Most cited papers in sociology

	Paper Author(s), journal	Citations
1	Birds of a feather: Homophily in social networks M. McPherson, L. Smith-Lovin and J.%u2009M. Cook Annual Review of Sociology, : 415-444, 2001	500
2	Assessing “neighborhood effects”: Social processes and new directions in researchR.%u2009J. Sampson, J.%u2009D. Morenoff and T. Gannon-Rowley Annual Review of Sociology, 28: 443-478, 2002	442
3	Beyond social capital: Spatial dynamics of collective efficacy for children R.%u2009J. Sampson, J.%u2009D. Morenoff and F. Earls American Sociological Review, 64(5): 633-660, October 1999	389
4	Framing processes and social movements: An overview and assessment R.%u2009D. Benford and D.%u2009A. Snow Annual Review of Sociology, 26: 611-639, 2000	388
5	Conceptualizing stigma B.%u2009G. Link and J.%u2009C. Phelan Annual Review of Sociology, : 363-385, 2001	381
6	Modernization, cultural change and the persistence of traditional values R. Inglehart and W.%u2009E. Baker American Sociological Review, 65(1): 19-51, February 2000	334
7	Systematic social observation of public spaces: A new look at disorder in urban neighborhoods R.%u2009J. Sampson and S.%u2009W. Raudenbush American Journal of Sociology, 105(3): 603-651, November 1999	310
8	The consequences of divorce for adults and childrenP.%u2009R. Amato Journal of Marriage and Family, 62(4): 1269-1287, November 2000	266
9	Where do interorganizational networks come from%3F R. Gulati and M. Gargiulo American Journal of Sociology, 104(5): 1439-1493, March 1999	262
10	Is anyone doing the housework%3F Trends in the gender division of household work S.%u2009M. Bianchi, M.%u2009A. Milkie, L.%u2009C. Sayer and J.%u2009P. Robinson Social Forces, 79(1): 191-228, September 2000	221

The table above lists the ten most cited papers in sociology for the period 1 January 1999 through 31 October 2009. It is no surprise that older papers dominate the list because they have had more time to accumulate citations than more recent papers. That reviews also take the first six places is expected because they summarise currently important topics, are typically written by leaders in a field and are convenient sources of reference on a specific subject.

US researchers account for all the papers listed here; the ninth-ranked paper is co-authored by a French researcher. The Annual Review of Sociology accounts for four of the ten papers, and the American Sociological Review and the American Journal of Sociology each account for two. Robert J. Sampson, formerly based at the University of Chicago and now chairman of the department of sociology and Henry Ford II professor of the social sciences at Harvard University, is the author of three of the ten papers. Jeffrey D. Morenoff, associate professor of sociology at the University of Michigan, is author of two, both co-written with Professor Sampson.

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