Tag: Discuss

When it comes to academic writing, creating a top-notch paper or thesis involves more than just doing solid research and making strong arguments. One of the most important steps to make your work shine is to use professional proofreading services to edit for correct spelling, grammar, and language use. These final touches can make a big difference in how professional your study looks and can play a key role in helping you get the best grades possible.

What is Proofreading

Proofreading is the art of reviewing and examining written text in a language to detect and identify errors while ensuring its linguistic, grammatical, and spelling accuracy. Proofreading services is considered one of the most challenging tasks in English language and academic research, as it requires a high level of linguistic ability and knowledge. Those working in this field must be highly proficient in English and well-versed in all its details.

Why Proofreading Matters For Researchers?

Proofreading goes beyond spotting typos—it’s about polishing your writing to make sure it’s clear, coherent, and precise. Even the smartest ideas can lose their punch if they come with spelling mistakes, grammar slip-ups, or clunky wording. A study that’s been checked over by a professional proofreader not only boosts your standing as a researcher but also makes sure your message gets across.

Proofreading Vs. Editing

Proofreading involves checking for surface-level errors and ensuring the document adheres to standard language rules. On the other hand, editing improves overall text quality, clarifies expressions, removes errors and inconsistencies, and enhances language to fit the text’s purpose. It focuses on maximizing the impact and effectiveness of the writing.

Is AI Good for Proofreading? 

According to Vappingo, AI proofreading tools are convenient, but they also come with serious risks. Plagiarism by chance is a major problem when e.g. ChatGPT suggests changes that lead to text being already published, putting your academic integrity at risk. Among the drawbacks of AI proofreading tools, they cannot understand the context naturally and this can lead to errors that conflict with the intended message.

Moreover, although AI proofreading tools are being developed, it is not yet accurate, Therefore, human proofreading services remain the main to make sure that the paper is accurate and can be trusted.

Well Known Expert Editing and Proofreading Services

You can compare service prices between different websites before making a choice. Service prices vary based on the level of proofreading required, the length of the text to be proofread, and the delivery time.

• KnE Manuscript

KnE Manuscript, based in Dubai, For US$ 88.00, you can get comprehensive expert editing with flexible turnaround times: 2 days (for up to 6000 words), 3 days, or 6 days. Additionally, a 10-day turnaround option includes expert pre-submission scientific review and assistance with peer assessment and journal selection, as well as free re-editing if you are unsatisfied.

• Editage

Based in New Jersey, Editage offers editing services starting at $100 for 1,000 words and a 7-day delivery time. They have different editing levels to choose from: Standard, Advanced, and Premium. These options cover everything from simple language fixes to deep changes in structure and formatting to prepare your research for journals

• Enago

Enago’s offers start at $174 for 3000 with a 6-day turnaround, including a comprehensive review of your manuscript by professional editors, who will enhance the clarity, coherence, and overall quality of your writing.

Enago’s services start at just $174 for a 3,000-word manuscript with a 6-day turnaround. This includes a comprehensive review by expert editors who will enhance the clarity, coherence, and overall quality of your writing

How Long Do Proofreading Services Take?

The amount of time needed for proofreading will differ greatly depending on several factors, including the length and complexity of the text, the level of editing required, and the proofreader’s availability. The proofreading of short documents, such as essays or articles, for example, might take a couple of hours to a few days to complete. For large documents, such as research papers, dissertations, or books.

On the other hand, proofreading might take many days to a couple of weeks to finish. In somewhat of a related context, a proofreader offering urgent or rush service can often make the proofreading faster, but the cost to proofread the document may be higher than normal. Ultimately, the precise time frame will depend on the project specifications and the workload of the proofreader. 

Additionally, you can use Zendy to make your literature review and referencing easier. Zendy provides easy access to over 39M research publications in 64+ languages. With many features like ZAIA – AI Assistant for Researchers and AI Summarisation tool, in addition to Key Phrase Highlighting feature, you can easily manage your research papers. This helps you find relevant sources and speed up your research project. By doing this groundwork, you can ensure your papers have solid support before you start to proofread.

Find out more, visit zendy.io, and utilise ZAIA – AI Research Assistant to help you with your next research project.

In conclusion

Professional editing and proofreading services ensure your academic content is flawless and polished for submission. That’s why it’s important to seek professional proofreading services by experts. Whether you are writing research papers, scientific studies, books, academic theses, or literary pieces.

What is qualitative and quantitative research? 

Before a researcher begins their research, they would need to establish whether their research results will be quantitative or qualitative. 

