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The Matthew Effect in China’s social sciences and humanities research: a comparative analysis of CSSCI and SSCI

Author

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  • Bo Yu

    (Hangzhou Dianzi University)

  • Fei Shu

    (Hangzhou Dianzi University
    Université de Montréal)

Abstract

This paper investigates the concentration and dispersion phenomenon observed in China’s Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) research. Our study presents an in-depth comparison and analysis of the number of papers published in the Chinese Social Sciences and Humanities Citation Index (CSSCI) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Citation Index (SSCI), including their source institutions, and the proportion of citations among elite and non-elite universities in China. Our findings are as following: (1) Over the past decade, the number of China’s SSCI papers has increased, while the number of CSSCI papers has decreased. Moreover, the ratio of papers published by elite universities to non-elite universities has decreased in SSCI while increased in CSSCI. (2) The comparison of ratios of elite and non-elite universities’ shares of publications indicated that the higher the journal level, the higher the ratio of elite and non-elite universities’ share. (3) When comparing the Herfindahl–Hirschman index value of higher education institutions, we noted a decreasing trend in SSCI while an increasing trend in CSSCI.

Suggested Citation

  • Bo Yu & Fei Shu, 2023. "The Matthew Effect in China’s social sciences and humanities research: a comparative analysis of CSSCI and SSCI," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(11), pages 6177-6193, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:128:y:2023:i:11:d:10.1007_s11192-023-04818-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-023-04818-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

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