The results and comments in four articles dedicated to altmetrics and published in an issue of EPI are analyzed. They show future possibilities and the real difficulties in the development of a new technique for the measurement of the impact of research based on social networks on the web. … Read More →
The SciELO journals are being improved by the adoption of classic workflows relating to the online management of article submissions
Together with the journals that it indexes, SciELO is fostering the improvement of the management of the evaluation of article submissions in order to help overcome the various difficulties faced by the journals, and to strengthen the transparency of the processes. Part of this initiative is the use of automated management systems that organize the functions of the parties involved in the evaluation of article submissions, allow for the monitoring of the workflows and provide statistics on the corresponding activities, with a view to steering the systematic improvement of the processes. This post analyzes three classic workflows in the automated management of article submissions adopted by a group of SciELO journals whose promising results show the viability of SciELO’s strategy. … Read More →
South America science in Nature
The celebrated journal Nature devotes a special section of its June 11 issue to an analysis of South American research output, highlighting areas of excellence and innovation which are internationally recognized, and fields of collaboration with other countries both inside and outside the region. The articles in this section stress the economic and infrastructural inequalities within the region, as well as the low levels of investment in research and development, and point to FAPESP as a successful model of investment directly linked to a state’s GDP. … Read More →
Non-native English-speaking authors and editors evaluate difficulties and challenges in publishing in international journals
Due to linguistic and cultural barriers, authors in emerging economies have faced challenges in having their papers accepted in main stream journals. A study conducted on international editors and authors in non-English speaking countries shows that good research results can be prejudiced by poor writing and difficulties with the language. … Read More →
Developing countries headed by China are posing a threat to American dominance in science
Over the last decade, the USA has been losing ground to emerging economies in science and technology, particularly in Asia, according to a report produced by the National Science Board in 2014. Nevertheless, the country remains a leader in innovation which can have a substantial impact on the resumption of its economic growth. Many countries are developing technological capabilities and human capital in support of a knowledge-based economy, which will bring with it clear benefits for these nations. … Read More →
Interview – Rogério Meneghini
In this interview, Rogerio Meneghini reflects that the international visibility of journals from emerging economy countries depends not only on the field but also on journal evaluation which has to be understood as a mechanism which seeks to improve them. Technical writing courses in universities in the first year are important in this aspect and, going beyond papers and projects, the learning of how to write a patent is particularly important these days. … Read More →
A varied panorama of rankings
Currently there is a varied panorama of university rankings at different levels – international, regional and national – and the national ones show their importance by being more in tune with the national context than the international rankings, and even use additional sources to rank the Institutions of Higher Learning in their respective countries. … Read More →
Indicators of academic productivity in University rankings: criteria and methodologies
The collective academic output of professors, researchers and students affiliated to universities, measured by the number of articles that are published in indexed journals and/or by citations they receive, is one of major indicators used in the elaboration of university rankings. However, each ranking evaluates academic output differently. … Read More →
Declaration recommends eliminate the use of Impact factor for research evaluation
The use of the Impact Factor (IF) beyond the scope of journal ranking as a direct or indirect proxy for the evaluation of research quality, career promotions, granting of funds, ranking of graduate programs, etc. has been questioned for quite some time. The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment makes a new and critical call against the use of the IF in the evaluation of research. … Read More →
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