European database erih+: What do you need to know?
In their work, scientists and researchers need to be careful when searching for information and publishing articles. There are many scientometrics and abstract databases, so it is important to understand which ones are high-quality and trustworthy. Today we will tell you about the European database – erih+.
What is erih+?
erih+ (European Reference Index for the Humanities) is a specialised index that includes scientific journals in the field of social sciences and humanities. Its main purpose is to provide researchers with access to high-quality publications that meet the requirements of the European Research Area. The index covers journals that meet internationally recognised standards for transparency, peer review and editorial quality.
The main goal of erih+ is to increase the visibility and accessibility of journals by supporting a policy of openness and transparency based on best editorial practices.
erih+ statistics:
- 1,981 new users annually
- The United Kingdom is the most represented country in the index
- Over 12,420 journals indexed in erih+
The role of erih+ in the scientific community
erih+ is an open index for journals in the social sciences and humanities, regardless of their language, volume, or publication model. Both specialised and widely distributed journals, which may be available either by subscription or through open access, are eligible for inclusion in erih+.
The database pays particular attention to journals created by language communities, especially in European languages other than English. As mentioned earlier, erih+'s mission is to increase the visibility and reach of such publications, as erih+ believes that these journals contribute to the richness of the publishing landscape and the advancement of scientific research.
erih+ is an important tool for researchers, librarians, research administrations and organisations that fund scientific projects. Thanks to its free access and regular updates, the index is a useful source of information for selecting relevant journals in the social sciences and humanities. This allows both individual scholars and research institutions to navigate the publishing environment.
Which scientific journals are indexed in erih+?
Europe has a diverse landscape of journals targeting specific communities. In a publishing environment dominated by large publishers, it can be difficult for such journals to gain recognition and popularity.
erih+ aims to support small businesses, community-oriented journals in their efforts to increase their visibility and establish themselves in the broader publishing context.
Open science is an integral part of modern scientific activity, and erih+ actively supports open research in all its forms. As a member of the OPERAS network, erih+ promotes open and accessible scientific publications. However, all journals, regardless of their access model, are eligible for inclusion in erih+.
Many community-owned journals are multilingual or published only in local languages. Since such non-English publications often have limited reach and smaller audiences, erih+ seeks to increase their visibility. By supporting multilingualism, the database also promotes diversity in scientific publishing.
Criteria for the inclusion of scientific journals in erih+
Only scientific journals and periodicals will be included in erih+. Books, monographs, and conference proceedings are not currently eligible for inclusion.
Journals can be submitted to erih+ by publishers, members of editorial boards or other persons involved in the publication, including researchers, research assistants, librarians, and other participants in scientific processes.
Before submitting a journal for inclusion, please assess whether it is relevant to European research and whether it will be useful to European researchers, as erih+ is primarily focused on European scientific publications.
It is important that all necessary information is openly available on the journal's official website.
General inclusion criteria:
- Valid ISSN code. The journal must have a valid ISSN code confirmed by the International ISSN Portal. Please note that journals with ISSN codes marked as “assigned for publication but not yet confirmed” or “free ISSN” will not be considered.
- Journal activity. Indexing is only possible for journals that have been active for at least two years. Compliance with the inclusion requirements will be determined based on a review of published issues over the past two years.
- Number of articles per issue. Each issue of the journal must contain at least 5 scientific articles.
- Abstracts in English. All original articles must be accompanied by abstracts in English.
- Information about authors. Information about the institutional affiliation of all authors publishing articles in the journal must be provided.
Criteria for inclusion of a journal in erih+
| Website |
- The journal must have a valid ISSN - Description of the review process - Complete list of editorial board members, including their institutional affiliation and academic title - Description of the journal's purpose, theme, and target audience - Archive containing at least the last two years of publications - Description of publication frequency (if a specific frequency is indicated, it must be confirmed by the publication history) - Description of the journal's guidelines for ethical publication - Description of the journal's copyright policy - Description of the journal's rules regarding plagiarism - Description of the journal's policy on open access publishing - Description of the journal's policy on article processing charges (APC) |
| Expert assessment |
- The review process should be described in detail on the website, not limited to a mere mention of reviewing - Editors should avoid conflicts of interest between authors and reviewers |
| Editorial board |
- The journal must have a scientific editorial board with at least three members - A complete list of editors, their institutional affiliations and academic titles must be available on the journal's website - If the journal is published by a university or other institution, at least one-third of the board must be from another organisation |
| Authorship |
- The affiliations of authors must be accessible to all authors published in the journal - The authorship of the journal must be national or international, but cannot be local - Authorship is considered local if more than two-thirds of the authors in the last two years of publications are representatives of the same institution |
| European relevance |
- Are there any scholars affiliated with European institutions among the members of the editorial board? - Does the journal publish articles by authors affiliated with European institutions? - Is the journal submitted for inclusion by a person (or persons) affiliated with a European institution? - Does the journal cover topics relevant to the European scientific community? |
| Special issues |
- Special issues are subject to the editor's approval and must comply with the journal's rules and guidelines - They must have a clear thematic unity between articles, and the topic must be consistent with the journal's objectives and scope |
Exclusion of scientific journals from erih+
erih+ has the right to exclude journals from the index without prior notice.
Journals are indexed at the request of scientists affiliated with universities and independent research organisations, and only if they meet the requirements of erih+.
The decision to index, reject or exclude journals is made by the erih+ team. Once a journal has been excluded from the index, new material from that journal will not be evaluated for the next two years.
For researchers in the humanities and social sciences, erih+ is a valuable tool for starting a career and integrating into the international scientific community. Publications in this database will also be a useful tool for enhancing a researcher's professional authority and will have a positive impact on interest in their publications.
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