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Changing publication patterns in the Social Sciences and Humanities, 2000–2009

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Abstract

An analysis of the changing publication patterns in the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in the period 2000–2009 is presented on the basis of the VABB-SHW, a full coverage database of peer reviewed publication output in SSH developed for the region of Flanders, Belgium. Data collection took place as part of the Flemish performance-based funding system for university research. The development of the database is described and an overview of its contents presented. In terms of coverage of publications by the Web of Science we observe considerable differences across disciplines in the SSH. The overall growth rate in number of publications is over 62.1%, but varies across disciplines between 7.5 and 172.9%. Publication output grew faster in the Social Sciences than in the Humanities. A steady increase in the number and the proportion of publications in English is observed, going hand in hand with a decline in publishing in Dutch and other languages. However, no overall shift away from book publishing is observed. In the Humanities, the share of book publications even seems to be increasing. The study shows that additional full coverage regional databases are needed to be able to characterise publication output in the SSH.

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Notes

  1. Publications by researchers employed at university colleges are also accepted for inclusion in the VABB-SHW database. However, not all university colleges submitted data regarding publications carrying an address of their institution because these publications, while included in the publicly accessible online version of the VABB-SHW, are not taken into account for the calculation of the BOF-key. Hence, given the incomplete character of the data supplied by the university colleges, we limit our analysis to the publications written by scholars affiliated with one or more Flemish universities.

  2. More information regarding MODS can be found at http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/, while the VABB–MODS as well as the parser is available at http://anet.ua.ac.be/desktop/vabb/.

  3. In this study all journal articles receive a weight of 1.0. For the exact calculation of the BOF-key, however, journal articles that are indexed in the SCIE and/or the SSCI in a journal that has an impact factor are weighted according to the JCR Impact Factor in order to take into account the status of the journal (Debackere and Glänzel 2008).

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank all colleagues who helped in building and analyzing the VABB-SHW database, in particular the colleagues in the libraries and the departments of research affairs, the chair and the members of the GP, and Rudi Baccarne, Kirsten Cornelissen, Jan Corthouts, Koenraad Debackere, Nele Dexters, Alain Descamps, Danielle Gilliot, Wolfgang Glänzel, Marc Luwel, Saskia Peersman, Richard Philips, Ronald Rousseau, and Bart Thijs. We are grateful to the Flemish Government for providing an adequate legal framework and funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for R&D Monitoring (ECOOM), University of Antwerp, Middelheimlaan 1, 2020, Antwerpen, Belgium

    Tim C. E. Engels & Truyken L. B. Ossenblok

  2. Antwerp Maritime Academy, Noordkasteel-Oost 6, 2030, Antwerpen, Belgium

    Tim C. E. Engels

  3. Department of Research Affaires, University of Antwerp, Middelheimlaan 1, 2020, Antwerpen, Belgium

    Eric H. J. Spruyt

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  1. Tim C. E. Engels
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Correspondence to Tim C. E. Engels.

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Engels, T.C.E., Ossenblok, T.L.B. & Spruyt, E.H.J. Changing publication patterns in the Social Sciences and Humanities, 2000–2009. Scientometrics 93, 373–390 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-012-0680-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-012-0680-2

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