Qualitative research observes any subjective matter that can’t be measured with numbers or units, usually answering the questions “how” or “why”. This type of data is usually derived from exploratory sources like, journal entries, semi-structured interviews, videos, and photographs.

On the other hand, quantitative research is numeric and objective, which usually answers the questions “when” or “where”. This data is derived from controlled environments like surveys, structured interviews, and traditional experimental designs. Quantitative data is meant to find objective information.

What are the main differences between qualitative and quantitative research?

The main factor of differentiation between qualitative and quantitative data are the sources that the data is gathered from, as this effects the format of the results. 

When to use qualitative and quantitative research? 

When conducting a study, knowing how the results will be depicted drive the methodology and overall approach to the study. To understand whether qualitative or quantitative research results are best suited for your current project, we take a deeper dive at the several advantages and disadvantages of each. 

1. Qualitative research

Advantages: 

• Allows researchers to understand “human experience” that cannot be quantified
• Has fewer limitations, out-of-the-box answers, opinions and beliefs are included in data gathering and analysis
• Researchers can utilise personal instinct and subjective experience to identify and extract information
• Easier to derive and conduct as researchers can adapt to any changes to optimise results 

Disadvantages:

• Responses can be biased, as participants may opt for answers that are desirable. 
• Qualitative studies usually have small sample sizes, this impacts the reliability of the study as it cannot be generalised to certain demographics.
• Researchers and other’s who read the study can have interpretation bias as the information is subjective and open to interpretation

2. Quantitative research

Advantages: 

• Usually observes a large sample, ensuring a broad percentage is taken into consideration and reflected
• Produces precise results that can be widely interpreted
• Minimises any research bias through the collection and representation of objective information
• Data driven research method that depicts effectiveness, comparisons and further analysis.

Disadvantages: 

• Does not derive “meaningful” and in-depth responses, only precise figures are included in findings
• Quantitative studies are expensive to conduct as they require a large sample 
• When designing a quantitative study, it is important to pay extra attention to all factors within the study, as a small fault can largely impact all results.

How to effectively analyse qualitative and quantitative data?

Since the data collection method for qualitative and quantitative studies are different, so is the analysis and organisation of the gathered information. In this section, we dive into a step-by-step guide to effectively analyse both types of data and information to derive accurate findings and results. 

Analysing qualitative data

1. Types of qualitative data analysis

2. Steps to analyse qualitative data

1. Once your data has been collected, it is important to code and categorise the information to easily identify the source. 
2. After organising the information, you will need to correlate the information logically and derive valuable insights.
3. Once the correlations are solid, you will need to choose how to depict the information. In qualitative data, researchers usually provide transcripts from interviews and visual evidence from various sources. 

Analysing quantitative data

1. Types of quantitative data analysis

2. Steps to analyse quantitative data

1. Once the data has been collected, you will need to “clean” the data. This essentially means that you’ll need to observe any duplications, errors or omissions and remove them. This ensures the data is accurate and clear before analysis. 
2. You will now need to decide whether you will analyse the data using descriptive or inferential analysis, depending on the gathered data set and the findings you’d like to depict.
3. Now, you’ll need to visualise the data using charts and graphs to easily communicate the information in your research paper. 

Conduct your research on Zendy todayThis blog thoroughly covered qualitative and quantitative data and took you through how to analyse, depict and utilise each type appropriately. Continue your research into different types of studies on Zendy today, search and read through millions of studies, research and experiments now.

DOI is short for Digital Object Identifier. It is a unique alphanumeric sequence assigned to digital objects, it is used to identify intellectual property on the internet. DOI’s are usually assigned to scholarly articles, datasets, books, videos and even pieces of software. 

Understanding DOI’s

The digital object identifier is a unique number made up of a prefix and suffix, segregated by a forward slash. 

For example: 10.1000/182

The sequence always begins with a 10. The prefix is a unique 4 or more digit number assigned to establishments and the suffix is assigned by publisher as it is designed to be flexible with publisher identification standards.

Where can I find a DOI?

In most scholarly articles, the DOI should be on the cover page. If the DOI isn’t included in the article, you may search for it on CrossRef.org by using the “Search Metadata” function.

How can I use the digital object identifier to find the article it refers to?

