I am finally getting around to writing the second paper based on letters-to-the-editor data I collected in 2002 (!). I’m trying to decide whether to submit the paper to a sociology journal or a political science journal. Background: I think this will be a good paper, at least as important as the other one I published on these data.
Reasons for publishing in political science:
- Larger audience
- Opportunity for dialogue with scholars outside my discipline
- The argument is relatively political science-esque, and much of the referenced material is from political science
Reasons for sticking with sociology:
- The main colleagues I interact with regularly are sociologists
- It’s not everyday that I have an article with potential for placement in a top journal in my field
- Professionally, how will my own and other departments “count” a publication in a cognate discipline?
3 Comments
No tenured professor should worry about how things “count” if you have a real contribution to make and an important audience. But I’d be careful with political science. They are now obsessed with identification issues, econ style, so you might get hostile reviewers and editors. Ask around to see which top poli sci journals might have friendly editors.
Also, I am a fan of sociological imperialism. If a leading scholar in my field has an appropriate contribution in a related area, then they should publish it. Man up. Go for it.
I’m with Fabio. Once you’ve got tenure you’ve played Sociology (but not sociology, obviously) out. All that’s left is qualifying yourself into increasingly drudgy admin positions. Go interdisciplinary every chance you get.
Unless of course what you’re saying is something people really need to know, in which case it’s worth thinking about which people really need to know it.
Ach, Carl, Sociology is never played out :)