Journal ranking analyses of operations management research

Abstract

PurposeSeveral published studies have ranked journals based on perceived quality according to operations management (OM) researchers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the ranking of journals for OM research using meta analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe study begins by using a meta‐analysis approach to combine results of five recent OM journal ranking studies. A new citation analysis using OM research articles published in International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Journal of Operations Management, and Production and Operations Management between 1999 and 2005 is presented.FindingsResults of the meta‐analysis and the citation analysis have many similarities, but there are some striking differences suggesting the evolution of OM research away from operations research and engineering. The results also illustrate the diversity of OM research ranging from analytical modeling to empirical studies influenced by other business disciplines and the behavioral sciences.Originality/valueThis is the first time meta‐analysis has been used to examine the ranking of journals for OM research. This research also provides a current citation analysis of the OM field for the first time in over a decade. While the results of these two analyses show some similarities with many of the same journals, there are some marked differences that may support the notion of an evolving OM field.