Computers & Education Journal, Helmed by School of Learning Informatics Dean Chin-Chung Tsai, Voted Most Influential
After a year helmed by Dean Chin-Chung Tsai of the School of Learning Informatics, the renowned Computers & Education journal has made strides to become the top-ranked journal for impact and citation factor in the Education and Educational Research category from a pool of over 200 SSCI (Social Science Citation Index) journals.
Dean Tsai made history when he became the first editor to be appointed as co-editor on the editorial board of the journal in 2009. His steadfast contributions since, culminating in his 2022 appointment as Editor-in-Chief have contributed greatly to the journal’s rising impact in the field of education. The journal’s latest achievement not only underscores the global impact of Taiwan’s academic community, but also enhances the country’s voice and visibility in the field of education.
Grounded in a constructivist approach, Dr. Tsai's extensive experience in science education and e-learning has led to over 400 SSCI journal publications. He has received numerous accolades for his work, including multiple recognitions for Outstanding Research from the National Science and Technology Council, as well as the Academic Award and Excellence in Teaching Award from the Ministry of Education, and bestowed National Professorship. In 2020, he was honored with the title of Honorary Lifetime National Chair Professor by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Taiwan, becoming the youngest person to receive this highest national honor in the field of higher education and academia.
Founded in 1976, Computers & Education, published by Elsevier, is indexed in the SSCI and SCI databases. The journal receives around 3,000 submissions annually and publishes approximately 200 papers. In his role as editor-in-chief, Tsai oversees the submission, review, and publication processes. Under his leadership, the journal's impact factor has soared to 12.0, according to the 2022 Journal Citation Reports, and is regarded by the academic community as the most influential academic journal globally in the field of e-learning as well as in education.
Dean Tsai's recalls when he was first approached by the publishers for the role of co-editor in 2009, “I felt I had no choice but to accept.” He cites his prolific output generating a high number of citation, as well as being one of few Asian scholars who actively published articles for his appointment.
In his first year as co-editor, the journal’s impact index was 2, ranking respectably at about 10th globally among educational journals. Dean Tsai said his primary goal then and now was to enhance Taiwan’s global academic standing in the field of digital learning, nevertheless, after over a decade of dedication to shaping the journal’s direction with a focus on quality and relevance in research topics, the journal’s impact index has unexpectedly risen to 12, placing it at the pinnacle of education journals globally.
With close to 3000 papers submitted to the journal each year, Tsai says around 70 percent of the submissions are rejected in the first round. “Sending out so many rejection letters was daunting initially, but I realized sending out acceptance letters was even more challenging.”
Tsai said in addition to the relevance and academic interest of the topic to the latest technological innovations, the research methods and findings in submissions must be repeatedly checked and verified before a paper is accepted. During his tenure, he has seen a shift in research themes, from internet use and adaptive learning platforms, to the integration of emerging technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and even artificial intelligence (AI) in education.
Computers & Education website：https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/computers-and-education