Russian economic and sociological journals in Scopus: The impact of publication language on the citation rate

Choosing a publishing model is crucial for an academic journal which aims to increase international visibility, cover a wide readership and strengthen its position in international scientometric databases. The article investigates the publishing models of Russian economic and sociological journals indexed in Scopus. The methodological basis of the study is the general principles of scientometric management. The methods of content analysis and citation analysis were used. The information base covers the data retrieved from the Russian Science Citation Index and international scientometric databases Scopus, Scimago Journal & Country Rank. We propose an approach that helps establish a correlation between Russian articles’ citation rate in the international environment and their publication language. In the course of the study, we analyse 30 journals and carry out a quantitative and qualitative assessment of their citations. The paper provides a typology of publication models and categorises them into nine groups according to the share of English-language articles, their publication frequency and specificity in relation to the Russian-language content. Having analysed the journals’ citation indicators, we identify the models that do not impede the journals’ integration into the international environment and are most effective in achieving high citation rates and reaching a wide international readership. Publishing two Russian and English parallel versions of the same journal is recognized as the best practice. The findings can be of use to research institutions and editorial offices in designing journal promotion strategies and strengthening their positions in international scientometric databases.