Global ranking of knowledge management and intellectual capital academic journals: 2017 update

Alexander Serenko is Professor at the Faculty of Business Administration, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Canada. Nick Bontis is Chair at the DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this study is to update a global ranking of 27 knowledge management and intellectual capital (KM/IC) academic journals. Design/methodology/approach – The ranking was developed based on a combination of results from a survey of 482 active KM/IC researchers and journal citation impact indices. Findings – The ranking list includes 27 currently active KM/IC journals. The A journals are the Journal of Knowledge Management and the Journal of Intellectual Capital. The A journals are the Learning Organization, Knowledge Management Research & Practice, Knowledge and Process Management, VINE: The Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems and International Journal of Knowledge Management. A majority of recently launched journals did not fare well in the ranking. Whereas a journal’s longevity is important, it is not the only factor affecting its ranking position. Expert survey and citation impact measures are relatively consistent, but expert survey ranking scores change faster. Practical implications – KM/IC discipline stakeholders, including practitioners, editors, publishers, reviewers, researchers, students, administrators and librarians, may consult the developed ranking list for various purposes. Compared to 2008, more researchers indicated KM/IC as their primary area of concentration, which is a positive indicator of discipline development. Originality/value – This is the most recent ranking list of KM/IC academic journals.