Academic journals are not only vital platforms for disseminating research findings but also key drivers of disciplinary and interdisciplinary advancement. As knowledge systems, research subjects, core questions, and application scenarios continuously evolve, research paradigms undergo constant innovation. Therefore, a journal’s scope must adapt to—and even lead—academic trends and demands.
In developing JDIS, the editorial team has consistently adhered to this philosophy, striving to create a platform that coexists and co-evolves with disciplines. In recent years, JDIS has published numerous studies on scientometrics and broader science of science inquiries, focusing on the quantitative analysis of research activities to uncover universal patterns beyond specific disciplines. Rooted in the science of science framework—an interdisciplinary field that examines the structure, dynamics, and impact of scientific endeavors through empirical and theoretical lenses— scientometrics leverages research data alongside mathematics, statistics, and data mining to reveal mechanisms of disciplinary evolution, expertise development trajectories, collaboration models, funding strategies, research evaluation systems, academic communication networks, and research integrity. By integrating science of science perspectives, these studies not only map observable patterns but also explore fundamental questions such as “How do individual curiosity, institutional incentives, and societal needs collectively shape the direction of science?”, or “What systemic interventions can optimize the efficiency and equity of knowledge production?” This discipline not only offers a quantitative lens for scientific progress but also provides insights for stakeholders in the research ecosystem, including policymakers, researchers, academic publishers, and funding agencies.
Despite its broad applicability, scientometrics has long been perceived by the academic community primarily through the narrow lens of traditional performance evaluation. Although the Leiden Manifesto was published in Nature (Hicks et al., 2015) over a decade ago and has gained consensus within the scientometrics community, this understanding has not been effectively communicated to the broader research ecosystem. As a result, misuse of evaluation metrics remains widespread, undermining trust in scientometrics.
As researchers in this field, we find this regrettable. From both a disciplinary development perspective and in terms of responsible journal stewardship, we do not want to see scientometrics confined to an insular niche, nor JDIS becoming an isolated information silo. Thus, we are committed to disseminating scientometric findings to a wide range of academic communities worldwide (Zhao et al., 2024) and showcasing practical applications (Li et al., 2024; Rousseau et al., 2023; Tong et al., 2022) to expand the role of scientometrics and the science of science across diverse research contexts.
Recent advancements in open science, open access, big data analytics, and AI have profoundly reshaped research practices and academic operations. These transformations bring new challenges, including research integrity, data privacy, ethical dilemmas, and equity concerns. Additionally, the research ecosystem faces pressures such as slowing innovation, rapidly evolving knowledge structures, systemic issues like public health and climate change, risks of AI-driven misconduct, geopolitical uncertainties in collaboration, resource disparities, and interdisciplinary barriers. These dynamics demand deeper reflection from scientometric scholars and adjustments in research priorities—areas where JDIS remains deeply engaged.
To address these challenges, scientometrics and JDIS urgently require fresh insights and closer collaboration across the research ecosystem. We envision JDIS as an open, interdisciplinary platform that unites researchers, administrators, publishers, and policymakers to explore universal principles governing the research ecosystem.
To this end, JDIS has refined its scope to foster data-driven academic exchange, enhance quantitative understanding of research activities, and investigate their intrinsic mechanisms and societal interactions. Our focus spans disciplines and regions, covering funding strategies, international collaboration, career trajectories, talent mobility, disciplinary evolution, scholarly communication, evaluation frameworks, technology transfer, integrity initiatives, science-society interplay, and the science of science. We invite contributions from diverse disciplines and industries to enrich dialogue, amplify the societal value of research, and position science as a cornerstone of progress. True to the “data” in our title - Journal of Data and Information Science, we emphasize data-driven methodologies, encouraging studies that design, test, validate, or compare novel theories, tools, or approaches—not merely applying traditional metrics.
JDIS is more than a journal; it carries academic and social responsibilities. We aim to bridge the gap between data-driven metrics and the socio-technical realities of science, fostering a dialogue that connects micro-level research behaviors with macro-level systemic outcomes to advance an open, equitable, and sustainable research environment. Join us in shaping the future of science, and let knowledge truly drive societal progress.