The Journal of Law and Society in context: a bibliometric analysis

On this, the occasion of its 50th anniversary, we employ a quantitative analysis of the Journal of Law and Society (JLS) to chart empirically the evolution of socio-legal studies in the United Kingdom (UK). By tracing the influence(s) of the JLS upon the development of UK socio-legal research, not only do we demonstrate a new mode of exploring knowledge production in the field of socio-legal studies, but we also illustrate how computational methods can augment hermeneutical approaches to mapping socio-legal trends. Through (a blend of) three different analytical approaches – descriptive analyses of bibliographic metadata, text-linguistic analyses of a corpus of full-text articles, and network analyses of citation graphs – we generate comparative information about the JLS since its inception in 1974. We then employ this data to interrogate the JLS’ own narratives; using predictions, ambitions, and statements of intent made by Editor-in-Chief Phil Thomas published either within or regarding the JLS, we present a map of the journal's role within, impact upon, and enduring contribution to UK socio-legal studies. Finally, we discuss our results and propose future directions of the field.