FAQ
Shortcut to general FAQs
Does the categorisation A, B and C reflect differences in quality? | |
Do all the journals belonging to the A category publish only in English? | |
Shortcut to feedback form FAQs
- General feedback form FAQs
- Feedback form FAQs from editors and publishers
I disagree with the classification of my journal on the ERIH list. What can I do? |
Why create ERIH?
The most important stimulus for creating ERIH was the concern of funding agencies and research communities regarding the low visibility of European Humanities research. It was found that this was partly due to the lack of suitable tools to show the range of high-quality publishing activity of European researchers. Many of the available databases were - and still are - limited in coverage and tend to be centred on Anglo-American publication.
What is included in ERIH?
ERIH includes good, peer-reviewed research journals in 15 broad disciplines of the Humanities. The establishment of new panels for emerging areas of Humanities scholarship (e.g. media studies, ethics) is under consideration.
Why are monographs not included in ERIH?
Monographs are an important publication medium in Humanities research. The intention is to include them in the next stage of the project.
ERIH is being constructed in a step by step manner, starting with peer-reviewed research journals, then moving on to the more challenging task of including monographs (mainly series of monographs, conference proceedings, edited volumes, etc.).
Why are some yearbooks included and others not?
Regardless of the title of the serial, a yearbook is included if it follows the same rules as scientific journals, i.e. if it is good quality as defined for the research journals; if the submission of papers is open to all researchers; if the manuscripts go through a peer review process; etc.
Who is responsible for compiling the lists?
ERIH has been produced by European scholars for the benefit of European scholarship. 15 Expert Panels, one for each discipline in ERIH, have analysed and assessed journal lists initially provided by the participating ESF Member Organisations.
Feedback from a consultation of national funding agencies, academies, subject associations etc. in 2006, involving also a wide range of European scholars through their subject associations, specialised research centres and universities, provided further input for the Panels.
How have the 'initial' lists been compiled?
The raw material, i.e. proposals for journals, for the “initial lists” was provided by the participating ESF Member Organisations, who for their part had either consulted scholars through national consultation exercises, or relied on existing national reference tools.
Following decision on the 15 disciplinary domains by the ERIH Steering Committee,
15 Expert Panels were set up to define the scope of their remit and to analyse and assess the journal lists according to the guidelines (PDF 79.3 KB) approved by the Steering Committee.
Draft lists were produced in late autumn 2006. The lists were then subjected to wide consultation involving ESF Member Organisations, European level and some national subject associations and specialist research centres. Having assessed the feedback, the Panels produced their 'initial lists' in the autumn of 2006, which were subsequently validated by the SCH and HERA Network Board.
The Steering Committee has adviced the Panels on issues relating to harmonisation of the lists.
Who is responsible for the process used in compiling ERIH?
Overall responsibility for the project lies with the ESF Standing Committee for the Humanities. The SCH currently consists of representatives for ESF Member Organisations from 30 European countries. Many SCH members are chairs of research councils and researchers themselves.
ERIH also reports to the governance structure of the EC-financed ERA-NET project HERA (“Humanities in the European Research Area”).
Responsibility for operational decisions concerning ERIH lies with a small Steering Committee appointed by the SCH.
How often are the lists updated?
The first update will take place within a year of the publication of the lists, i.e. in 2008. After that updates are expected to take place every 4 years.
Does the categorisation A, B and C reflect differences in quality?
The distinction between the categories A,B and C is not primarily qualitative; rather, the categorisation is determined by a combination of characteristics related to scope and audience (see the guidelines (PDF 79.3 KB) for definition).
Journals have different profiles, and their scope of audience and field vary. Papers in journals with wide international prestige are not automatically of higher quality than papers in journals which are known and read only in a very specialised field. Similarly, a paper published in the native language in a journal which has only local importance can lead to a strong impact for a certain type of research.
The Expert Panels emphasise that high quality research appears in journals throughout all three categories.
Do the C journals make up some kind of residual category?
No.
All the journals that are included in ERIH are by definition good scientific journals. As such, “C” journals are therefore defined by their scope, audience and, sometimes, authorship. They are important venues of publication, for example, for research of great importance for specific language communities.
The “C” category represents the real European added value of ERIH. Unlike the journals in the two other categories, “C” journals listed in ERIH fully reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity of Humanities research production in Europe. For many of them, ERIH offers the first opportunity to gain wide visibility also within less specialised research communities.
Do all the journals belonging to the A category publish only in English?
No.
The diversity of languages used in Humanities research is important, in terms of both authors and readers. The key for inclusion in the “A” category is not the language used, but the range of readership.
In ERIH, any “forum” language for a research field can be international, although English remains the most prominent one.
Why is a categorisation needed? Why not use impact factors?
In many fields of science research, the prestige and weight of a journal is determined by calculating its impact factor based on citations. This bibliometric tool is restricted to fully-blown databases, such as the one provide by ISI Thomson. In these databases, European Humanities scholarship is not adequately represented – “impact factors” therefore tend to distort any measurement of multilingual, European Humanities scholarship.
There is also strong methodological criticism about such a mechanistic approach, as it reflects the volume and the range of different fields of science rather than the quality of the papers themselves. Furthermore, data and impact factors for emerging fields are difficult to capture through such methodologies. In the Humanities, such a procedure would result in omitting journals covering small fields.
The peer review procedure used in compiling the ERIH lists, was considered, certainly in the early stages, to better reflect the prestige of a journal. It is also the norm for other forms of scientific interactions.
How can the lists of journals be used?
The ERIH does not encourage using the lists as a basis for calculations in order to assess individual candidates for positions or applicants for research grants. Rather, they may provide a useful tool for aggregate bench-marking of national research systems, for example in order to determine the international standing of the research activity carried out in a given field in a particular country. For individual scholars, the lists will be a useful reference tool when considering where to submit research articles.
