Founded in 1960 by Hugo O. Englemann, the journal was originally titled The Wisconsin Sociologist. After skipping the 1961 issue, the journal continued and has been published every year since. In 1994 however, the decision was made to use a new more general title and Sociological Imagination was chosen. The Wisconsin Sociological Association believes it is the longest, continually published state sociology journal in the United States. Over the years, scholars have found great success in the journal's peer-review process which provides critical feedback for maintaining standards for rigorous research and suitable revisions for publication. Topics have ranged from basic scientific findings through empirical descriptive pieces, theoretical work, review pieces and scholarship in teaching and learning.
The journal requires academic service to maintain its status. Every five years, a new tenured professor is reviewed and chosen to serve as head editor. The new editor may or may not hire assistance through their affiliation. To date, the Sociological Imagination has benefited from editors who maintain the journal’s high standards. Over the years, the journal has drawn submissions from around the world, most recently including scholars from Germany and South Africa.
The journal also relies on a team of referees. Social scientists are carefully chosen to review journal submissions which match areas of expertise related to the research paper so the submitted work may be evaluated fairly and in relation to the scientific method. Referee teams also include consideration related to the scientific norms of universalism, organized skepticism, disinterestedness, communalism, and honesty. We aim for a relatively short review process to ensure published work is revealed to the public in a timely manner, as well.
Finally, no journal would meet high marks without contributions from the academic community. We encourage you to consider Sociological Imagination for your research, both as a source to keep you abreast of the latest in your field, but also as a place to consider submitting your work for review.
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