Peer-to-Peer

Peer review and standards in Pakistan journals

Thursday, 01 March 2007

ISLAMABAD (Associated Press of Pakistan, APP): The Chairman of the Higher Education Commission, Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, said on Thursday that co-editors of journals should be selected from industrially advanced countries to attract quality papers from potential researchers. Active and eminent editorial boards are essential for the research journals being printed in the country, he said while addressing a meeting of the Editors of HEC recognized journals, organized here by the Quality Assurance Division of HEC.

He said the editorial board of every research journal should be broad-based, and selection of editorial members be made by searching in high quality journals to attract prestigious editorial board members. The Chairman was of the view that database of OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), which is excellent in current content information, should be used for the purpose as it is available to all the Islamic countries.

Dr Sohail Naqvi, Executive Director HEC asked the editors to launch their own websites for electronic publications. For the purpose, management software for online paper submission and peer review could be provided by HEC, while the editors will be encouraged to communicate through electronic media. He further asked the editors that ethical issues of plagiarism in their journals should be avoided through an undertaking. The editors should come forward with seminars and workshops to be organized at their universities for improvement of the journals, for which HEC would provide the funds, he added.

More then 70 editors of HEC-recognized journals from universities and organizations all over Pakistan attended the meeting. Prof Dr Shamshad Akbar of Government College University, Lahore, in his presentation shared the main features of high-quality national and international journals and their requirements. Prof Waqaruddin Ahmad of HEJ Karachi also made a presentation on “Journal of Chemical Society of Pakistan” published by HEJ, and explained in detail the impact factor system of the Institute of Scientific Information. The participants of the meeting recommended that the HEC should establish operating standards and procedures for research journals.

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