Goyanes, M., & de Marcos, L. (2020). Academic influence and invisible colleges through editorial board interlocking in communication sciences: A social network analysis of leading journals. Scientometrics, 123(2), 791–811.

Editorial boards play a central role in shaping the scientific orientation and boundaries of academic journals, influencing what is recognized as legitimate and impactful research within a field. As editorial board members are typically highly visible and well-connected scholars, it is common for them to serve simultaneously on multiple journals, a phenomenon known as editorial board interlocking. This study examines the structure and implications of editorial board interlocking within the field of Communication Sciences.

Drawing on social network analysis and graph theory, the study analyzes interlocking patterns across 41 Journal Citation Reports (JCR)–indexed communication journals. The results map the underlying network of scholarly journals, identifying highly influential outlets, central actors, and cohesive subgroups of journals and scholars—often referred to as invisible colleges. By revealing how editorial connections structure influence and cohesion within the field, the study demonstrates that editorial board interlocking offers a complementary and innovative lens for understanding academic power, knowledge circulation, and journal prominence in Communication Sciences.