About This Journal
The Pennsylvania Economic Review is a biannual and refereed journal sponsored by the Pennsylvania Economic Association. During the 1990 PEA Fall Board Meeting in Gettysburg, several directors expressed concerns about the limited academic recognition of non-peer-reviewed PEA Conference Proceedings. While it would have been great for the PEA to publish a formal journal, conventional publishing through established firms, common in that era of less advanced technology, proved too costly for the PEA’s size.
Recognizing the potential of personal computers and word-processing software, Timothy F. Kearney, then an ex-officio director, proposed a bold solution: a peer-reviewed journal published by the PEA itself. Demonstrating resourcefulness, he envisioned editing the journal electronically and leveraged the expertise of his friend, Bob Firth, who owned a print shop (Informing Design Inc.). This innovative approach, born out of necessity in a time of limited technological options, laid the groundwork for the PER’s publication. With the board’s approval, Bob Firth agreed to print the journal for free, provided that he has creative control over its design. The board christened the new publication the Pennsylvania Economic Review.
The first issue of the PER underwent a rigorous peer-review process, with each article reviewed by two anonymous experts on the editorial board. Timothy Kearney, Cindy Benzing (West Chester University), Marvin Margolis (Millersville University), Elizabeth Hill (PSU-Mont Alto), and the late Derrick Gondwe (Gettysburg College) were among the esteemed reviewers.
Over the years, the journal has continuously improved and gained recognition by being indexed in Cabell’s, ABDC, and other reputable journal rating services.
A Legacy of Excellence (1991-Present)
Since its inception, the PER has flourished under the leadership of subsequent editors:
- Cindy Benzing, West Chester University, 1991-1994
- Marvin S. Margolis, Millersville University of Pennsylvania, 1994-1998
- David B. Culp, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, 1998-2001
- David B. Yerger, Lycoming College, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2001-2005
- John M. Misner, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, 2006-2008
- Thomas Tolin & Orhan Kara, West Chester University, 2010-2018
- Orhan Kara, West Chester University, 2019-Present
Indexed in "
style="text-align: start, color: rgb(0, 0, 0), ">Note that the Pennsylvania Economic Review is featured in Cabell’s Directory of Publishing Opportunities in Economics & Finance, and articles are listed in the EBSCO database with full-text reference. PER is also listed in ABDC Journal Quality List.
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