR is computed on. A journal needs at least 30 to be ranked. | Share of the journal’s 2013–2015 papers that are free to read in any open-access form. The green OA tag next to a title marks a fully open-access journal. | List price of the article processing charge in US dollars. “$0 listed” means the listed price is zero; a dash means no price is listed. | The line is the journal’s OJR from 2007 to 2016. | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1Public AdministrationWiley · United Kingdom | 4.85Q1 | 2.94 0.23 down from 2015 | 254 | 36% | $3,950 | ||
2Journal of Public Administration Research and TheoryOxford University Press · United Kingdom | 4.70Q1 | 2.90 0.43 up from 2015 | 192 | 15% | $4,029 | ||
3Public Management ReviewTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 4.56Q1 | 3.46 0.69 up from 2015 | 205 | 41% | — | ||
4Public Administration ReviewWiley · United States | 4.28Q1 | 2.88 0.37 up from 2015 | 379 | 22% | $4,250 | ||
5International Public Management JournalTaylor & Francis · United States | 3.70Q1 | 2.17 0.25 down from 2015 | 110 | 21% | — | ||
6The American Review of Public AdministrationSAGE Publishing · United States | 3.42Q1 | 2.35 0.38 up from 2015 | 127 | 20% | $3,900 | ||
7European Journal of Industrial RelationsSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 3.26Q1 | 2.37 0.26 down from 2015 | 79 | 38% | $3,650 | ||
8International Review of Administrative SciencesSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 3.05Q1 | 1.74 0.03 up from 2015 | 205 | 34% | $3,650 | ||
9British Journal of Industrial RelationsWiley · United Kingdom | 3.05Q1 | 2.38 0.17 up from 2015 | 93 | 26% | $3,860 | ||
10Financial Accountability and ManagementWiley · United Kingdom | 2.86Q1 | 2.10 0.15 up from 2015 | 62 | 26% | $2,900 | ||
11Public Policy and AdministrationSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 2.33Q1 | 2.04 0.81 up from 2015 | 72 | 29% | $3,650 | ||
12Industrial Relations A Journal of Economy and SocietyWiley · United States | 2.18Q1 | 1.38 0.18 up from 2015 | 101 | 21% | $3,470 | ||
13International Journal of Public Sector ManagementEmerald Publishing Limited · United Kingdom | 2.16Q1 | 1.45 0.24 up from 2015 | 130 | 22% | — | ||
14Administration & SocietySAGE Publishing · United States | 2.00Q2 | 0.88 0.50 down from 2015 | 214 | 26% | $3,650 | ||
15Public Money & ManagementTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 1.99Q2 | 1.24 0.07 down from 2015 | 232 | 40% | — | ||
16The British Journal of Social WorkOxford University Press · United Kingdom | 1.81Q2 | 1.61 0.25 up from 2015 | 463 | 35% | $4,492 | ||
17Journal of Social Work EducationTaylor & Francis · United States | 1.78Q2 | 1.34 0.05 up from 2015 | 188 | 13% | — | ||
18Public Performance & Management ReviewTaylor & Francis · United States | 1.78Q2 | 1.39 0.26 up from 2015 | 163 | 12% | — | ||
19Social WorkOxford University Press · United States | 1.77Q2 | 1.60 0.20 up from 2015 | 162 | 7% | — | ||
20Administration in Social WorkHaworth Press · United States | 1.66Q2 | —no 2015 value | 32 | — | — | ||
21Economic and Industrial DemocracySAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 1.58Q2 | 0.94 0.31 down from 2015 | 139 | 36% | $3,650 | ||
22European Journal of Social WorkTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 1.48Q2 | 1.02 0.23 up from 2015 | 158 | 27% | — | ||
23Journal of Industrial RelationsSAGE Publishing · Australia | 1.47Q2 | 0.95 0.20 down from 2015 | 147 | 16% | $3,650 | ||
24Journal of Social Work PracticeTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 1.44Q2 | 0.77 0.60 down from 2015 | 122 | 15% | — | ||
25Social Work ResearchOxford University Press · United States | 1.44Q2 | 1.51 0.07 up from 2015 | 99 | 49% | — | ||
26Industrial Relations JournalWiley · United Kingdom | 1.33Q2 | 0.85 0.51 down from 2015 | 97 | 30% | $2,900 | ||
27Teaching Public AdministrationSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 1.30Q3 | 0.93 0.12 down from 2015 | 62 | 13% | $3,650 | ||
28Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social WorkTaylor & Francis · United States | 1.30Q3 | 0.97 0.12 down from 2015 | 52 | 15% | — | ||
29Qualitative Social WorkSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 1.24Q3 | 1.03 0.14 down from 2015 | 151 | 20% | $3,650 | ||
30Journal of Social WorkSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 1.22Q3 | 1.09 0.13 up from 2015 | 117 | 20% | $3,650 | ||
31Australian Social WorkTaylor & Francis · Australia | 1.21Q3 | 0.98 0.11 up from 2015 | 186 | 29% | — | ||
32Journal of Teaching in Social WorkTaylor & Francis · United States | 1.16Q3 | 0.99 0.08 up from 2015 | 118 | 10% | — | ||
33Social Work EducationTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 1.14Q3 | 0.78 0.29 down from 2015 | 246 | 22% | — | ||
34International Social WorkSAGE Publishing · United Kingdom | 1.05Q3 | 0.86 0.04 up from 2015 | 254 | 14% | $3,650 | ||
35Asia Pacific Journal of Public AdministrationTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 1.02Q3 | 0.75 0.02 up from 2015 | 59 | 9% | — | ||
36Journal of Progressive Human ServicesTaylor & Francis · United States | 1.02Q3 | 0.64 0.28 up from 2015 | 37 | 0% | — | ||
37Labor Studies JournalSAGE Publishing · United States | 0.97Q3 | 0.61 0.21 down from 2015 | 44 | 0% | $3,400 | ||
