The study explores the reality of scientific publication in Web of Science and Scopus-indexed journals in the humanities and social sciences of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education staff and students through the use of desk research. Overall, the university witnessed a rise in the number of publications from 2016 to 2021 and the active participation in this regard of some units and individuals, including its leaders. However, the number of articles in the humanities and social sciences is much lower than that in the natural sciences. Moreover, the articles do not cover a wide range of fields but primarily focus on education and psychology and they are authored by individuals from a few units in the university. Most of the articles are affiliated with educational institutions in the country while other forms of affiliation are still limited. The results of the study hope to provide reference information for the university leaders and relevant stakeholders as well as higher education institutions with similar situations in improving publication in Web of Science and Scopus-indexed journals in the humanities and social sciences.