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Salford journal one of the best in the world
An academic journal edited by a University of Salford professor has been rated as one of the best in the world by the authoritative Thomson Scientific.
The Journal of Transport Geography was ranked as the eighth best globally in the transportation category in the social science citation index, and 22nd for geography - in categories so fiercely contested that only highly respected journals which have existed for five or more years are included.
The Journal of Transport Geography, as a new entry to the list, has topped many established and renowned publications for the number of times its papers have been cited by researchers and its ongoing contribution to research.
Professor Richard Knowles of the University's School of Environment & Life Sciences has edited the journal since it was first published in 1993 and has worked over that time to build a truly international editorial board and submissions list.
The Journal currently counts 38 people from 18 countries as part of the board and, unusually for journals rated by Thomson Scientific, less than half of the papers published in it come from the UK or USA.
The diverse background of contributors, Professor Knowles believes, gives the journal a distinctive character. "Our perspectives come from all over the world, and that means that we get viewpoints and research which are often not noticed in the Anglo-American research community," he said.
Recent topics of papers have included the airline industry in China, labour mobility in Barcelona and the effect of transport costs on people's recreational habits in Sweden.
Professor Knowles concluded: "I am delighted that The Journal has achieved a high Impact Factor on the first occasion it has been included in Thomson's international Journal Citation Reports. Citations and this Impact Factor score show the high esteem in which peer-reviewed research papers published in The Journal of Transport Geography are held in the international transport research community."