Q: How can one assess the quality of a book or monograph, especially that in the humanities and social sciences (HSS)?
Understanding [Assessing] the reliability of academic journals is quite simple even for those who are not academics or researchers. However, in the case of books or monographs, what method may be used to assess the quality of the book/monograph? I am referring to books/monographs in Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS)?
Assuming you mean academic books, their quality may be assessed based on the same types of factors used to evaluate journal papers. The reputation of the publisher, the reliability of sources cited by the author, the scientific rigor of the author’s arguments, and the verifiability of the author’s claims would all indicate the overall quality of the book. Also consider the qualifications of the author and the author’s motives behind examining a particular issue or pursuing a certain direction.
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