Key Performance Indicators for Social-Science and Humanities Journals: Editorial

(Abdulrahman Essa Al Lily , Abdelrahim Fathy Ismail , Khaled Saad Ben-Motreb , Misfer S. AlSalouli , Fathi Mohammed Abunasser , Ayth Ibrahim Almubarak , Ahmed Ali Alhazmi , Amani Khalaf Alghamdi , Ali Khalifa Abdullatif , Mohammed Abdullatif Almulla , Mahdi Mohammed Alamri and AlJohara Fahad Khalid Al Saud)

---

Abstract

Twelve academic critics (interested in the management of academic journals) have been invited to partake in the composition of this editorial. They have engaged in three main rounds to craft standards for journals. Five holistic standards have been manufactured, each one consisting of measurable key performance indicators. The first is human potential, which discusses, for instance, the representation of genders among editorial board members and reviewers. The second is ethics, for example, problematising the practice of judging articles and journals merely based on their ability to attract citations, and thus make a so-called ‘impact’. The third is regulations, deeming it necessary to ensure transparency and protect authors' rights (e.g. by publishing the expected time from submission to first decisions). The fourth is digital quality, such as the online publication of manuscripts right after their acceptance. The fifth is technical sophistication, including the availability of regularly published statistics on the journal’s workflow. This editorial has three strong points: first, it discusses the proposed standards by comparing them with existing standards imposed by major organisations (namely Scopus and Clarivate); second, it sheds light on potential challenges that may be encountered when exposing Arab journals to the proposed standards, hoping that these standards act as a starting point for a fundamental reform in Arab journals; third, it evaluates the Scientific Journal of King Faisal University according to the proposed standards, thereby empirically testing out these standards.

KEYWORDS
Arab academia, Clarivate, ISI, Measurement, Publication, Scopus.

PDF

References

Abdul Rahim, A.M. (2016). al'iintaj alfikraa li'aeda' hayyat altadris bijamieat suhaj almusajil fa qawaeid albayanat alduwaliati: Dirasat tahliliati ‘The intellectual production of faculty members at Sohag University registered in international databases: An analytical study’. Recent Trends in Library and Information, 23(46), 253–83. [in Arabic]
Ahmed, O.L.M. (2018). al'iintaj aleilmiu almisria fi qawaeid bayanat alaistishhadat: dirasat mqarnt laqaeidati Web of Science & SCOPUS ‘Egyptian Scientific Production in Citation Databases: A Comparative Study of the Web of Science & SCOPUS Database’. Recent Trends in Library and Information, 25(50), 347–83. [in Arabic]
Al Busaidia, H.K.R. (2014). Khasayis Alnitaj Alfikrii Li'aeda' Hayyat Altadris Bijamieatay Alsultan Qabws Walmalik Eibdaleziz Almukashif Fi Qaeidat Bayanat Scopus Min 1986–2013: Dirasatan Bibiliumitriatin ‘Characteristics of the Intellectual Output of the Faculty Members at Sultan Qaboos University and King Abdulaziz University in the Scopus Database From 1986 To 2013: A Bibliometric Study’. Master Thesis. College of Arts and Social Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. [in Arabic]
Aleaqab, K. (2018). al'iintaj aleilmiu liljamieat aljazayiriat khilal alfatrat 2000–2014 ‘Scientific production of the University of Algiers during the period 2000–2014’. Journal of Law and Human Sciences, 11(supplement), 80–91. [in Arabic]
Ali, O.H.A. (2015). al'iintajiat aleilmiat li'aeda' hayyat altadris bijamieat binha almutahat fa qaeidat bayanat sukubis Scopus: Dirasat bibiliumitriat ‘The scientific productivity of faculty members at the University of Benha, available in the Scopus database: A bibliometric study’. Index Journal, 52(51), 51–82. [in Arabic]
Al-Khatib, K.M. (2020). Waqie Albahth Aleilmii fi Alwatan Alearabii (2008- 2018) Dirasatan Wasafiatan Tahliliat ‘The Reality of Scientific Research in the Arab World (2008-2018): An Analytical Descriptive Study’. Qatar: The Arab Scientific Society Organization. [in Arabic]
Eid, S.A. (2016). aldawriaat almisriat fi qawaeid bayanat al'iistishhadat almarjieiat alealamiati: Dirasat tahliliati ‘Egyptian Journals in global citation databases: An analytical study’. International Journal of Library and Information Sciences, 3(3), 11–54. [in Arabic]
Huang, P. C. (2018). Citation indexes: Uses and misuses. Modern China, 44(6), 559–90.
Khalifa, M.A.S. (2017). taqyim aldawriaat aleilmiat alearabiat fi daw' almaeayir alduwaliat liqawaeid albayanat wa'adilat aldawriaat: dawriaat almaktabat walmelwmat nmwdhjaan ‘Evaluating Arab scientific periodicals in light of international standards for databases and periodicals directories: Library and information periodicals as a model’. Cybrarians Journal, 48(2017), 1–33. [in Arabic]
Lahiry, S., Sinha, R. and Thakur, S. (2019). Impact factor: Does it really have an impact? Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology, 85(5), 541.
Lariviere, V. and Sugimoto, C. R. (2019). ‘The journal impact factor: A brief history, critique, and discussion of adverse effects’. In: W. Glänzel, H.F. Moed, U. Schmoch and M. Thelwall (eds.) Springer Handbook of Science and Technology Indicators (pp. 3–24). Berlin: Springer.
Sayah, A.A. (2021). Almajallat Aleilmiat Almahkamat fi Aleulum Alshareiati: Jame Wataqdimu ‘Refereed Scientific Journals in Sharia Sciences: Collection and Presentation’. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University. [in Arabic]
Valderrama, Á., Jiménez-Contreras, E., Valderrama, P., Escabias, M. and Baca, P. (2019). Is the trend to publish reviews and clinical trials related to the journal impact factor? Analysis in dentistry field. Accountability in Research, 26(7), 427–38.
Wouters, P., Sugimoto, C. R., Larivière, V., McVeigh, M. E., Pulverer, B., de Rijcke, S. and Waltman, L. (2019). Rethinking impact factors: Better ways to judge a journal. Nature, 28 May 2019.