美国社会学现状
美国的高等教育机构大致分为两类：以教学为重的院校，和以科研为重或者教研并重的院校。关于学校分类的详情，请参考 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education供职于第一类教育院校的一般称之为teacher；好的教师同时具备释疑解惑和因材施教等多方面的优秀素质。供职于第二类科研机构的人称为researcher或者researcher and teacher；优秀的科研人员不但著作等身，更重要的是研究成果具有前瞻性、创新性、突破性、和重大价值与意义。下面粗略地谈谈美国优秀科研人员(researcher)的某些最主要指标（未免以偏概全，仅供参考）。
首先，publication要多。美国学术界颇为流行的一句话是publish or perish（中文大意是，没有成果发表就自取灭亡）。Researcher们每年都争取在同行审阅的期刊上发表论文 (articles in peer –reviewed journals)。如果1年中没有任何此类文章，至少不算是一个active的researcher. 如果持续难产的话，没有得到终身教职的人就要面临被解雇的风险。即便得到终身教职，坐吃山空的现象并不值得提倡和尊重。高产的researcher恰恰相反，不但年年发，而且每年发很多。这些人的简历都公布在学校的网站上。例如，Baylor University 的 Rodney Stark, Princeton University 的 Robert Wuthnow （孙笑东博士的指导教授）, University of Texas at Austin的Christopher G. Ellison 教授（翟捷霞博士的指导教授）, 几乎年年都有很多论著问世，是宗教社会学圈内甚至整个社会学界公认的高产学者. 据我所知，到目前为止论文数量接近或者超过100篇（仅限于peer-reviewed articles）的社会学家就有好几位。
其次，publication要优质。美国的学术期刊多如牛毛，分三六九等。优秀的researcher要尽量在一流的期刊大显身手，最好以第一作者发表成果，同时尽量避免涉足名声不好的末流期刊而自砸招牌、贻笑大方（不少教授上课要拿这些劣质文章开涮，要小心）。新入行的同仁如果不愿一鸣惊人的话，不妨选择在中等或中下等的刊物上小试牛刀。在社会学这个领域里，仅是同行审阅的期刊就有96家之多。如何划分等级呢？根据美国权威研究机构ISI最新公布的信息（2007）, 社会学期刊的平均影响分子值(impact factor) 是0.63。如果以此为分水岭，大致就可以一目了然（当然期刊排名还有其他标准， 比如引用次数等等）。以下是较为常见的社会学期刊排名。
综合性的社会学刊：
First-tier (头等/顶级): American Journal of Sociology (impact factor=3.33) , American Sociological Review (3.27), Annual Review of Sociology (2.40).影响分子都超过2. 能 在这些刊物上发表文章的人是圈中的大牛；发过好几篇的，不是超人就是外星人了。
Second-tier （二流/优秀）: Social Problem 1.57, Social Forces 1.24, Sociological Methods and Research 1.20., Social Science Research 1.04, Theory and Society 1.02影响分子都超过1. 在这些刊物上发表文章的人算是脚踏实地的强人了。
Third-tier (三流/还不错): Sociological Theory, Journal of Sociology, Sociological Review, Sociological Inquiry, Sociological Perspective 这些期刊的影响分子介于1和0.63之间，高于平均值。应该算是拿得出手。
其他可以略微提一下的有：
，Social Indicators Research 0.955, Sociological Spectrum0.317, Official Journal of the Mid-South Sociological Association $10 Sociological Forum0.423也是 和The Sociological Quarterly0.565一样都是网上投稿 学生免费用。
Sociological Perspectives 0.358 同上免费用
虽然低于平均值0.63, 但还不错。特别是学术新秀，不妨在这里积攒点战斗经验。其他低于.40的期刊我就不具体列出了。
专业性的社会学刊：
社会学分领域众多。其实，不少专业领域的社会学刊甚至比综合性期刊的影响更大。比如， Journal of Marriage and the Family, impact factor=1.75, 整体排名高居第7。具体到宗教社会学，主要有三家： Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (JSSR, impact factor=0.82)0.907
Sociology of religion 0.68美国宗教社会学协会的杂志，可投。
The Sociology of Religion Quarterly (impact factor=0.40)
Review of Religious Research religion research association $15 (impact factor=0.35, 整体排名68) 0.446
