140
In the RHERD database from 1999 to 2014, there is a rising trend toward more
international referencing as indicated in Fig. 7.2. In 1999, there were less than 40%
articles citing international (mostly English language) references, while in 2014 the
proportion increased to over 80%. This finding was echoed by another review of the
international references used by the HE articles in the 2008 database of Chinese
Social Science Citation Index (CSSCI) (Tang 2010 ).
Conclusion
Academic field is a term loosely and customarily used to describe a certain body of
knowledge. Its boundary is recognized by a group of people operating as a com-
munity who identify themselves and work within it. A critical mass of people
housed by certain organizations in the university, academic societies, journals, and
programs constitutes the virtual and real landscape of the field of HER in China.
However, quite different from other systems, the HER field in China has been legiti-
mated and supported by the state and given the symbolic status as a proper special-
ized discipline.
The past 30 years has witnessed the growth of a vibrant academic community
which has built up and shaped the field of HER in China. Higher education is a soft-
applied field of academic inquiry consisting of many contributing disciplines.
Generally the higher education research field in China has addressed practical issues
and policy needs emerging from the substantive growth of higher education. This
community is locally rooted but increasingly outward looking.
0%10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
1999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014Proportion of the articles with international referencesProportion of international referencesFig. 7.2 Annual proportion of international references and the articles with international refer-
ences in the RHERD database (1999–2009)
L. Hu and S. Chen