How do we assess the quality of research? The need and methods for the same discussed here . Keynote address at the National Conference on Communication Signal Processing and Networking at N S S College of Engineering Palakkad on 10th Oct 2014

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QUALITY OF ACADEMIC RESEARCH
Prof K P Mohandas, Senior Member IEEE
Dean Academic M E S College of Engg&
Former Dean PG Studies & Research NIT Calicut (kpmdas@ieee.org)

2. Overview of this talk
Quality of research?
Invention or discovery?
Patents of products or processes
Publications
Journals and rating of journals
Open Access journals
Reputation of journals and citation index
Criticisms on Impact factor
Why not Conference papers
Research without patents or papers
Peer review
Open seminars and colloquiums
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3. Quality of research
Not easily defined. Academicians are still in search of a proper objective criterion.
Ideally, any research work should be useful for the society at large.
Theoretical research may not find immediate application
Applied research in Engineering and Medicine appears to be more useful to the humanity at large.
Let us not expect that all research work will be good enough to win Nobel prize
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4. Why quality of research?
Guides and institutions want the research to be of high quality for publicity
Perfectionists among researchers want their work to be worth winning a Nobel price !!!
A few wants to complete the work some how and get a degree with minimum effort
“LESS EFFORT MORE COMFORT , ENJOY MORE AND GET YOUR DEGREE”
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5. Accepted norms
Publications in reputed peer reviewed journals
Patents on productsor processes
Conference papersin conferences organized with technical support from reputed professional societies
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6. Invention or discovery?
Research work leading to a totally new invention or discovery is definitely useful.
But how do we assess the usefulness of a product or a device?
Claims have to be substantiated.
Commercial production may be necessary to establish claims
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7. Many inventions have been used after a long time
Thermoelectricity was discovered in 1820
Photovoltaic cells : 1839
Faraday’s laws : 1831
First Transmission line : 1887 (Edison & Graham Bell)
Nikolai Tesla induction motor 1885-87
Charles BabbagesAnalytic Engine with programs by AdaLovelace : 1837
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8. Hot areas of research
Energy saving gadgets
New energy sources, renewable sources.
Nanotechnology and applications in medicine, biology and manufacturing
Biotechnology & Biomedical engg
Impact of new technology on human life like use of mobiles, living under power lines, EMI etc
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9. Patents
Can be obtained for a new productor
A new process
Patenting procedures are too cumbersome.
Commercial use can be after filing a patent
Approval takes a long time.
Many patents have not been commercially utilized, but remains in the cupboard or on the drawing room wall
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10. Publications
Journals
Peer reviewed printed journals
On line journals
Open access journals
Conference publications
Conferences with technical support by
professional societies like IEEE, IEI, IEE..
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11. Which journals to choose ?
Review process for reputed journals rigorous
At least five reviewers , mostly blind reviews
Acceptance requires approval by at least three and no serious adverse remarks buy others.
Revision may be required to reduce pages : full paper to short paper, short paper to correspondence etc.
On the average it takes 12-15 months for a paper to appear in print.
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12. Relative rating of journals
Many measures are available
Most of them arte based how often the published papers in that journal is referred toby others in comparison.
Citation index
Impact factor etc
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13. Impact factor for journals
The impact factor devised byEugene Garfield, the founder of theInstitute for Scientific Information.
Impact factors are calculated yearly starting from 1975 for those journals that are indexed in theJournal Citation Reports
Iimpact factor for 2012 =A/B.
A= the number of times that all items published in that journal in 2010 and 2011 were cited by indexed publications during 2012.
B= the total number of "citable items" published by that journal in 2010 and 2011. ("Citable items" for this calculation are usually articles, reviews, proceedings, or notes; not editorials or letters to the editor).
Note that 2012 impact factors are published in 2013; they cannot be calculated until all of the 2012 publications have been processed by the indexing agency.
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14. Agencies calculating IF
Scientific and technical journals :Thomson- Reuters
SCI –Science Citation Indexis a multidisciplinary index and fully indexes over 8,500 major journals across 150 disciplines –1988 to present.
Humanities and social sciences India http://www.indiancitationindex.com/
Global Impact factor : http://globalimpactfactor.com/
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15. Reliability of Impact factor & citation index
The agencies do not disclose the details of data used.
Cannot be verified by an Independent audit.
Publishers may have personal interests.
Cannot be compared for different journals.
Many reputed journals like IEEE Transactions have poor IF / citation index.
Considered useful measure in the absence of any other quantitative measure
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16. Open Access Journals
Articles can be downloaded free
Authors are to bear the cost of publication.
Journals promise quick reviews and publication within a few weeks.
Most of them are on-line journals
Very few OA journals are printed
Very few are trust worthy, as profit making may be the intention.
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17. Be careful when papers to OA Journals
Visit their website, if they have one.
See the review process and earlier reviewers.
See some of the earlier publications in your area.
Verify the quality of the paper s in consultation with colleagues and teachers.
See whether the cost to be paid by the author reasonable or is it too much
Academic reputation of members on the Editorial/Advisory boards
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18. Why not conference papers?
Large number of conferences are held these days.
Reviewprocedures not so thorough
Organizers tend to accept poor quality papers for better participation.
Revenue generation from registration fee.
Prefer conferences with technical support from well known professional bodies.
With assured publication in IEEE Explore etc.
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19. Benefits from good conferences
Meet senior researchers in the area.
Presenting your work in front of them.
If the work is good, will catch attention from them.
Meet friends working in your area.
Making contacts and exchange of ideas.
Good food and merry-making (?)
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20. Research without patents or papers?
Cannot be considered as poor quality
But assessment is difficult & often subjective.
Peer (expert) evaluation is required.
Reviews of papers even if not accepted may give ideas for improving quality of work.
More ideas for researchavailable from good reviews
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21. Other avenues for quality assessment
Open seminars or colloquiums
Interaction with researchers in the same area
Opinions from experts in conferences.
Discussions with your friends in the group.
Group work is better than individual work.
Collecting feed back on seminars from teachers
Evaluation of thesis by examiners who are up to date in the area of research
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22. Conclusions
Quality assurance of results of theoretical work not easy.
Presently only publications in reputed peer reviewed journals and or
Patents for products or processes.
Evaluation by guides, members of Doctoral Committee, friends in the group etc.
Stage by stage evaluation and frequent feedback will be desiraable
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23. THANK YOU
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