• If the DOI starts with http:// or https://, pasting it on your web browder will help you locate the article.
• You can turn any DOI starting with 10 into a URL by adding http://doi.org/ before the DOI. For example, 10.3352/jeehp.2013.10.3 becomes https://doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2013.10.3
• If you’re off campus when you do this, you’ll need to use this URL prefix in front of the DOI to gain access to UIC’s full text journal subscriptions: https://proxy.cc.uic.edu/login?url=https://doi.org/ . For example: https://proxy.cc.uic.edu/login?url=http://doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2013.10.3

Strengths of Digital Object Identifier

• Permanent identification: Digital object identifier provides a permanent link to digital content, making sure it remains accessible even if URL or metadata is updated. 
• Citations: It uniquely identifies research papers, which facilitates accurate referencing and citing.
• Interoperability: DOIs are widely recognized as they can be utilised across different platforms, databases and systems.
• Tracking and metrics: DOIs provide key information like publication date, authors, keywords and more. This can be used to track usage metrics, measuring impact and improving discoverability
• Integration with services: DOIs are integrated with various tools like reference managers, academic search engines, and digital libraries. These mediums enhance the visibility and accessibility of research material with DOIs. 

Limitations of Digital Object Identifier 

• Cost: Digital object identifiers are costly for smaller organisations or individual researchers. While some services offer free digital object identifier registration for certain content, there may be fees associated with others, particularly for maintenance and updates.
• Accessibility: There may still be barriers to access for individual researchers or organisations in regions with limited resources. Ensuring equitable access to digital object identifier services and content remains a challenge.
• Content Preservation: While the sequence provide persistent links to digital content, they do not guarantee the preservation or long-term accessibility of that content. Ensuring the preservation of digital objects linked to DOIs require additional efforts and infrastructure beyond the system itself.
• Granularity: Sequences are assigned to individual digital objects, such as articles, datasets, or books. However, there may be cases where more granular identification is required, such as specific sections within a larger work or versions of a dataset. Addressing these granularity issues within the digital object identifier system can be complex.

Conduct your research on Zendy today

Now that you’ve gained a better understanding of how DOI works and impacts the world of research, you may begin your search and find your next academic discovery on Zendy! Our advanced search allows you to input DOI, ISSN, ISBN, publication, author, date, keyword and title. Give it a go on Zendy now.

This January, the Forum of Open Reseach MENA hosted its first community development activity of 2024. The “Decolonising Open Science Symposium: Dismantling Global Heirarchies of Knowledge” addressed the influence of western prominence on knowledge distribution and research, highlighting how these ideologies and standards impact the Arab region.

Within the landscape of research, conversations and collaborations not only address inequalities but also break barriers to accessibility. In this blog, we interviewed Nahil Nassar who is the community engagement manager at the Forum of Open Research MENA. At the symposium, Nahil touched on the work that open science has in building stronger foundations for diverse research consumption and the biases that exist in the research landscape. We take a deeper dive into this conversation. 

1. How does F.O.R.M. facilitate conversations around decolonising academia?

FORM is a community based organisation that centers its attention on the Arab region. That means prioritising Arab voices in academia to develop a regionally and culturally relevant model of Open Science to implement across the board.

While we do, of course, work with organisations that are based in the Global North, we try to be transparent when it comes to power dynamics, and recognise that we are only as strong as our community. 

2. What role does open science play in escalating research outside western europe?

Open Science has the potential to really build an even playing field for researchers in the Global South because of its financially and digitally accessible model. In its best form, Open Science should allow researchers from the Global South to publish their work without limitations in cost or geography.

The problem is that Open Science publishing is not always functioning in its most optimum form, and things like APCs, metric frameworks, and language hierarchies (English being a dominant language across the research landscape) can still limit researchers in the same ways that traditional academic publishing models do.

3. What are some biases that exist in the open science landscape?

A major bias that comes out of the Open Science landscape, especially when it comes to the Global South, is that Open Science research is bad research. There’s this assumption that if research isn’t published in perfect English, or focuses on a very niche subject that’s really only relevant to specific local contexts, then that means the research is either low quality or irrelevant. 

This is especially because of how research is prioritised in its value these days, and this is one of the many places where commodification enters the conversation as a major issue. Often times, major funding is only allocated to research that is deemed important by multinational corporations or prestigous research institutions in the Global North who sort of set the agenda of what is necessary to study and what isn’t – and these topics are usually prioritised based on the needs of these entities and their contexts, and completely ignore the localised needs of researchers in the Global South, who then don’t have access to that same funding. 

