SV: [SIGMETRICS] What is an International Journal?

[Fredrik Åström]

Hi there,
that is an interesting question:
- is it based on where the editorial board comes from?
- is it based on where the contributing authors comes from?
- is it based on to what extent the journal is read internationally?

The issue was debated in Europe in relation to an intiative by the European Science Foundation (ESF: http://www.esf.org/) where the compiled a ranked/categorized list of journals in the humanities, the European Reference Index of Humanities (ERIH: http://www.esf.org/research-areas/humanities/research-infrastructures-including-erih.html), and one of the criteria for ranking/categorization was whether the journal was national or international. Their definition is as follows:
"A journal is international (Categories A and B) when the following requirements are
fulfilled in addition to those that apply to all journals:
• A genuine, varied and regular international cohort of contributors and readership
• Consistently high-quality scholarly content
• Broad consensus within the field concerning international status and visibility
[...]
• Active international advisory board"
(Guidelines..., http://www.esf.org/index.php?eID=tx_nawsecuredl&u=0&file=fileadmin/be_user/research_areas/HUM/Documents/ERIH/ERIH%20summary_guidelines_Sept_07.pdf&t=1252055978&hash=6919297e2e860d8c6a211900d855902d)

I know I've read at least on paper discussing this definition and its problems, but can't quite remember title, author or in what context. Sorry about that.

All the best,
Fredrik
______________________________
Fredrik Åström, PhD
Lund University Libraries, Head Office
P.O. Box 134
SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden

Email: fredrik.astrom at lub.lu.se
Phone: +46 (0)46-222 7325
Fax: +46 (0)46-222 3682
Cell: +46 (0)70-494 33 46
________________________________________
Från: ASIS&T Special Interest Group on Metrics [SIGMETRICS at LISTSERV.UTK.EDU] för Ruben Urbizagastegui [ruben at UCR.EDU]
Skickat: den 2 september 2009 23:33
Till: SIGMETRICS at LISTSERV.UTK.EDU
Ämne: [SIGMETRICS] What is an International Journal?


Hi you guys there,

I am trying to write a paper on author productivity and publishing in scholarly journals. I have read a lot about this topic and insistently some of you guys talk about the need for an author to  publish in "an International journal". But what is an international journal? What features should have a journal to be international? It really exist an international Journal?

When we talk about books, we tend not to think in an international book, or an international dissertation, or an international grey literature. This way of thinking only show up with journals.

I hope some of you can help me to clarified this issue.

Thank you very much for all you help.


Ruben Urbizagastegui
University of California, Riverside
University Libraries
P.O. Box 5900
Riverside, California 92517-5900