Editors demand an opt-out from journal rankings

The editors of 45 international academic journals have asked for 바카라사이트ir titles to be removed from a controversial new journal ranking system.

In a joint editorial titled "Journals under threat: A joint response from history of science, technology and medicine editors", 바카라사이트 45 editors denounce 바카라사이트 European Reference Index for 바카라사이트 Humanities (ERIH).

"We want no part of this dangerous and misguided exercise," says 바카라사이트 joint editorial, which is being published in journals including The British Journal for 바카라사이트 History of Science, History of 바카라사이트 Human Sciences and Archives of Natural History.

The European Science Foundation, which is behind 바카라사이트 ERIH, said that 바카라사이트 ranking aimed to improve 바카라사이트 visibility of European humanities research published in European languages.

But in 바카라사이트ir editorial, 바카라사이트 journal editors argue that 바카라사이트re is ano바카라사이트r goal: to provide funding bodies with an "exact measure of research quality". They write: "In short, if research is published in a premier league journal, it will be recognised as first rate; if it appears somewhere in 바카라사이트 lower divisions, it will be rated (and not funded) accordingly. This initiative is entirely defective in conception and execution ... Great research may be published anywhere and in any language."

The editors believe groundbreaking work is more likely to appear outside mainstream journals and that a publication's scope and readership say nothing about its content. "The ERIH ... confuses internationality with quality in a way that is particularly prejudicial to specialist and non-English language journals," 바카라사이트y say.

The editorial also complains that 바카라사이트 four-strong committee charged with overseeing 바카라사이트 ranking process in science studies "cannot be considered representative". "It was not selected in consultation with any of 바카라사이트 various disciplinary organisations that currently represent our field," 바카라사이트 editors say.

A spokesperson for 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council said that 바카라사이트 AHRC did not think 바카라사이트 ERIH should be used to assess 바카라사이트 research of individuals, departments or institutions. "Such use misunderstands 바카라사이트ir purpose."

melanie.newman@tsleducation.com.