Canonization of Shakespeare in China

This data deposit contains quantitative data documenting the academic institutionalization and disciplinary development of Shakespeare studies in China from the late twentieth century to the early twenty-first century. The dataset is derived from systematic searches conducted in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the most comprehensive academic database in China, using the keyword “Shakespeare.” Specifically, the data include annual counts of (1) peer-reviewed academic journal articles published between 1978 and 2010, (2) master’s theses completed between 2010 and 2019, and (3) doctoral dissertations completed between 2010 and 2019 that contain the keyword “Shakespeare.” These three categories correspond to different levels of scholarly production and training within the Chinese academic system.