In every country and discipline, scientific journals are one of the main vectors for the dissemination of knowledge and remain at the heart of all developments in the world of research.
To take an interest in the organization of academic journals, in their sustainability and various economic models, in the status and position of those who run them and contribute to the quality of their content (editorial board members, publishing professionals, reviewers), in the way papers are evaluated, in the journals’ linguistic choices and dissemination policies, or in their greater or lesser autonomy vis-à-vis the market or the political world… – to take an interest in journals, indeed, is to consider the actual conditions and dynamics of the production and dissemination of science.
And paradoxically, there are few opportunities to reflect collectively on the situation of SSH academic journals, and even fewer opportunities to do so among journals, especially on an international scale.
The First European Symposium of Social Science and Humanities Journals aims at creating a new forum for journals to meet and address together shared issues and contemporary debates around scientific publishing, ethics and practices.
Because of its international scope, of the sanitary conditions and of a concern for ecological sobriety, the Symposium will take a somewhat original form, divided into two stages.
Stage 1 : Brussels, 22-23 Nov. 2021
During Stage 1 of the Symposium, which will take place in public in Brussels over two days (22 and 23 Nov. 2021), a series of conferences will be held on a selection of themes (Ethics and evaluation in SSH Journals, Journals' Sustainability and Open Science, Interdisciplinary Challenges, etc. => see the programme).
These conferences will then be recorded and put online on this website, available to all.
It is recommended that those wishing to participate in the roundtables of Stage 2 of the Symposium watch them, as the aim of these videos will be to set out the mains issues for each theme, and thus launch the collective discussions.
Stage 2 : Online roundtables, February/March 2022
From the 21 February to 21 March 2022, Stage 2 of the Symposium will consist of a series of five online roundtables (one every Monday, at 4pm Central European Time). Each roundtable will focus on one of the topics addressed in the conferences of Stage 1, and will bring together five different journals from various backgrounds, with a particular perspective on the issue under consideration. Then the discussion will be opened to the public, via online Q&A.
The roundtables will be held via video conference to make them accessible to all interested individuals and journals, regardless of their discipline, status or nationality.
The European Symposium of SSH Journals aims to be a friendly and inclusive space, where journal editors and editorial board members from the UE and beyond can get to know each other, share views on issues of direct interest to them, and build networks of (hopefully!) long-term cooperation and exchange.
The European Symposium of Social Science and Humanities Journal is organised on the initiative of the social science journal Biens symboliques/Symbolic Goods, with the support of the FNRS (Belgium), the Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) and the Université Paris-Lumières (France) among other partners.
Loading... 
