Editorial board membership and citation elite status in sustainability science journals

Paper in proceeding, 2026

This study investigates whether editorial board members (EBMs) of sustainability science journals occupy positions of prominence in terms of scholarly and societal impact. Using data from 29 Scopus-indexed journals, we analyzed 80,709 publications (2020-2024) and identified 2,120 editors. We assessed the degree to which EBM-authored or coauthored publications appeared among highly cited works and were cited in policy documents and patents. EBM publications constituted a minority of total research output; however, they accounted for a significantly larger share of the most highly cited papers and those referenced in policy documents, while less represented among patent-cited works. Odds ratio analyses further revealed that, relative to non-EBM publications, EBM outputs were significantly more likely to be highly cited and to inform policy, yet less likely to be cited in patents. These findings indicate that EBMs publications are associated with greater scholarly prestige and policy relevance but show weaker links to technological impact.