How bibliometrics is affecting SSH

Our society requires an increasing collaboration between SSH and STEM disciplines so to face effectively the growing complexity. The pandemic has given us a clear example. However, current methods for research evaluation separate STEM and SSH disciplines and make collaboration difficult. Sharing a common research project could lead to different needs at the step of publication of the outputs because of the differences in evaluation in STEM and SSH. In Italy, the current evaluation system is hindering this kind of collaboration while at the same time, paradoxically, is asking for more interdisciplinarity and internationalization. Academic libraries use citation counts, together with usage statistics, to support collection development policies, that is to decide cancellations and renewals of journals and books. A survey conducted in Italian academic libraries showed how about 70% use some kind of quantitative indicators. This reinforces the trend to oligopolistic concentration of journals, citation indices and other tools in the hands of few big players. Academic libraries must allocate most of their funding for big deals acquisitions of journals and for bibliometric database to support evaluation, despite the huge amount of literature showing their big limitations. Could library funding be used in a better way?