Case Studies in the Environment: an Analysis of Author, Editor, and Case Characteristics

Abstract

Who and what academic journals publish reflects and affects the broader social context in which they are embedded. Case Studies in the Environment (CSE) is a new peer-reviewed journal developed by UC Press due to the growing interest in environmental studies and the increasing use of case studies in teaching at all levels. This paper examines the gender and geographic distribution of authors and editors during CSE’s first year of publication, the geographic distribution of the case studies, and attitudes of authors regarding the journal’s purpose, format, and use in teaching. While studies of many journals reveal a predominance of male authors, women authors slightly outnumber men in CSE. Large majorities of the authors and editors are based at United States institutions and >90% are located in industrialized countries. Approximately half of the published articles present case studies from the US and nearly 75% are from industrialized countries. Authors reported being generally pleased with the purpose, format, and publishing logistics of the new journal.