Sociology research at liberal arts colleges

Abstract

þis article examines the research activity in sociology by faculty at liberal arts col-leges. We used Sociological Abstracts to compile a list of journal articles published from 1960 to 1999 for which the first author's affiliation was among the 161 schools classified as liberal arts colleges by the Carnegie Foundation. We rank the colleges by the number of journal publications over the whole time period as well as a subset of the last ten years, and provide information on which journals are the most frequent outlets for liberal arts faculty. Finally, we provide some evidence that this research output is linked to teaching effectiveness. During the past fifty years there has been an amazing development of the colleges and universities of this country. They have grown in numbers, in size of faculties, in enrollments of students, in scope of work....It has seemed worth while to attempt to secure a rating of the graduate schools in the different lines of study based on the opinions of a considerable group of college professors....Such a rating also seems proper and desirable in printed form, so that any one interested can turn to it readily for a rough estimate of the work in a given field. (Hughes 1925)