Publication trends in social sciences and humanities in Italy, 2011–2021

This article investigates the evolution of publication trends in Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in Italy during the 2011–2021 decade, a period marked by significant changes in scholars’ publication habits. The research aims to analyse shifts in publication type preferences, indexation in major national and international databases and language of articles published in journals classified by the Italian National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR). The main dataset on which the analysis is based encompasses all publications by SSH researchers affiliated with Italian universities during the specified time frame. The study reveals a gradual but significant transformation in publishing practices that may have relevant implications for science policies and evaluation strategies. As evaluation and career selection methods evolve in response to changing publication habits, they could play a key role in directing the future of SSH scholarly publishing, steering it towards a more informed and responsible approach.