NISO Plus Conference 2023

This session addresses challenges in tracking and measuring the research output and impact of minor academic disciplines in the humanities. Scholarly fields such as theology and religious studies exist at the margins of the contemporary academy, and prevailing research information management tools do not accurately capture the range and reach of their academic contributions. The participants in this panel will assess the current state of research information management in minor academic fields, then suggest traditional and non-traditional bibliometric solutions to measure them more comprehensively and fairly. The panelists will explore how open source initiatives such as Wikidata/WikCite and OpenAlex could help to mend the gaps between central and peripheral academic fields. They will also explore how emerging techniques such as network analysis helps to demonstrate the reach and interdisciplinary impact of scholarship in these disciplines.