After a rigorous assessment process, the Pacific Economic Review (PER) , founded by Professor Eden Yu, Head of CityU's Department of Economics and Finance, has been included in the internationally renowned Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). The journal is the second economics journal from Asia included in the SSCI.

 

It aspires to be a high quality journal highlighting global economic linkage throughout the Asia Pacific Rim, said Professor  Yu, who was the founding editor of  the journal from 1995-2003. “SSCI is renowned for its very selective approach in covering the world’s most important and influential journals,” said Professor Yu, currently a member of PER Editorial Board. “SSCI inclusion emphasizes the significance of the journal and underlines its high quality research standard.” The vision in launching PER and the successful SSCI inclusion demonstrates CityU academics’ valuable contribution to international scholarly publications.

 

The inaugural issue of PER was published in 1996 with contributions from Professor Paul Samuelson, Nobel Laureate in economic science; and Professor Gregory Chow, renowned econometrician from Princeton University and now a regular visiting professor to CityU’s EF Department. As an official publication of the Hong Kong Economic Association, PER has published a rich collection of analytical work covering all areas of economics, both theoretical and empirical, and, in particular, analysis of economic issues related to the Pacific Rim.

 

By 2003, the PER editors and Blackwell, the publisher, started applying for SSCI inclusion. Professor Steve Ching, the University Librarian, supported the inclusion and sent his recommendation to SSCI.

 

“We continually partner up with academic departments and provide the value-added service of getting research the international recognition it deserves,” Professor Ching said.

 

 

The Library plays an important role in helping facilitate the broadest dissemination of academics’ work to researchers all over the world.

“The decision to include a journal is based on strict evaluation factors, including publishing standards, editorial content, international diversity and citation analysis,” said Professor Ching, adding that more outstanding researchers will be contributing articles to PER since it has proven to be of international standard and an international channel to the professional community of reviewers throughout the world.

 

As the centre for supporting teaching and research, the Library has strengthened collaborations with academic departments in promoting newly restructured journals and expanding the University’s research collections. The Asia Pacific Journal of Accounting and Economics (APJAE), currently published by the Faculty of Business, is now expanding beyond the Asia Pacific region in its efforts to provide a forum for top quality research. Professor Yu, recently appointed Editor of the APJAE, believes collaboration with the Library will help achieve a wider readership and more subscriptions, thus facilitating the publication’s goal to be included in the SSCI within the next six years.

 

The Library has also collaborated with departments to publish public lecture series and outstanding academic papers by students with the aim to provide a wider spectrum of materials for teaching, research and consultancy. 

 

“There will be tremendous room for academic staff and the Library to work together to enhance the dissemination of knowledge,” said Professor Ching. “We hope the success of PER inclusion will be extended to all academic departments, and gradually to the research community in Hong Kong and Asia.”