Faculty Perceptions of the Professional Journal Literature: Quo Vadis?

Abstract

Research quality is a dominant factor in assessing faculty credentials; however, no objective measures have been formulated to assess quality. In 1985, two investigators, Kohl and Davis, undertook an initial step when they polled sixty-six deans of ALA-accredited programs and eighty-five Association of Research Libraries directors to ascertain a consensus opinion regarding journal prestige. In an attempt to determine a more broadly based understanding of periodical prestige, our investigation surveyed the opinions of faculty specializing in public and school librarianship. The purpose of this article is to report the findings of the data collected and to demonstrate whether any agreement exists between the two respondents groups, public-library and scool-library faculty. These results are compared to the Kohl/Davis study to ascertain whether a convergence of opinion between professors and deans