The Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte: Content Analysis and Publication Characteristics

ABSTRACT The Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte is a leading journal in the area of Reformation history with a long publication history. Content analysis, as a means toward understanding publication patterns, has been frequently used to study hard and soft science periodicals but seldom used to examine religion-oriented journals. This study was designed to describe a number of publication characteristics about the Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte over a new twenty-five year span (an expansion of an earlier study) culminating in a fifty year assessment. Results are presented on authorship (gender, language, institutional affiliations, and country of residence) subject content (Reformation figure geographic location, and dates), a review of the Board of Editors, a couple of other special features and a concluding analysis.