4. Please explain how absolute objectivity is colonial ideology

This is a really interesting ideology to ponder on in decolonial discourse, because it seems very out there to say that there’s no such thing as objective truth, especially in a world that is run by scientific innovation. The idea of objectivity may seem to be clear and cut, but it goes back to the idea of intellectual dominance and colonialism. There was an ideological hierarchy set by colonial powers that placed their “truth” as the only “truth”, and took objectivity to mean that their truth is the only one with any substance or value. 

Many indigenous knowledge systems question this idea of absolute objectivity, because it is often rooted in inherently colonial, patriarchal, and violent understandings of nature, human experience, and society. I was first introduced to this philosophy through postcolonial gender theory, where researchers like Vandana Shiva questioned the very idea of scientific knowledge as we know it today as something that was forced on us as the only virtuous fact, but is sometimes actually the most harmful opinion. 

5. What is the direct impact of colonisation on knowledge production today?

The impact of colonisation on knowledge production today can be found in a plethora of arenas. While colonisation as we once knew it is not nearly as prominent as it was in the 19th and 20th centuries, neo-imperial and neo-colonial ideologies are still very much strong holding the majority of the world’s systems. You can see legacies of it in how we think about scientific studies, methodologies, or even the metrics that we use to classify ‘good’ and ‘bad’ research. 

It informs how we think about credibility, and determines who gets to speak the loudest and whose voice gets silenced. It marginalises researchers who use indigenous knowledge methodologies (often rooted in intuition and connection to land and spirit) and prioritises the voices of liberal scientists who believe in objective fact rooted in numbers and rationality. 

Overall, it prioritises knowledge produced and disseminated by Western organisations and researchers that then have an impact on Western communities, and leave the global majority out of the conversation.

Watch the webinar here

Research design is the strategy that tackles collection, interpretation and discussion of data, it determines how research will be carried out. A well-planned research design ensures that the methods correspond with research objectives, quality data is collected and analysis is done appropriately. Research design is essentially the blueprint that guides the research writing process, shaping the questions, methods, and conclusions. In this blog, we explore the key components of research design, discuss different approaches and methodologies, and provide insights into how to create a robust design that yields valuable insights.

Types of Research Design

Before beginning the research process, it is imperative to determine the type of research design that will comprehensively answer or prove the research question or statement. 

Components of Research Design

Design components are the building blocks of constructing an effective research design. To yield objective findings, the research design should be set up in a way that every relevant contributing factor is either a variable or a control to influence the experiment appropriately. 

What Are The Objectives Of Research Design?

The objectives of research design play a key role in guiding a study’s methods and making sure its results are valid and reliable. These objectives include:

• Clarity of Research Objectives: 

A good research design gives you a clear vision for your study. It helps you know what you want to do and what you hope to find out.

• Increased Validity and Reliability:

How you design your research makes a big difference in the accuracy and trustworthiness of your results. It helps reduce bias and keeps outside factors in check, leading to dependable findings.

• Improved Data Collection:

When you have a strong research setup, you can make sure you collect data in an orderly and consistent way. This organised approach cuts down on mistakes and makes sure you’re getting the most useful information for your study.

• Better Data Analysis:

Well-designed research sets you up to analyse data. By making sure you gather data in a way that makes sense, you’ll be able to draw meaningful conclusions from your work. 

• Better Communication:

One of the main objectives of research design is to make it easier for your team and professor to talk to each other. When you present your findings, people grasp them more. This helps your work to have a stronger effect. 

To sum up, the objectives of research design act as a roadmap for carrying out research in an orderly way and achieving solid, worthwhile results.

Creating Effective Research Design

For a research design to be effective, all the components must align with one another. To ensure this alignment, the researcher should determine whether the data needs to be qualitative or quantitative while also considering the scope of the research question and the answer the study derives. To avoid misalignment of components, refer to the order below: 

• Your research objectives must be consistent with the “gap” that your research is addressing. 

• Your research questions must be aligned with research objectives. 

• Your hypotheses must be aligned with your research questions. 

• Your research method must be appropriate to research objectives and research questions. 

• Your research design must be consistent with your research method. 

• Your research methodology must be consistent with research design.

Common Challenges & Tackling Them

1. Participant and sample collection

The most efficient way to attract participants is to have incentives and learn to “sell” your research project to potential participants, this would make them more willing to partake in the study. 

2. Finding research collaborators

The first place to look for collaborators is within your own professional network. However, if you’ve struggled to find them, then you can look into expanding your network by attending academic conferences. Another tip is to look for collaborators that challenge you to see your research through different aspects. 

3. Finding research funding

To find research funding, try to branch out to international sources as well. Look for online sources and apply, this can help put you in touch with international researchers which also fosters collaboration and inclusivity within your research. 

