More, Less or Better: The Problem of Evaluating Books in SSH Research

While the idea that books are a fundamental channel of scientific communication for SSH scholars is recognized, little is known about the motivations that lead scholars to select books among various communication channels, and within books, among formats, audiences, and publishers. The chapter presents an analysis of publication data in two Italian universities (Ca’ Foscari and Macerata), integrated with qualitative data based on a survey and two focus groups. A rich set of findings sheds light on the various dimensions of the importance of books, hence on the need for an adapted evaluation.