Why Religion Research Might Be Missing the Mark

The Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI) is a significant tool in the research world, particularly for evaluating the quality of research in the field of religion. However, it's not without its quirks and potential issues.

Stagnant Growth in Religion Records

One notable observation is the lack of growth in the number of records related to religion over the years. This is peculiar, considering the expectation that increased research activity would lead to a higher number of records.

Missing Author Locations

Another concern is the absence of author locations in many records. This information is crucial for understanding trends, influences, and the geographical distribution of research.

Unexpected Contributors

The top countries and regions contributing to religion research in the A&HCI might surprise you. Additionally, most of the research comes from a handful of journals. While this isn't necessarily negative, it raises questions about the comprehensiveness of the A&HCI's coverage.

The Importance of Accuracy

Given that the A&HCI is often used to evaluate the quality of religion research, it's essential to ensure that it's not missing any critical aspects of the field. Otherwise, we might be getting an incomplete or biased picture of the current state of religion research.

The Path Forward

The good news is that there are solutions to these issues. However, the first step is to acknowledge that these problems exist. By doing so, we can work towards making the A&HCI as accurate and useful as possible for evaluating religion research.