Jun 16 2014 : Mirror (Pune)
Business of research papers
GOURI AGTEY ATHALE
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GOURI AGTEY ATHALE WRITES ON WHAT MAKES PUNE INC TICK Liked/hated her column? Write to Gouri Athale at punemirror.feedback@gmail.com Newer institutes, colleges take the easy route instead of enhancing quality and stringency of parameters
The monetary side of the business explains the attraction of hosting scientific and other high-end, knowledge-based conferences and subsequent publications of papers presented at the conference.The registration fee is between Rs 5,000-10,000 per head, if the conference is in India and the expected number of attendees is around 200-400 people. If the conference is international, then the registration fees are in the region of $ 300-500 per head. Do the math: it works out to substantial amounts with fairly low initial investment.
Participants also have to pay for the publication of their papers and according to people in the know, this is where they really make the money: the publications side of the conference.
Add that and the business is significant.
This has led to several sting operations by well established scientific and mainstream newspapers and magazines, exposing the racket. Nothing’s changed! Why is this relevant? Institutions pressure their staff (looking for tenure) and students to publish research, based on the ‘publish or perish’ philosophy. This gives rise to the business of hosting conferences where you might have been ‘invited’ but have to pay for your travel, stay and pay for the publication of your paper.
Quality is at stake, especially as newer institutes and colleges start their own journals, taking the easy route instead of enhancing the quality and stringency of parameters of existing journals. Academic rigour will get you quality but if you focus on just meeting the norm that an academic staff member has to have publications, never mind the quality of said publication, then a fall in standards is inevitable.
As a senior academic from Pune University explained, “This is a problem of the knowledge industry. Institutes require their staff to publish and there are elements who ensure that this happens... for a price. Universities have tightened their procedures and systems, ensuring their staff attend only credible conferences.” A young scientist and researcher at a well regarded institute in Pune told me of the high level of filters that he has set up on his email account.
Despite this, at least two-three invitations for in
ternational conferences sneak into his email.These are mainly from Chinese entities but not only from them: this business like a host of others, is global.
The practice is rampant in India as well as more and more institutes look for credibility and as more academic bodies insist on publications. Researchers and academics agree there is need for the academic community to take action by enforcing standards: consolidate the number of existing publications and improve their quality by enforcing rigorous and stringent standards.
The financial angle, however, has taken precedence over the academic. The financial angle for the entrepreneur and that of the academic/ researcher seeking a permanent post are the primary drivers of this business. Universities
and research institutes have begun to blacklist such entrepreneurs as well as tightened their grants to attend conferences that are not recognised nationally or internationally.The first filter that universities and research institutes have begun to apply is that any conference where the invitee has to pay to attend is a strict no-go: this is part of the realisation that academics is not the focus of the conference.
That this is not going to stop is clear because there is a paucity of funds in the ‘developed’ world as a result of the economic meltdown which makes holding of international conferences a money spinner. This is compounded by the premium emerging countries put on international publications, regarded as the gold standard. Eternal vigilance is the need, obviously!
Participants also have to pay for the publication of their papers and according to people in the know, this is where they really make the money: the publications side of the conference.
Add that and the business is significant.
This has led to several sting operations by well established scientific and mainstream newspapers and magazines, exposing the racket. Nothing’s changed! Why is this relevant? Institutions pressure their staff (looking for tenure) and students to publish research, based on the ‘publish or perish’ philosophy. This gives rise to the business of hosting conferences where you might have been ‘invited’ but have to pay for your travel, stay and pay for the publication of your paper.
Quality is at stake, especially as newer institutes and colleges start their own journals, taking the easy route instead of enhancing the quality and stringency of parameters of existing journals. Academic rigour will get you quality but if you focus on just meeting the norm that an academic staff member has to have publications, never mind the quality of said publication, then a fall in standards is inevitable.
As a senior academic from Pune University explained, “This is a problem of the knowledge industry. Institutes require their staff to publish and there are elements who ensure that this happens... for a price. Universities have tightened their procedures and systems, ensuring their staff attend only credible conferences.” A young scientist and researcher at a well regarded institute in Pune told me of the high level of filters that he has set up on his email account.
Despite this, at least two-three invitations for in
ternational conferences sneak into his email.These are mainly from Chinese entities but not only from them: this business like a host of others, is global.
The practice is rampant in India as well as more and more institutes look for credibility and as more academic bodies insist on publications. Researchers and academics agree there is need for the academic community to take action by enforcing standards: consolidate the number of existing publications and improve their quality by enforcing rigorous and stringent standards.
The financial angle, however, has taken precedence over the academic. The financial angle for the entrepreneur and that of the academic/ researcher seeking a permanent post are the primary drivers of this business. Universities
and research institutes have begun to blacklist such entrepreneurs as well as tightened their grants to attend conferences that are not recognised nationally or internationally.The first filter that universities and research institutes have begun to apply is that any conference where the invitee has to pay to attend is a strict no-go: this is part of the realisation that academics is not the focus of the conference.
That this is not going to stop is clear because there is a paucity of funds in the ‘developed’ world as a result of the economic meltdown which makes holding of international conferences a money spinner. This is compounded by the premium emerging countries put on international publications, regarded as the gold standard. Eternal vigilance is the need, obviously!
