Quality indicators for social science journals in the era of narrative bibliometrics

Abstract

In the current landscape of research assessment, driven by movements such as CoARA, there is a shift from purely quantitative models toward narrative bibliometrics, which combines metric indicators with a qualitative justification of impact. This paper analyzes how scientific journals, particularly in the social sciences, can adapt to this new paradigm to enhance their “curricular value” and assist authors in defending their contributions during accreditation and research assessment processes. The methodology involves a comprehensive review of documentation and criteria from major Spanish evaluation agencies (such as ANECA and CNEAI) and indexing bodies like Fecyt and SciELO. As a result, a checklist for editors is proposed, classifying key indicators into five fundamental categories: access and openness, editorial quality, ethics and integrity, process transparency, and impact and visibility. The study concludes that adopting practices such as Open Access publishing (specifically the Diamond route), transparency in authorship contribution (CRediT), and data publication is essential to align journal interests with the emerging narrative needs of researchers.