JSSR是宗教社会学领域中唯一比平均影响因子值(0.63)高的专业期刊， 专业排名第一。即便在综合排名中，JSSR也有较高的visibility; 换句话说， 在JSSR上发表的文章越多，在本领域的知名度越高。The sociology of religion quarterly也是不错的选择。在综合排名和专业排名第一的期刊上都发表过文章的华人宗教社会学家，据我所知（孤陋寡闻），目前仅有杨凤岗教授一人。期待更多的学术同仁在不久的将来可以和杨教授比肩。
第三，至于其他类型的publication包括research note （注：并不是严格意义上的research article）, book chapter, 书评,大百科全书的条目，研究或者技术报告， 媒体采访等。这些在美国院校和研究机构的学术评审中虽然加点分，但并不最为关键。当然，有好的大学出版社出版的学术图书Book, 是非常加分的 （MIT Press, John Hopkins University Press, University of California Press, Princeton University Press, Harvard, Stanford,等等）。不过，在终身教职评审过程中最为关键还是同行审阅的journal article。因此，很多人在制作简历的时候，要把peer-reviewed article单列为一类。
今天暂时谈这么多。主要目的是将美国社会学，特别是宗教社会学，的一些基本信息和国内的同学们分享。最近一段时期，中美、中欧之间的学术交流日趋频繁，合作关系也不断升级，希望这些信息对一些同学了解国外学术圈的概况和动态有一定帮助。总之，在（美国的）学术圈生存，要诀是持续地发表peer-reviewed article 以及高质量的academic book，绝非在于八面玲珑的社交手腕，更非靠“拉大旗，扯虎皮”。有的时候，一些看似其貌不扬、行事低调的学者恰恰就是学界泰斗和翘楚。他们不生活在媒体的闪光灯下或公众目光的焦点里，可他们却活在大家心中，值得佩服，受到尊敬。
声明：以上内容主要基于个人在美国学术界的见闻，尽管部分结合或者参考美国同行的标准，难免管中窥豹之嫌，无意代言国内外学术圈任何既定的规则。
Sociological Forum
Edited by:
Karen Cerulo
Print ISSN: 0884-8971
Online ISSN: 1573-7861
Frequency: Quarterly
Current Volume: 24 / 2009
ISI Journal Citation Reports Ranking: 2008: 70/99 Sociology
Impact Factor: 0.423 Author Guidelines
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Journal Article:
Tilly, Charles. 2007. Trust Networks in Transnational Migration. Sociological Forum 22: 1: 1-25. Book:
Zelizer, Viviana. 2005. The Purchase of Intimacy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Chapters in edited books:
Wuthnow, Robert. 2002. "Moral Inquiry in Cultural Sociology," In Karen A. Cerulo (ed.), Culture in Mind: Toward a Sociology of Culture and Cognition: pp. 123-134. New York/London: Routledge.
Dissertations:
Charles, Maria. 1990. "Occupational Sex Segregation: A Log-Linear Analysis of Patterns in 25 Industrial Countries." Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Sociology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.
Presentations:
Hull, Kathleen E. 2006. "Marriage Trouble: Framing and Ideology in the American Marriage Movement." American Sociological Association, Montreal, August.
Newspapers/Magazines:
Friedman, Thomas. 2002. "A Failure to Imagine." New York Times, Week in Review, May 19, 15. Web Sites:
Kao, Grace and Jennifer Thompson. 2003. 'Racial and Ethnic Stratification in Educational Achievement and Attainment.' Annual Review of Sociology 29:417-42. Retrieved October 20, 2003 (http://arjournals.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.soc.29.010202.100019).