What are the future plans for ERIH?
Some fields of Humanities research have not yet been covered (such as media studies and ethics). Consideration will be given to this issue. Edited volumes and monographs continue to be major publication channels in the Humanities, and the intention is to include them in the next stage of the project. ERIH aims to be the platform for the construction of a research information system for European Humanities research. It will provide a research infrastructure for the mapping and better dissemination of European, journal-based research in the Humanities. By the same token, ERIH lists can be useful as a basis for VLE systems (Virtual Learning Environment).
Why must I use the ERIH feedback form?
Due to the large number of feedback comments that ERIH expects to receive pertaining to future list updates, we recognize that information about journals must be collected, maintained and channeled in a rigorous and structured way.
To this end, we would ask you to please send us the relevant quantitative and qualitative data about your journal via the online mechanism that we have set up.
To access it, please point your browser to http://www2.esf.org/asp/form/sch/erih/index.asp
I am having a problem with the feedback form. May I post the hard copy to the ERIH office?
No.
Due to the large number of feedback comments that ERIH expects to receive pertaining to future list updates, we recognize that information about journals must be collected, maintained and channeled in a rigorous and structured way. Therefore, we cannot accept hard copy feedback, or feedback that is sent via email.
If you encounter any difficulties using the feedback form, please contact us directly and we will endeavour to remedy the problem for you.
Where can I preview the questions that are included in the ERIH feedback form?
At present, it is not possible to save the ERIH feedback form in media res and return to it at a later time. The following documents have therefore been made available to enable interested parties to preview the questions that are contained in the form before entering the feedback mechanism proper.
The ERIH feedback form asks for some information about the identity of the person who is filling out the form (i.e. whether they are Editors, Publishers or in a University). Depending on which option is chosen, an individual has more or less obligatory fields to fill out. For example, somebody working in a University can answer 'Don't know' to the question: 'Percentage of journal subscriptions from outside the publishing country' but a publisher is asked to choose one of a number of figure ranges.
To enable people to preview relevant questions before entering the feedback mechanism proper the following forms can now be downloaded:
The feedback form asks specific questions about e.g. the peer review process that only the editor or publisher of the journal is likely to know. What can I do?
The ERIH feedback form asks for some information about the identity of the person who is filling out the form (i.e. whether they are Editors, Publishers or in a University). Depending on which option is chosen, an individual has more or less obligatory fields to fill out. For example, somebody working in a University can answer 'Don't know' to the question: 'Percentage of journal subscriptions from outside the publishing country' but a publisher is asked to choose one of a number of figure ranges.
What happens the information that is submitted via the ERIH feedback form?
The quantitative and qualitative data that is submitted to the ERIH office via the feedback mechanism will be delivered to the Expert Panels for consideration at a formal meeting of the Expert Panels that is scheduled to take place in late 2008. After the Panels have reassessed the ERIH "initial Lists" in the light of the feedback data, and the ERIH summary guidelines, they will be submitted to the ERIH Steering Committee for accreditation. After the satisfactory completion of this process the updated lists will then be published.
A journal I suscribe to / read is not on the ERIH list. What can I do?
If you propose that a journal you read / subscribe to should be on the ERIH list, please send us the relevant quantitative and qualitative data about that journal via the online mechanism that we have set up.
To access it, please point your browser to http://www2.esf.org/asp/form/sch/erih/index.asp
Please note that feedback submitted through this mechanism will be of crucial importance in the updating of the ERIH “initial Lists” and will be delivered to the Expert Panels for consideration at a formal meeting of the Expert panels that is scheduled to take place in late 2008.
I disagree with the classification of a journal on the ERIH list. What can I do?
If you propose that the current classification of your journal on the ERIH lists should be changed, please send us the relevant quantitative and qualitative data about your journal via the online mechanism that we have set up.
To access it, please point your browser to http://www2.esf.org/asp/form/sch/erih/index.asp
Please note that feedback submitted through this mechanism will be of crucial importance in the updating of the ERIH “initial Lists” and will be delivered to the Expert Panels for consideration at a formal meeting of the Expert panels that is scheduled to take place in late 2008.
The 'status' question in the ERIH feedback form asks me to specify whether I am an editor, a publisher or an academic. Why is this important?
Though you may also be an Academic, if you are filling out an ERIH feedback form for a journal that you edit/publish, please note that it is of crucial importance that you identify yourself as the Editor/Publisher of that journal in the feedback form.
This will help us to make the most accurate analysis of your feedback. Also, it will prevent you from receiving automated reminders to complete an ERIH feedback form for your journal.
I disagree with the classification of my journal on the ERIH list. What can I do?
If you propose that the current classification of your journal on the ERIH lists should be changed, please send us the relevant quantitative and qualitative data about your journal via the online mechanism that we have set up.
To access it, please point your browser to http://www2.esf.org/asp/form/sch/erih/index.asp
Please note that feedback submitted through this mechanism will be of crucial importance in the updating of the ERIH “initial Lists” and will be delivered to the Expert Panels for consideration at a formal meeting of the Expert panels that is scheduled to take place in late 2008.
My journal is not on the ERIH list. What can I do?
If your journal is not on the ERIH list, please send us the relevant quantitative and qualitative data about your journal via the online mechanism that we have set up.
To access it, please point your browser to http://www2.esf.org/asp/form/sch/erih/index.asp
Please note that the feedback submitted through this mechanism will be of crucial importance in the updating of the ERIH “initial Lists” and will be delivered to the Expert Panels for consideration at a formal meeting of the Expert panels that is scheduled to take place in late 2008.
