The concept for the Journal of Career Assessment (JCA) was developed in 1989 by W. Bruce Walsh of Ohio State University. On June 7, 1991, Robert Smith of Psychological Assessment Resources accepted the proposal to become the publisher of JCA. In January 1993, the first issue was published. Walsh was the first editor of the journal. The main thrust of the journal is to publish methodologically sound, empirically based studies focused on the process and techniques by which counselors and others gain understanding of the individual faced with the necessity of making informed career decisions. The term career assessment, as used in this journal, covers various techniques, tests, inventories, rating scales, interview schedules, surveys, and direct observational methods used in scientifically based practice and research to provide an improved understanding of career decision making. The focus is not just testing, but all those means developed and used to assess and evaluate individuals, organizations, and environments in the field of career psychology, counseling, and development. Assessment is broadly defined to include the full range of assessment perspectives (objective, subjective, projective, behavioral, interactional, and developmental). A real strength of JCA is the focus on career assessment as it reflects the convergence of theory, research, and practice in diverse cultures throughout the world.
A change for the journal occurred in 2002. Sage Publications in Thousand Oaks, California, agreed to commence publication of JCA beginning with volume 10, issue 1, 2002. Since 1965, Sage has been devoted to publishing a number of journals in the fields of education and psychology. They are known for their flexibility, extensive worldwide marketing, proficient editing and production, and expertise in collaborating with professional organizations. It was a good fit for the journal.
The journal is abstracted or indexed in Abstract Journal of the Educational Resources Center, Current Contents: Social & Behavioral Sciences, Current Index to Journals in Education, Psychological Abstracts, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Social Sciences Citation Index. The Social Sciences Citation Index consistently ranks JCA among the top journals in the field of career psychology and assessment. The Social Sciences Prestige Factor also ranks JCA among the top journals in the field of counseling and vocational psychology.
Over the years the journal has published a number of special issues on topics such as career assessment for women, the assessment of interests, the use of personality inventories in career assessment, career assessment with racial and ethnic minorities, theory and career assessment, career assessment and the Internet, cognitive career assessment, qualitative career assessment, and career assessment and self-efficacy.
The journal continues to be published 4 times a year with an average of 125 pages per issue. The editorial board consists of about 25 professional counseling psychologists. A blind review process is used to evaluate manuscripts.
Reference:
- Journal of Career Assessment: http://jca.sagepub.com/