UPEI’s Island Studies Journal selected for inclusion in Web of Science

Island Studies Journal, a web-based, peer-reviewed, freely downloadable scholarly journal published twice a year out of UPEI, is now being indexed and abstracted in Web of Science. Web of Science is the world's leading citation index with multidisciplinary content from nearly 12,000 of the top-tier international and regional journals.

'The editorial staff at Thomson Reuters reviews over 2,500 journals each year,' said Dr. Godfrey Baldacchino, executive editor of Island Studies Journal and UPEI's Canada Research Chair in Island Studies. 'Of these, only about 10-12 per cent of the most influential in the fields of science, social sciences, the arts and humanities are selected for inclusion in Web of Science. It is a huge honour for our journal to be accepted into this select group of publications.'

Factors considered during Thomson Reuters' rigorous evaluation and selection process include the journal's publishing standards, its editorial content, and citation data from Web of Science.

'I began laying the groundwork for Island Studies Journal in 2003 when I first arrived at UPEI,' recalled Dr. Baldacchino. 'The first issue was published in 2006. It has been immensely satisfying watching this journal grow in terms of the respect it receives. We don't need to chase submissions any more. We're receiving a steady stream of unsolicited submissions from some of the world's best writers and researchers in the area of island studies.'

UPEI's Vice-President Research Robert Gilmour conveyed his congratulations on behalf of the university: 'This is a well-deserved honour for Island Studies Journal, for Dr. Baldacchino, and for the editorial team. UPEI is extremely proud of Island Studies Journal's track record for publishing research of the highest calibre.'

UPEI's Institute of Island Studies is the institutional home of Island Studies Journal. The journal has an international editorial board of distinguished scholars, including UPEI's Dr. Edward MacDonald and Dr. Irene Novaczek, who also serves as one of the journal's three deputy editors.

The journal's website has been accessed over 56,000 times since it was launched in May 2006: www.islandstudies.ca/journal.