The ''Electronic Journal of Sociology'' was an online

open access Open access (OA) is a set of principles and a range of practices through which research outputs are distributed online, free of access charges or other barriers. With open access strictly defined (according to the 2001 definition), or libre op ...

academic journal An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and d ...

sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...

. It was established in 1994 by Michael Sosteric. Andreas Scheider was

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

until 2004, when Sosteric returned and Adam Rafalovich became co-editor-in-chief. The journal implemented a new approach in 2004 whereby it decided to publish three tiers of articles: fully reviewed original articles at tier 1, editorially-reviewed reviews and commentaries at tier 2, and editorially-reviewed other works, including original papers, at tier 3. Although the journal "achieved international recognition", as an electronic journal it faced barriers. In 1996, the journal was criticized by its rival, ''

Sociological Research Online ''Sociological Research Online'' is a sociological journal, published quarterly (March, June, September, December) since March 1996. It is an online-only, peer-reviewed journal. It was originally published by a consortium of the British Sociolog ...

'', which suggested that its conventional approach to reviewing articles was more rigorous. The ''Electronic Journal of Sociology'' had adopted a forum with which an author could respond to the feedback or criticism of the reviewer. Its

editorial board The editorial board is a group of experts, usually at a publication, who dictate the tone and direction the publication's editorial policy will take. Mass media At a newspaper, the editorial board usually consists of the editorial page editor, a ...

responded, speculating that the rival journal, which was affiliated with

SAGE Publishing SAGE Publishing, formerly SAGE Publications, is an American independent publishing company founded in 1965 in New York by Sara Miller McCune and now based in Newbury Park, California. It publishes more than 1,000 journals, more than 800 books ...

, might feel threatened by their open access and lack of traditional publishing ties. In 2008, publication was suspended. The journal was indexed in

SocINDEX EBSCO Information Services, headquartered in Ipswich, Massachusetts, is a division of EBSCO Industries Inc., a private company headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. EBSCO provides products and services to libraries of very many types around the ...

References

{{reflist Sociology journals Open access journals Publications established in 1994 Publications disestablished in 2008 English-language journals Online-only journals