In conclusion, research design is the compass that guides the expedition into the realm of knowledge. It is a meticulous process that, when executed effectively, paves the way for discovery, innovation, and progress. As we highlighted the key components of research design, this blog uncovered its multifaceted nature. From the types of research design, each with its unique purpose and methodology, to the essential components that form the building blocks of an effective design, it is clear that a well-planned approach is essential. 

FAQs

What is the role of research design in research study?

The purpose of research design is to dictate the effective plan to carry out the study. It is the approach with which a study is executed, it ensures that all variables within the study are carefully planned for and accurately measured. 

How does the choice of design impact data collection?

The chosen research design ensures that all relevant factors within the research study can be analyzed to provide clear insights. The design determines whether the data collected will be qualitative, quantitative or a mix of both. 

What are the key differences between exploratory and experimental research designs?

The main difference is that experimental research is done in a controlled environment and  exploratory research seeks to answer a question or address a phenomenon or statement.

How can a strong research design enhance the validity of study results?

The strongest research designs avoid far-fetched correlations, rigorously test the hypothesis, and ensure that the results are generalisable.

Imagine a world driven and progressing through the dissemination of objective research. This is the vision that introduced Open Access week. What begun in 2007 as Open Access day through the partnership of student volunteers and SPARC, has since become a globally recognised movement and event that stands to disseminate quality academic research without paywalls and restrictions so that global societies are free to make informed decisions towards progress; the Open Access movement has also assisted in creating more inclusive and collaborative research communities. 

A brief history of open access 

While the movement began taking form in the late 2000s, the first few open access journals appeared between the late 80s and early 90s and were disseminated through emails, newsgroups and volunteer labor. Due to this emerging trend, an online repository known as e-prints was founded by American physicist, Paul Ginsparg in 1991. This database was then renamed ArXiv.org in 1999 which encouraged the publishing industry to establish other open access databases like SciELO, BioMed Central, PubMed Central and more.

Zendy’s open access journey

Zendy is one such digital library that was inspired by the Open Access movement. Zendy offers affordable access and open access research content on one platform. Open Access week is significant to Zendy as we stand to create knowledgeable global communities by disseminating quality academic research from leading publishers. Our co-founder, Kamran Kardan says “I have been involved in the Open Access movement since its earliest days. I had also done my thesis around it. Since then, I have been concerned about what triggers the movement. I believe the biggest motivator of the movement is affordability; as access to journals was paid for with taxpayer money, to access research that was also funded through taxpayer money. This overlapping cost drives the movement.” 

He went on to express, “Looking at the challenges faced by pirated access and given the vast content that is still paywalled, it leaves room to explore a different business model known as affordable access. It’s not something that’s new, as this is present in the entertainment industry as many of us have Netflix and Spotify subscriptions. Zendy has taken that and applied it to scholarly research.”

The 2023 Open Access Week marks 16 years since its inception. The theme for this year is “community over commercialisation” which encourages open conversation around open access initiatives that serve communities and those that engage in commercialising academia, essentially this year’s theme places open access initiatives under a microscope. It also sets out to highlight the importance of freely available scholarly materials to teachers, researchers, and lifelong learners. Open access week provides academics with the perfect opportunity to learn of and spread open access initiatives to help widen the conversation and normalise open access alternatives across the world of publishing. 

Driving change with the SDGs

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) place great emphasis on the open access movement. Opening academic research to the wider public not only helps individuals make informed decisions but also contributes to creating more inclusive scientific communities while accelerating global collaboration on interdisciplinary research. Broadening opportunities in education and increasing global literacy rates directly supports SDG-4 (Ensuring Quality Education). 

Zendy’s Partnerships Relations Manager, Sara Crowley Vigneau says, “Open access reduces inequalities in access to content that is directly relevant to the SDGs, promoting a more equitable and inclusive publishing system. From the start of 2023, Zendy’s readership has seen an increase of professionals outside of academia and essentially, this is what open access does, it increases the societal relevance of academic research.” 

She went on to express, “The role of open access in supporting the SDGs is to broaden scientific and policy related conversations by ensuring researchers from all regions can contribute to research regardless of funding. This also opens the door to academic research being published in local languages, thereby eliminating language barriers and allowing for research to be region-specific to increase its relevance rather than just following the leading, benchmark research from developed regions.” 

