European Relevance and the erih+ Mission

From its inception, the mission of erih+ has been to recognize scholarly journals that are essential to research cultures in Europe, particularly in fields where linguistic diversity, regional traditions, and nationally grounded research questions play a central role.

Scholarly Journals and European Research Cultures

Many high-quality journals in the Social Sciences and Humanities address topics that are locally or regionally situated, publish in languages other than English, or serve scholarly communities organised around European intellectual traditions. These journals are often underrepresented in international indexing systems despite their importance for research and research evaluation.

The European relevance criterion is therefore not a proxy for quality, impact, or prestige. Nor is it a criterion of nationality. Instead, it addresses the question of scope and orientation. The core concern is whether a journal contributes in a meaningful way to scholarly communication within Europe, broadly understood. This contribution can take several forms.

Forms of European relevance

A journal may have European relevance through its thematic focus, for example by addressing European history, culture, societies, languages, or political and legal systems. It may do so through its disciplinary positioning, by contributing to research traditions that are particularly well established or distinct within Europe. Linguistic orientation can also be relevant, especially where journals support scholarly discourse in European languages that are central to national or regional research communities. Finally, editorial composition and intended audience may indicate that a journal is embedded in European scholarly networks, even when its subject matter is not explicitly European.

Contextual and Qualitative Assessment

In evaluating European relevance, erih+ does not apply a single formula or quantitative threshold. Assessment is contextual and qualitative, taking into account the journal’s aims and scope, its publishing practices, and its relationship to the research communities it serves. A journal does not need to be exclusively European in focus, nor does it need to exclude contributions from outside Europe. Many journals with a global outlook are clearly relevant to European research and are assessed as such.

At the same time, the criterion helps maintain a clear profile for erih+. Journals that are primarily oriented towards non-European research contexts, without a discernible connection to European scholarship or research communities, may fall outside the scope of the index, even if they meet other formal publishing standards.

Applied carefully and transparently, the European relevance criterion supports the broader mission of erih+, ensuring visibility for journals that are vital to the Social Sciences and Humanities in Europe, while respecting disciplinary diversity, linguistic plurality, and different models of scholarly communication.