A Disciplinary, Bibliometric and Usage Analysis of the International Journal List of the Committee of Political and Legal Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Abstract

This study examines the disciplinary structure, bibliometric characteristics, and domestic usage patterns of the international journal list maintained by the Committee of Political and Legal Sciences of Division IX of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The analysis covers 1,065 journals and is based on data from the committee’s journal list, the SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) 2025 database, and the Hungarian Scientific Bibliography (MTMT). The results show that the list is primarily based on journals in law, public administration, and political science, while also including journals from related fields in social sciences, economics, information science, and health sciences. A relationship was identified between the committee’s journal classifications and SJR quartile rankings; however, the two systems are not fully equivalent. MTMT data indicate that Hungarian publication activity is concentrated mainly in journals classified in categories A and B. The findings suggest that the journal list combines international bibliometric criteria with discipline-specific professional evaluation principles.