Investigating the Relationship Between Scientific Capital and Journal Fit

Abstract

Authorship of journal articles provides an opportunity for scientists to share discoveries and build scientific capital. Previous research has shown disparities in publication based on personal attributes and citation inequality, but the additional hurdle of researchers with less scientific capital adapting their work to match journal scope is less explored. This thesis investigates the relationship between the past performance of researchers (publication output, and number of citations) and scientific domain with the fit of their articles in the publishing journal. 224 journals were selected and publications between 2019-2023 were analyzed to determine journal scope and publication fit using cosine similarity scores. A linear regression analysis showed a statistically significant inverse relationship between the number of publications of authors, publishing in arts & humanities, and publication fit (r2 = 0.519, p < 0.005). Further research is needed to determine what additional factors may influence publication fit and journal scope.