As we observe Open Access week in 2023, it is imperative to recognise the collaborative progress made by the ecosystem of open access stakeholders, including researchers, institutions, publishers, and providers. Publishing open access benefits readers and researchers alike, as it increases the visibility of research. While there is still significant progress to be made, the world of academia has seen an influx of initiatives to empower research communities and create stronger and more inclusive collaborative ecosystems. 

Discover millions of open access research papers across an array of disciplines on Zendy now. 

What is SJR?

The SJR (Scimago Journal Rank) is a metric that measures the prestige and impact of scientific journals. It is based on the concept of prestige transfer via citation links. Developed by the Scimago Lab, the metric ranks journals based on the citations received by their articles and the SJR scores of the citing journals. The SJR metric considers not only the total number of citations but also the quality of the citing journals as the subject field, quality and reputation of the journal have a direct effect on the citation of SJR.

A higher SJR score indicates that a journal has received more citations from other prestigious journals, signifying a higher level of influence and impact within the scientific community. However, the Scimago Journal Rank is just one of many metrics utilised to evaluate the quality and impact of scientific journals, and it should be considered alongside other measures such as the impact factor, h-index, and expert opinion when assessing the significance of a journal.

Why should you utilise SJR?

The Scimago Journal Rank is a public resource, meaning no subscription is needed to access and view any journal’s rank or score. SJR covers all disciplines, taking into account all relevant aspects of a journal tailored to the subject area. Moreover, the rankings are optimised to factor in the differences in citation behaviour between disciplines. It can be argued that SJR is a well-rounded metric, here are some key benefits of utilising it:

• Evaluate journal quality

 SJR provides a quantitative measure of the prestige and impact of scientific journals. The score considers both the number of citations received by a journal and the quality of the citing journal. By utilising SJR, you can easily assess the relative importance and influence of different journals within a discipline.

• Identify influential journals

 SJR scores journals based on their impact and visibility within the scientific community. The score can identify the most influential journals in your area of research, allowing you to target your publications to maximise their impact and reach.

• Compare journals within a field 

SJR provides a comprehensive comparison of different journals within a discipline. You can assess the standing and ranks of journals based on their SJR scores and determine which ones are more widely recognised by the scientific community.

• Benchmark research output

SJR also provides rankings at national and institutional levels. It can assist in benchmarking the research output of different countries or institutions, enabling you to assess their scientific productivity.

• Stay updated on scientific trends

By regularly consulting SJR, you can keep track of the evolving landscape of scientific journals, including emerging journals, new research areas, and trends within your field of interest.

How is SJR calculated? 

The SJR (Scimago Journal Rank) is calculated using a methodology that counts the number of citations a journal receives. The source of citations is also taken into account; citations from prestigious citing journals. The steps involved in calculating the SJR score are:

1. Collection of data: The methodology is initiated by collecting data on citations from Scopus, which is a comprehensive bibliographic database of scientific literature.
2. Weighting citations: Each citation received by an article within the journal is weighted based on the importance of the citing journal. The methodology considers the SJR of the citing journal as an indicator of its prestige. Higher-ranked journals contribute more to the SJR score of the journal being evaluated.
3. Normalisation: To account for differences in citation practices between fields of study, the SJR algorithm implements a normalisation process. This process adjusts variations in citation patterns and citation potential across different disciplines.
4. Prestige of the citing journals: Journals that receive citations from more prestigious and influential journals are given higher weight in the calculation.
5. Journal self-citations: Self-citations, which are citations made by a journal to its own articles, are excluded from the SJR calculation. This ensures that self-referencing does not influence a journal’s SJR score.
6. Iterative calculation: The Scimago Journal Rank is calculated iteratively, taking into account the rank scores of the citing journals. This iterative process helps adjust the scores and establish a relative ranking of journals within specific subject categories.

What are the limitations of SJR?

While the SJR (Scimago Journal Rank) metric is widely used and provides valuable insights regarding the impact of scientific journals, it is important to consider its limitations. Some of the limitations of the SJR metric are:

• Subjectivity of Journal Rankings

 The rankings provided by SJR are based on algorithms that consider citation data and the prestige of citing journals. However, the determination of prestige is subjective and can vary across different research communities or disciplines. The choice of specific journals in the Scopus database can also have biases in the rankings.

• Limited Coverage

SJR relies on the Scopus database for citation data, which may not include all journals across all disciplines. Certain fields or niche journals may be underrepresented in the database, leading to an incomplete representation of the research landscape.

