Italian economic journals. A network-based ranking and an exploratory analysis of their influence on setting international professional standards

An exploratory analysis of the crossed presence (interlocking editorship) of the same scholars in the editorial boards of Italian and international economic journals is developed. The position and the degree of integration of Italian journals in the worldwide network of economic journals is studied with network analysis techniques and a ranking of Italian journals, based on a measure of centrality, is proposed. Then relatively compact groups of international journals are individuated, representing different specialized sub-field or different methodological approaches to the study of economics. The analysis of the relative position of Italian journals in those groups suggests that Italian journals are not connected to the cores of the various schools operating at an international level, with the only exception of the history of economic thought.