Quo vadis Web of Science? The expansion and selection criteria of the Social Science Citation Index

Web of Science has rapidly expanded its coverage of the scientific literature in the past decades. We analyze the selection criteria applied in its databases, especially the Social Science Citation Index, and discuss how changes in the coverage of the scientific literature inform us about changes in the kinds of research that are being valued and prioritized. Scientometric data are presented for the period 1997-2023. These data show that 'applied' subject categories, such as nursing and education, educational research, have become more visible in the scientific databases, while the classic or 'pure' disciplines, such as anthropology and sociology, have become less visible. We argue that these changes indicate that science itself is increasingly defined in terms of its impact on the external world. Changing ideas about what constitutes good science and about the place of the social sciences in society are enhancing the status of applied disciplines and lead to their stronger presence in scientific databases. Web of Science a rapidement & eacute;largi sa repr & eacute;sentation de la litt & eacute;rature scientifique au cours des derni & egrave;res d & eacute;cennies. Nous analysons les crit & egrave;res de s & eacute;lection appliqu & eacute;s dans ses bases de donn & eacute;es, notamment le Social Science Citation Index, et examinons comment l'& eacute;volution de la repr & eacute;sentation de la litt & eacute;rature scientifique nous informe sur l'& eacute;volution des types de recherche scientifique valoris & eacute;s et prioris & eacute;s. Les donn & eacute;es scientom & eacute;triques sont pr & eacute;sent & eacute;es pour la p & eacute;riode 1997-2023. Ces donn & eacute;es montrent que les disciplines << appliqu & eacute;es >>, telles que les soins infirmiers et l'& eacute;ducation, sont devenues plus visibles dans les bases de donn & eacute;es scientifiques, tandis que les disciplines classiques ou << pures >>, telles que l'anthropologie et la sociologie, ont perdu de leur visibilit & eacute;. Nous soutenons que ces changements indiquent que la science elle-m & ecirc;me est de plus en plus d & eacute;finie par son impact sur le monde ext & eacute;rieur. L'& eacute;volution des conceptions de ce qui constitue la << bonne >> science et de la place des sciences sociales dans la soci & eacute;t & eacute; renforce le statut des disciplines appliqu & eacute;es et conduit & agrave; leur pr & eacute;sence accrue dans les bases de donn & eacute;es de Web of Science.