• Focus on Citations

SJR heavily relies on citation data as the primary focus of a journal’s impact. While citations can be a significant unit of measurement, they do not capture other aspects of a journal’s quality, such as editorial standards, scientific rigour, or societal impact. The metric does not assess factors like the published research’s novelty, originality, or practical applicability.

• Time Lag

SJR scores are updated annually, which means there can be a time lag in reflecting the most recent developments and impact of journals. This delay may not capture the immediate influence of newly published research.

• Field Normalisation Challenges

While the Scimago Journal Rank attempts to normalise citations across different fields, variations in citation practices and publishing patterns can still have biases. Certain disciplines may have higher citation rates due to their nature or popularity, leading to potential imbalances in the rankings.

• Limited Transparency

The specific details of the algorithm used to calculate SJR scores, including the weighting and normalisation methods, are proprietary information and not publicly disclosed. This lack of transparency can make it difficult to fully understand and critique the metric.

What is the difference between Scimago Journal Rank and Journal Impact Factor?

The journal impact factor is a measure of the frequency with which the average article in a journal has been cited in a particular year. It is used to measure the importance or rank of a journal by calculating the times its articles are cited. The calculation is based on a two-year period and involves dividing the number of times articles were cited by the number of articles that are citable.

The main differentiating point of SJR and Journal Impact Factor is that the Scimago Journal Rank measures prestige and Journal Impact Factor measures citation impact. Both metrics utilise citations to settle a journal’s score. Moreover, both metrics rely on different databases, SJR relies on Scopus while Journal Impact Factor relies on Journal Citation Reports (JCR), these well-reputed databases assist the algorithms with which each score is decided. Additionally, SJR scores are optimised to compare journals across disciplines while the journal impact factor is not; using this metric you may only compare journals within one discipline. 

In conclusion, the Scimago Journal Rank is a valuable metric that determines the prestige of a specific journal. This article explored why as researchers, you should be utilising SJR and how it is calculated while highlighting the metric’s limitations. To help you gain a better understanding, the article also included a brief comparison between the Scimago Journal Rank and Journal Impact Factor. While SJR is arguably a well-rounded metric, it should not be the only method of analysis and should be considered along with other metrics and expert opinions to draw final conclusions about a specific journal. 

Valuable scientific research papers are usually stored behind paywalls. Sci-Hub is a platform that emerged in 2011 as a means to ‘remove all barriers in science’ while the initiative and establishment of Sci-Hub made strides within the open access movement, various questions and concerns have been raised about piracy and intellectual rights infringements as well is how the future of research will be impacted. From individual authors and researchers to publishing giants, this blog presents a comprehensive framework of the strengths and limitations of platforms like Sci-Hub. 

What is Sci-Hub? 

Sci-Hub is a website that provides free access to scientific research papers and academic articles that are behind paywalls. It was founded by Alexandra Elbakyan in 2011, with the goal of making scientific knowledge accessible to anyone, regardless of their financial resources or institutional affiliations. The site uses proxy servers to bypass the paywalls of major scientific publishers and provide users with free access to articles that would otherwise require a paid subscription. The use of Sci-Hub is controversial, as it is illegal in many countries and has been the subject of lawsuits by major publishers. However, it has also gained a large following among researchers and scholars who see it as a way to access scientific research.

Why so many are attracted to Sci-Hub?

An eminent argument is that Sci-Hub disseminates scientific research papers within emerging regions globally, this is done with no restrictions and in an effort to enhance the accessibility of research. As an open access platform, the establishment of Sci-Hub adds pressure on publishers, libraries and databases alike to provide open access alternatives to level the field within academia. 

Providing access to high-quality scientific research in emerging countries not only promotes equality within academia but also has the potential to increase the contribution from these countries and provide new perspectives and areas of study within research communities. Moreover, research papers are undoubtedly impacted positively by increased visibility and transparency.

Why is Sci-Hub controversial?

As Sci-Hub gains popularity, it is a controversial platform known to part-take in copyright infringement. The platform operates by providing free access to scientific research papers that are behind paywalls. By bypassing these restrictions, Sci-Hub has published and disseminated a vast collection of copyrighted material without the permission of publishers, making it a hub for copyright infringement. 

Due to Sci-Hub operating outside the traditional publishing model and obtaining its content illegally, this flags significant quality control issues; without the peer review process and editorial supervision provided by reputable journals, there is a concern about the research being disseminated by Sci-Hub.

