ABDC Journal List: Complete Guide for Researchers (2026)
Meet the Expert
Shruti Sharma
Academic Writing Coach & Research Communication Specialist
- Guided 100+ management faculty and FPM/PhD scholars on ABDC journal selection and publishing strategy
- Expertise in ABDC, ABS, Scopus, and SSCI journal landscape for business research
- Helped IIM faculty and B-school researchers target appropriate journals for their research
The ABDC Journal Quality List is the leading quality ranking for management and business research journals, developed by the Australian Business Deans Council. For management researchers in India — at IIMs, B-schools, and management departments — ABDC ranking is an increasingly important indicator of journal prestige alongside Scopus and Web of Science indexing.
ABDC Journal Ranking Tiers Explained
| Tier | Description | % of Journals | Equivalent ABS Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| A* | World elite — top management journals; highly rigorous peer review; international prestige | ~7% | 4* / 4 |
| A | High quality — significant contribution to field; strong peer review standards | ~21% | 3 |
| B | Good quality — solid, peer-reviewed; recognised contributions to field | ~29% | 2 |
| C | Recognised peer-reviewed journals — lower impact but legitimate | ~43% | 1 |
ABDC vs Scopus vs Web of Science vs UGC CARE
| System | Type | Coverage | Use in India |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABDC | Quality ranking list | Business & Management only | IIMs, top B-schools for faculty evaluation |
| ABS (UK) | Quality ranking list | Business & Management only | Some Indian B-schools with UK connections |
| Scopus | Citation database | All disciplines (27,000+ journals) | UGC API, promotions, PhD requirement |
| Web of Science / SSCI | Citation database | All disciplines; SSCI = Social Sciences | High-prestige metric for STEM and social sciences |
| UGC CARE List | Approved journal list | All disciplines, India-specific | API points, PhD publication requirement |
Top ABDC A* Journals by Management Sub-field
| Sub-field | Top ABDC A* Journals |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Strategic Management Journal, Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly |
| Finance | Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, Review of Financial Studies |
| Marketing | Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research |
| Operations Management | Management Science, Operations Research, Journal of Operations Management |
| Information Systems | MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, Journal of MIS |
| HR / OB | Academy of Management Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology |
| Accounting | The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting Research, Accounting, Organisations and Society |
ABDC A* vs FT50: Which Matters More?
The FT50 (Financial Times Top 50 Journals) is used by top global business schools (INSEAD, LBS, Wharton) for faculty appointments and rankings. Most FT50 journals are ABDC A*. For Indian B-school faculty at IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta, publications in FT50/ABDC A* journals significantly accelerate promotion and international recognition. For faculty at tier-2 B-schools, ABDC A or B journals combined with Scopus Q1/Q2 are more realistic and equally recognised for UGC purposes.
Need help identifying the right ABDC journal for your management research and writing a publication-ready paper? Our management research specialists can guide your journal strategy.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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The ABDC (Australian Business Deans Council) Journal Quality List is a ranking of academic journals in business and management, maintained by the Australian Business Deans Council. It categorises journals into four tiers: A* (top 7% — world elite), A (high quality), B (well-regarded), and C (recognised but lower impact). The list is widely used by Australian universities for research evaluation and is increasingly referenced by Indian B-schools (IIMs, XLRI, MDI) and UGC for evaluating faculty research quality.
ABDC ranking tiers: A* — Highest quality journals; top 7% of all management journals; equivalent to ABS 4*/3 or FT50; examples: Management Science, Journal of Marketing, Strategic Management Journal, MIS Quarterly. A — High quality, well-regarded journals; significant contribution to field; examples: Journal of Business Ethics, International Journal of HRM, Journal of World Business. B — Good quality, peer-reviewed journals that make solid contributions. C — Recognised journals that are peer-reviewed but have lower impact. Journals not listed are unranked/not evaluated.
Scopus (Elsevier) and Web of Science (Clarivate) are citation databases that index a broad range of journals for citation tracking. ABDC and ABS (Association of Business Schools) are quality ranking lists specifically for business and management journals. Key difference: Scopus just indexes a journal (it's either in or not); ABDC ranks the quality within that universe (A*, A, B, C). A paper in a Scopus Q1 journal may be ABDC B or C; a paper in an ABDC A* journal is always highly prestigious. Both rankings matter and are often used together.
Yes. IIMs, XLRI, MDI Gurgaon, XIMB, and other top Indian B-schools increasingly recognise ABDC ranking for faculty performance evaluation, research grant allocation, and promotion decisions. Some IIMs have explicit guidelines for research quality that reference ABDC A*/A publications. IIM Ahmedabad's FPM (Fellow Programme in Management — their PhD) faculty and research scholars are expected to publish in ABDC A*/A or FT50 journals. UGC's CARE list does not directly use ABDC but several ABDC A*/A journals also appear on the CARE list.
The ABDC Journal Quality List is freely available online. To access: (1) Go to the Australian Business Deans Council website: abdc.edu.au; (2) Navigate to 'Research' → 'ABDC Journal Quality List'; (3) Download the current Excel/PDF list or use the searchable online version. The list is updated periodically — the most recent major revision was in 2022. You can search by journal name, ISSN, or field area. Some third-party tools like Scimago also indicate ABDC ranking alongside SJR.
Top ABDC A* journals: Management Science, Journal of Finance, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Strategic Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Accounting Research, MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, Journal of Operations Management, Organisation Science. These journals typically have acceptance rates of 5–15% and are the most prestigious publication venues in their respective management sub-fields.