看到国内外的经济论坛都在热衷于经济学期刊的排名,因此想对此做一个调查。所以就在国外的经济学论坛开了一个帖子https://bbs.pinggu.org/thread-2538489-1-1.html,并且随意的给了一个Top10的名单,这个名单当然肯定是不权威的,目的就是为了看看那些老外的反应(如果给的太“权威”,那就没有争论了)。果然不出所料,很多老外很激动,说我的排名joking,crazy等评价不断。不过最重要的是,已经看到他们对于杂志排名的认识。不妨罗列如下:
老外1:Problem for JET is now that theorists can't decide whether JET or TE is their fave journal. Thus, neither can quality as the "top theory journal." Again, there is no top 10, because there is no general agreement on 6-10. The idea that a field or pure theory journal could be in the top 10 is kind of crazy because it excludes over half the profession.
老外2:^ the JET vs TE debate raises some doubts on that matter. Probably most non-theorists will not be willing to take TE as a top10. But an important proportion of theorists may agree that TE >= JET
老外1:Do you want to take Journal of Econometrics as a top 10 journal? How about ReStat or JME or RAND? Those have the same problem as JET. I think if you want to come up with journals in 6-10 they've got to be general interest ones, but there is nothing worth talking about in that category outside of the top 4 + ReStud.
老外3:There's no top 5, it's the top 4. ReStud is second tier
老外4:Game and economic behavior???? You have to be joking (or probably have several pubs in there).
只列了这四个老外的发言,比较具有代表性。从中可以看出,经济学似乎开始真的只有Top4而没有Top5,ReStud已经被看做远落后于AER 、 Econometrica 、 QJE 、 JPE 四个期刊,而在第二个层次。让我惊奇的是,在很多的理论家看来,Journal of economic theory的文章质量已经大幅下滑,而迎头赶上的是Theoretical Economics,并且Theoretical Economics似乎正在取代Journal of economic theory而成为经济理论界的领航期刊。据我所知,Theoretical Economics好像成立的时间还很短很短。
有意思的是Game and economic behavior似乎也不怎么被看好,上海财大的经济期刊排名里这个杂志被排的比较高。但在老外看来这个期刊似乎也未进前10之列。
总的来看,杂志排名的起起落落,代表了一个时代研究主题的潮流更替。想当年Journal of economic theory的风头如何强盛(想想黄有光教授当年对此期刊非同寻常的赞誉),现在也一样快被Theoretical Economics赶下去了。同样的,所谓的Top4期刊AER 、 Econometrica 、 QJE 、 JPE在将来的某个时候也难保不像Economic Journal或者Economica一样开始没落。
但不管期刊排名如何的沉浮,只有经济学的思想会永垂不朽。一个声誉卓著的期刊可能没落,但发表出来的好的经济思想却会流传。当年科斯的“交易成本”思想发表在Economica,现在Economica没落了,但是“交易成本”的思想却永载史册。以前不管有多少文章发表在AER 、 Econometrica 、 QJE 、 JPE,但是能流传下来的只可能是凤毛麟角,尽管这样,但是就算这Top4已经不在,这些凤毛麟角的思想一样还在人间并且可能大放光彩。
看来最后只能总结一句:期刊排名只是浮云,作出好的成果或者思想才是王道。