While Sci-Hub has gained popularity; Sci-Hub also does not provide key metrics. This impacts the revenue streams of publishers and individual authors as the metrics to track and produce credibility are not taken into account. This lost data has the potential to negatively impact current and future research communities. Metrics like downloads and citations are significant to assessing a researcher’s credibility and career, Sci-Hub does not allow researchers or readers to access this information which creates a roadblock for research communities to operate on reliable metrics.

Furthermore, Sci-Hub undermines traditional publishing methods. Due to the platform not relying on article fees and subscriptions; the platform cannot fund the dissemination of quality scientific research. While Sci-Hub’s mission is to increase accessibility, this can be challenging as the platform has been banned in several countries because of Sci-Hub’s illegal methods of obtaining content, it is worth mentioning that the platform has been accused of using email phishing methods and gaining access to 42 university databases. In addition, the research available on Sci-Hub is not reviewed or updated making the research old and less relevant. 

What actions can the research industry take? 

Undoubtedly, platforms like Sci-Hub exist because of the gaps present in the research sector. To discourage the use of illegal platforms like Sci-Hub, the research industry can take several significant actions, such as making research papers more affordable and widely available, improving the quality and scope of open access research papers, negotiating better deals with publishers, and substantially increasing public funding for research. Additionally, researchers can publish their work in open access journals or deposit their manuscripts in institutional repositories, which can make their work more accessible. An increase in awareness about the implications on the research community of using pirated content can also help discourage the use of sites like Sci-Hub by readers and learners.

In conclusion, the principle that Sci-Hub was built on is to grant access to emerging regions, low-income students and researchers to the world of scientific research. While this is an admirable foundation, the dismissal of the established processes in the industry is harmful to the future of researchers. To significantly reduce the usage of pirated platforms, all stakeholders in the publishing spectrum must work together to create and promote affordable and accessible models of dissemination.

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In the current data-driven era, the importance of analytics in academic research cannot be overstated. Analytics help determine editorial decisions and give publishers insight into how their publications are being consumed, making analytics an indispensable tool for researchers across both STEM and HSS fields. In this blog, we assess and explore how analytics enable researchers to extract insights and make evidence-based decisions while also considering the benefits and limitations of analytics within academic research.

Benefits of analytics

• Analytics within academic research provides insight into how research papers are being utilised by readers, taking into account the platforms the research is being consumed on, the citations it receives and how it is being shared.
• Analysing metrics relevant to academic research helps to identify author and reader behaviour. This results in informed editorial decisions, along with better 
• Analytics also allow academic research publishers to streamline their workflow by calculating submission and acceptance timelines. This also has the potential to depict and analyse peer-review times and provides a thorough analysis of the data mentioned within a manuscript submission.
• Identifying the most cited research within a specific discipline can benefit authors’ own academic research with accurate sources from well-reputed journals and/or authors.

Consuming academic research from legal platforms which respect copyright guidelines aid publishers in collecting accurate data to produce and publish new academic research papers. Furthermore, this collection of data and metrics aids researchers advance within their careers as it helps establish researcher credibility through H-index scores and other metrics. 

Drawbacks of analytics

• The collection and analysis of reader data to depict usage and engagement can raise privacy concerns especially if personal details are also extracted.
• The data collected within academic research can be biased or misinterpreted if not examined rigorously. For example, data on citations and downloads may not accurately convey the impact of research but rather the popularity of the author or journal.
• The growth of analytics in academic research may create an overreliance on metrics. This can potentially shift the focus to trending topics and authors rather than original, relevant and impactful research.
• Currently, there is no standard method for collecting and reporting analytical data within academic research. This lack of standardisation leaves room for misinterpretation, fabrication and biased numbers.

Platforms like Z-library, which provide free but illegal access to academic research and publications, pose a threat to the analytics used by publishers. Z Library bypasses traditional publishing by engaging in the unauthorised sharing of copyrighted content. It hosts digital copies of books without the explicit permission of the authors or publishers. This violates copyright laws and intellectual property rights. This can undermine the ability of publishers to make data-driven decisions about which articles to publish and promote, and can also affect the accuracy of analytics data. Which in turn affects the measurement of the true impact of academic research publications.

In conclusion, the growth of analytics within academic research is undeniable. While metrics allow publishers, authors and readers to depict how accurate their sources are and how well their research papers are performing, this comes at the cost of potential privacy concerns, fabrication of data and the lack of a standardised approach to collecting and reporting analytical data. However, investing time and resources to establish safe practices that produce accurate metrics can greatly benefit all parties involved in academic research; publishers can use this data to cater to readers by creating personalised lists and recommendations while also encouraging researchers to work within certain subject areas across different disciplines.

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