Multiple are the platforms whereon the research plays a very significant part in bringing the social evils to the surface and their panaceas at best. People look into the environment set in the universities for research in that they expect the research productivity and the benefits of research in the bargain. But the question is; do the universities work on the research productivity as per the expectations are set by the people?
Research extent, quality and the quantity (somehow) are getting toppled throughout the educational institutions but still the difference among the institutions persists. As far as the journals publications are concerned, many of the institutions do not have their research journals, some institutions issue their journals but they have not got recognition from the Higher Education Commission (this proportion is high) and people are not interested in submitting their papers for the publications. Both types of the journals do have a greater extent, to that end, people do never wish to submit their papers therein. Thus, this service remains frivolous. The situation of these kinds of journals is too pathetic and grim. These journals are crumbling the research output and the productivity as well in the lieu of research promotion in academia.
If we confer about the recognized journals, they are nearly like the unrecognized journals by HEC. There are also the countable issues with the journals of this category. It is a common story that people grumble that they do not receive the sharp and quick responses from the journals – that confirms that the miscommunication between scholars and journal is a major stumbling block that should be doffed. Peer review process also takes a huge time that needs to be revised. In addition to this, papers submitted from the parent universities of journals get preferred first even if these papers are stripped of the quality.
Though, the publication here carries on to be deprived off quality assessment. What is the use of a research paper if it gets published sans coming across the quality assessment? Consequently, the quality assessment of papers before their publication is briskly moving out. Time and again, I have suggested that the frequency of publications of the journals be chalked out as quarterlies so that more and more papers could be welcomed for publication.
In fact, the research journals now a days have begun increasingly play a part that was not their job description in the distant past – which proved to be the prowess of the researchers as well as drivers of academia. Higher education Commission has made the environment of research culture go downhill in Pakistan. China was lagging behind the research in the days of yore, but it has currently shocked the world in the same sprint. According to Scimago Journal Ranking (SJR) 1996 to 2018, China has stood second in publishing more researches all across the globe. Her publication statistics has stood 5901404 throughout the 22 years. But the question is; where does Pakistan stand in the ranking? Pakistan stands 45th of the world countries in publication.
The magic behind the scene the China has become too fast in the recent years is very explicable. The larger proportion of Pakistani youth goes to China on scholarship basis and students contribute their research towards the country – China. It is the Pakistani students who generate huge research there in China. What a stellar performance they make there in China! But the same students befall too drowsy to work on research after coming back here in the country – Pakistan, why? It is because of aggravated research system in the universities. Lack of facilities, rewards, merit, and promotions are not here out of question. However, China is a best example for the world.
The universities are the research generators but fail to generate the quality researches. The teaching-learning research process therein has become a punctured tire. Universities are like long vehicles which are imbued with humans but the tires of the same vehicles are either burst or blown little of the air. Then the vehicles in both states befall perilous. Either they can fell savagely or they can reach the destination too late. In a similar manner, the universities cannot achieve the goals on time or progress either. Teacher-student collaboration is also nowhere. Communication between a teacher and a student can develop a standard setting for papers productivity. But the communication between them must be pumped up scholarly not impractical.
Lack of discussion to be sparked with those having a wide experience of producing papers with fruitful results and publishing in authentic places also perseveres to a fault. The said issues must be resolved less than no time. Seminars, conferences, symposiums, and workshops on variety of challenges must be organized in full swing all across the universities.
Author: Rameez Mahesar
