Defining a forum for retailing scholars: academics' rankings of journals in the discipline

Abstract

The publication and dissemination of scholarly work are the major functions of journals. Thus rankings of journal effectiveness exist for many business disciplines. To date, such a ranking has not been conducted for the retail discipline. Utilizing a previously operationalized methodology, a four-stage, systematic rating of journals as outlets for retailing research was undertaken. Following MacMillan, it is posited that scholars in a field are best suited to define scholarly work and outlets in that field. Journals found to be ‘outstanding’ outlets were the Journal of Retailing and the Journal of Marketing. Seven other journals were rated as ‘significant’ while the remaining five were seen as ‘acceptable’. A discussion of the use and importance of the findings follows the results section. The current study adds to the literature, as it utilizes recognized experts in the field to define what is a proper scholarly forum for retailing research.