Guidance on Journal and Publisher Rankings
Ranking tools play an important role in supporting researchers to make informed decisions about where to publish. While no ranking system is definitive, such tools offer useful indicators of quality, peer review standards, and disciplinary reputation. At AC, we draw on several sources to assist faculty and HDR candidates in evaluating potential publication outlets. These include:- AC’s journal ranking list, featuring all journals in which AC researchers have published over the past 5 years;
- the Council of Deans of Theology journal ranking tool, used as a supplementary reference;
- AC’s ranking of academic book publishers across relevant fields.
At AC, these ranking tools are used both to guide individual publishing decisions and to evaluate and report on the quality of our institutional research outputs. While rankings offer useful indicators of peer review standards, impact, and disciplinary standing, they are not definitive measures. Judgements about research quality should also consider the nature of the work, its contribution to the field, its impact potential, and its alignment with AC’s mission.