Social Sciences in China Review

No.4, 2017

Research on the International Influence of Chinese Philosophy and Social Sciences: An Analysis Based on the Big Data of International Literature (2011-2015) (Abstract)

Xiao Hong, Zhang Yichuan, Tang Liyun, Wu Junhong, Sun Xiukun, Sun Juan and Li Fangfang

The evaluation indicators and data of papers of Chinese philosophy and social sciences between 2011 and 2015 have been quantitatively analyzed using bibliometrics and comparative analysis on the basis of “International Citation Report of Chinese Academic Journals (2012-2016).” The findings demonstrate that international citations of the outcomes of the philosophy and social sciences in China have increased in the past five years, but their international influence is at a lower level in general. Disciplinary imbalance is obvious, of which, economics, pedagogy, management, linguistics and political science outperform other fields and journals published in English outperform those in Chinese. Renmin University of China, Peking University, Beijing Normal University and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences are internationally influential research institutions, with the majority of Chinese internationally highestcited researchers mostly from them, such as Duan Chengrong, Fang Xiaoyi, Cai Fang, Wu Xinchun. China & World Economy, Social Sciences in China of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Journal of Beijing University of Physical Education are outstanding representatives of the Chinese academic journals of philosophy and social sciences “Go Global” project. The United States, Britain, Australia and Singapore are the top countries by citations; Top overseas institutions that make a higher citation level of articles by Chinese researchers including Stanford University, Harvard University, Needham Research Institute and the University of Munich, mostly are leading global universities in East Asian studies or research centers of Sinology. This article provides a new analytical method as well as a reference for decision-making in our implementation of President Xi Jinping’s requirement that “we should enhance the international influence of Chinese philosophy and social sciences research,” for speeding up the “Go Global” strategy and for improving China’s cultural soft power and other major strategic plans and innovations.