Sport management journals should be rated higher in journal ranking lists! Towards a better international recognition of the field

Abstract

ABSTRACT Rationale/purpose This article aims to evidence (1) that sport management journals are undervalued in journal ranking lists compared to journals from other fields and (2) how they should be valued, based on an analysis of citation impact indicators (CIIs) (n = 326 journals). Design/methodology/approach For aim 1, regressions are conducted. For aim 2, a “star system” comparable to the Academic Journal Guide (AJG) by the UK Association of Business Schools is applied to CIIs. The boundaries for the CIIs are selected so that the number of AJG 2021 journals in the different star categories aligns with the actual AJG. Findings Regressions show that sport management is undervalued compared to other fields. The application of the star system reveals that, out of 17 sport management journals, the rating of 11 of them based on CIIs is higher than in AJG, while the other six journals perform like in AJG. Practical implications The research can contribute to a better international recognition of sport management journals within the academic community if communicated to journal ranking lists. Research contribution This manuscript helps compare the impact of journals based on an original star system approach applied to CIIs that contributes to establishing meaningful boundaries.