Professor Patricia Crawford Leads Top-Ranked Journal in Early Childhood Education
The publication has grown in submissions and prestige throughout her tenure
School of Education Professor Patricia Crawford, the editor-in-chief of Early Childhood Education Journal, was thrilled when the publication reached the #1 spot on Google Scholar’s rankings in the Early Childhood Education category—a significant achievement in the competitive world of academic publishing.
“I was excited,” Crawford recalls of discovering the news in summer 2025.
Already a leading publication in the field of early childhood education, the journal’s continued rise has been impressive, moving from being in the top 20, to number two, and now to the top position.
Achieving Remarkable Growth
Crawford has been chief editor of the Early Childhood Education Journal since 2020, after being co-editor-in-chief in 2019. Under her leadership, the journal has experienced exponential growth, going from about 350-375 manuscript submissions annually—already a substantial workload— to around 1,200-1,300 submissions expected by the end of this year.
In addition to Crawford, School of Education faculty members Johanna Higgins and Michelle Sobolak are part of the journal’s editorial board.
Crawford credits the journal’s success to the increasingly diverse nature of submissions, both in content and the contributor demographics.
“We have large swaths of people from all over the world who submit, with big upticks from people in Asian countries, particularly,” she said.
The journal, based in the Netherlands and published by Springer Nature, has benefited from a global network and technological advances. While published in English, modern translation tools have made the journal more accessible to international researchers eager to publish their work.
Crawford has also observed trends in submission topics, including a surge in research related to the impact of technology and AI on young children as well as an increased focus on health and well-being following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Windows, Mirrors, and A Full Circle
Crawford’s passion for children’s literature is evident in her work and teaching. A lifelong educator who knew from childhood that she wanted to be a teacher, she started her career as a kindergarten and first-grade teacher in Indiana, Pennsylvania.
She frequently references educator Rudine Sims Bishop’s saying about books serving as “windows and mirrors,” providing children with both reflections of their own experiences and glimpses into other perspectives.
“I love that metaphor,” she said.
After decades working with thousands of students, Crawford is most inspired by watching her doctoral students in the PhD in Language, Literacy, and Culture program develop into professionals at the top of their field.
“As I go back to conferences to present about reading and books or development, my former students are next to me and presenting,” she said. “It’s wonderful to see your students later become your colleagues and share the same kind of interests.”
