看到國(guó)內(nèi)外的經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇都在熱衷于經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)期刊的排名，因此想對(duì)此做一個(gè)調(diào)查。所以就在國(guó)外的經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)論壇開了一個(gè)帖子http://xalimeijing.com/thread-2538489-1-1.html，并且隨意的給了一個(gè)Top10的名單，這個(gè)名單當(dāng)然肯定是不權(quán)威的，目的就是為了看看那些老外的反應(yīng)（如果給的太“權(quán)威”，那就沒有爭(zhēng)論了）。果然不出所料，很多老外很激動(dòng)，說我的排名joking，crazy等評(píng)價(jià)不斷。不過最重要的是，已經(jīng)看到他們對(duì)于雜志排名的認(rèn)識(shí)。不妨羅列如下：
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).
只列了這四個(gè)老外的發(fā)言，比較具有代表性。從中可以看出，經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)似乎開始真的只有Top4而沒有Top5，ReStud已經(jīng)被看做遠(yuǎn)落后于AER 、 Econometrica 、 QJE 、 JPE 四個(gè)期刊，而在第二個(gè)層次。讓我驚奇的是，在很多的理論家看來，Journal of economic theory的文章質(zhì)量已經(jīng)大幅下滑，而迎頭趕上的是Theoretical Economics，并且Theoretical Economics似乎正在取代Journal of economic theory而成為經(jīng)濟(jì)理論界的領(lǐng)航期刊。據(jù)我所知，Theoretical Economics好像成立的時(shí)間還很短很短。
有意思的是Game and economic behavior似乎也不怎么被看好，上海財(cái)大的經(jīng)濟(jì)期刊排名里這個(gè)雜志被排的比較高。但在老外看來這個(gè)期刊似乎也未進(jìn)前10之列。
總的來看，雜志排名的起起落落，代表了一個(gè)時(shí)代研究主題的潮流更替。想當(dāng)年Journal of economic theory的風(fēng)頭如何強(qiáng)盛（想想黃有光教授當(dāng)年對(duì)此期刊非同尋常的贊譽(yù)），現(xiàn)在也一樣快被Theoretical Economics趕下去了。同樣的，所謂的Top4期刊AER 、 Econometrica 、 QJE 、 JPE在將來的某個(gè)時(shí)候也難保不像Economic Journal或者Economica一樣開始沒落。
但不管期刊排名如何的沉浮，只有經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)的思想會(huì)永垂不朽。一個(gè)聲譽(yù)卓著的期刊可能沒落，但發(fā)表出來的好的經(jīng)濟(jì)思想?yún)s會(huì)流傳。當(dāng)年科斯的“交易成本”思想發(fā)表在Economica，現(xiàn)在Economica沒落了，但是“交易成本”的思想?yún)s永載史冊(cè)。以前不管有多少文章發(fā)表在AER 、 Econometrica 、 QJE 、 JPE，但是能流傳下來的只可能是鳳毛麟角，盡管這樣，但是就算這Top4已經(jīng)不在，這些鳳毛麟角的思想一樣還在人間并且可能大放光彩。
看來最后只能總結(jié)一句：期刊排名只是浮云，作出好的成果或者思想才是王道。