ABSTRACT
The problems of selecting mathematics research journals are reviewed, with particular emphasis on the best matching of multispecialty mathematics journals with given mathematical specialties. A simple method involving Mathematical Reviews classification numbers identified the specialties of 21,332 papers published between 1972 and 1979 in 30 multispecialty mathematics journals. The journals’ underlying subject strengths are reported and compared. This reveals strong subject biases in several journals as well as a general pattern of subject polarization. The results are discussed in light of the current academic politics of Pure Mathematics versus Applied Mathematics.