38Canadian Public AdministrationWiley · United Kingdom | 0.97Q3 | 0.70 0.23 up from 2015 | 110 | 22% | $2,900 | ||
39PracticeTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 0.77Q3 | 0.52 0.02 down from 2015 | 91 | 17% | — | ||
40China Journal of Social WorkTaylor & Francis · United Kingdom | 0.69Q4 | 0.54 0.37 up from 2015 | 74 | 19% | — | ||
41Advances in Social WorkOAIndiana University School of Social Work · United States | 0.67Q4 | 0.59 0.03 down from 2015 | 112 | 100% | — | ||
42Journal of Public Budgeting Accounting & Financial ManagementEmerald Publishing Limited · United Kingdom | 0.59Q4 | 0.41 0.23 up from 2015 | 67 | 5% | — | ||
43The Journal of Sociology & Social WelfareWestern Michigan University · United States | 0.59Q4 | 0.31no change | 272 | 67% | — | ||
44The Journal of Practice Teaching in Health and Social WorkUnited Kingdom | 0.55Q4 | 0.42 0.07 up from 2015 | 72 | 13% | — | ||
45Comparative labor law & policy journalCambridge University Press · United States | 0.54Q4 | 0.10 0.57 down from 2015 | 41 | 0% | — | ||
46Social Work With GroupsTaylor & Francis · United States | 0.41Q4 | 0.37 0.20 down from 2015 | 115 | 5% | — | ||
47Smith College Studies in Social WorkTaylor & Francis · United States | 0.36Q4 | 0.55 0.05 up from 2015 | 78 | 20% | — | ||
48Journal of Comparative Social WorkOAUniversity of Stavanger · Norway | 0.34Q4 | 0.24 0.15 up from 2015 | 33 | 100% | — | ||
49Journal of Baccalaureate Social WorkUnited States | 0.24Q4 | 0.15 0.01 down from 2015 | 106 | 0% | — | ||
50Contemporary Rural Social Work JournalUnited States | 0.11Q4 | 0.04 0.37 down from 2015 | 58 | 82% | — |
Subfields of Social Sciences, with Public Administration highlighted.
- Sociology and Political Science1,233
- Education677
- Political Science and International Relations308
- Communication68
- Gender Studies63
- Health52
- Public Administration51
- Safety Research51
- Law46
- Transportation46
- Linguistics and Language45
- Library and Information Sciences43
- Urban Studies42
- Demography41
- Anthropology40
- Geography, Planning and Development27
- Cultural Studies10
- Development4
- General Social Sciences3
- Human Factors and Ergonomics1
- Archeology0
- Life-span and Life-course Studies0
Journals
Citations made in 2016. Corpus-wide, 77.2% of core-journal articles and reviews published that year have at least one matched reference; the share varies by journal and field.
3 additional Public Administration journals with metrics are unranked under this release’s eligibility rules: a journal needs at least 30 citable documents in 2013–2015, at least 80% of them with a subfield, and a positive world-average expectation. Ranks are within the whole category; filters hide rows without re-ranking. OJR excludes self-citations.
At a glance
Indicator year: 2016. Publication window: 2013–2015. How these summaries are calculated
- Ranked journals
- 51
- Window papers (baseline)
- 9,886 +9.1% from indicator year 2013
- Median OJR
- 1.3324 +10.0% from indicator year 2013
- Rising journals (2025)
- 6
Window papers are the baseline paper population: citable papers (articles, reviews and conference papers) from 2013–2015 in all journals of the world-average baseline, including non-core journals, counted by each paper’s own subfield. They are not the papers of the ranked journals alone.
| Measure | Year series | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranked journals | 39 | 39 | 44 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 45 | 46 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 50 | 51 | 51 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 51 | 49 | |
| Window papers (baseline) | 5,291 | 5,454 | 5,737 | 6,096 | 6,309 | 6,459 | 7,069 | 7,550 | 8,059 | 8,152 | 8,390 | 8,538 | 8,687 | 9,064 | 9,283 | 9,721 | 9,886 | 10,257 | 9,866 | 9,630 | 9,356 | 9,519 | 9,597 | 9,348 | 9,065 | 8,961 | |
| Median OJR | 1.23 | 1.03 | 0.94 | 0.79 | 0.80 | 0.87 | 1.04 | 0.93 | 1.20 | 1.07 | 1.3317 | 1.51 | 1.41 | 1.21 | 1.239 | 1.48 | 1.3324 | 1.243 | 1.192 | 1.46 | 1.36 | 1.34 | 1.22 | 1.18 | 1.189 | 1.37 |
How to read these rankings
- OJR, the OpenJournalRank Indicator
- A field-normalized 3-year citation impact, computed from OpenAlex with the NCI3 method. It divides the citations a journal’s papers received by the world average for papers of the same subfield, year and type, so 1.00 is the world average and 2.00 means twice as many citations as expected. Because it is normalized, it can be compared across fields. Read the methodology
- Quartiles
- Q1 to Q4 split the ranked journals of the list you are viewing into four equal groups by OJR. A journal’s quartile depends on the list: the same journal can be Q1 in its subfield and Q2 among all journals.
- Impact factor (2-year)
- Citations per paper over a two-year window, counted from OpenAlex. It is easy to compare with familiar impact factors but is not field-normalized, so compare it only within a field. It is not Clarivate’s Journal Impact Factor. Why it differs from the Journal Impact Factor
- Rank ranges
- Each rank in the latest year carries a likely range from 1,000 resamples of the journal’s papers. Where two journals’ ranges overlap, the data cannot tell them apart, so treat neighbouring ranks as ties.