'Whose is Crimea?' or What Content Are International Databases of Scientific Publications Filled with

Abstract

Objective. The article aims to examine reputable international databases of scientific publications to identify the promotion of anti-Ukrainian content and determine the most typical directions of such promotion. Methods. Using the method of content analysis, the authors identified journals in certain international databases of scientific publications whose publishers are registered in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as Russian journals that publish works by authors from these territories, recognizing them as "new regions of Russia" and positively perceiving the ideas of the legitimacy of including new subjects in the Russian Federation. There are also publications: a) on the regulation of life in the occupied territories according to Russian standards and legislation, b) on new social technologies used in the occupied Ukrainian territories in educational institutions, c) on the formation of Russian national and state identity of residents of illegally annexed regions, etc. Results. The primary scientific outcome of the study is the identification of three significant issues in Russian scientific content that global scientific platforms tend to overlook: the recognition of educational institutions in occupied territories as Russian (since 2016, this has appeared in articles indexed in DOAJ, Scopus, and WoS); the indexing of journals registered in the temporarily occupied territories by DOAJ and Index Copernicus; the instrumental role of international scientific publication databases in disseminating anti-democratic ideas and false narratives through such articles. Conclusions. The authors conclude that without a clear stance from Ukraine's scientific and educational community on this issue and ongoing advocacy for Ukrainian national interests within the international scientific community, there is a risk of harmful ideas detrimental to Ukraine being amplified on an even greater number of international scientific publication aggregators.