How to increase the impact factor of Indian journals…???

Through this post I want to put forward a suggestion, in front of scientists in India, regarding how to increase the impact of Indian journals. I suggest that Indian Govt should make a rule, which should be applicable to all the universities and institutes across India, that we, the researchers of India should publish all the work in Indian Journals only. The journals may be peer-reviewed internationally. The journals may be available online free of cost, and free copies may be sent to major universities worldwide. The language used should be ‘english’ so that the fate should not be like Russians, who did this in russian language and their developments in science were restricted to themselves.
This would be a difficult thing specially when there is a tough “race” going among scientists to see their names in international journals of highest impact, however, this would certainly increase the level of recognition the Indian Scientists should get worldwide.
Well, initially students may face problems, as in the average impact factor per student will be certainly very low, however, as soon as the Indian work starts getting recognition, citations will increase and thus the impact factor. I have a strong feeling that this should work. The post is open for suggestions/discussion. I would appereciate visitors of this page for their comments.

Uncategorized | cjeet | February 23, 2008 9:30 pm

15 Comments

By wify, February 24, 2008 @ 1:05 am

I think it should work… but what about the infrastructure that would go into trying to make that happen.. and what about the initiators of this process.. GOOD THOUGHT but still THINK about it all!!!! hai na.. 🙂
By Catherinewo, March 25, 2008 @ 2:55 am

favorited this one, guy
By Sukhdev Singh, June 19, 2008 @ 10:48 am

It has been proved number of times that unrestricted online availability of of scholarly articles results in better impact (Online or Invisible? by Steve Lawrence; NEC Research Institute). Thus if Indian research is published through open access journals, it would make better impact on further research world wide. However it appears impractical to force authors to publish only in Indian Journals. However Govt. could mandate that publications arising from public funded research be archived in some Open Access archives within a specific time after their publication. A policy similar to NIH Public Access could be explored for such a mandate.
By (Dr) R.C. YashRoy, July 7, 2008 @ 12:10 pm

Yes, Indian Journal of Medical Research has already achieved a handsome impact factor over 1.6 through online visibility. Other Indian Journals should also follow this. As such, global visibility may also fetch better revenues from Journal advertisements.
By Lisa, August 9, 2008 @ 8:39 pm

Impact factor cartoon 🙂
By Gajendra Kumar Medhi, September 20, 2008 @ 4:07 am

Now a days, Impact Factor (IF) is considered as a main marker of quality of the scientific journal. Yes, there should be a valid indicator which can really measure the standard of scientific journals. But, how valid is the current system of measuring the IF? Personnally, I have serious doubt.
By Alex Hansen, October 15, 2008 @ 4:08 pm

The way impact factor is calculated is the number of citations to a journal in the past two years divided by the number of citable items (see ISI or Wikipedia). By mandating that research be published in Indian journals, you’re really encouraging an increase in the denominator of that equation and could potentially result in decreasing impact factors. Really the best way to increase impact is to stay current with the Indian journals and cite them as often as possible in your own publications, regardless of where you publish. In that way you can publish in high impact (more visible?) journals and the citations can then encourage others to look at those journals.

Honestly, a major factor in whether I use an article is if I can get it free from the library (online pdf ideally). Often I find foreign journals are not provided by the school and there’s almost 0% chance that I’ll interlibrary-loan the article. It’s difficult enough for me to pursue the article if I have to go to the library and copy it myself, and the library is 500 ft from where I work! Thus, free online access would be a critical step to improve impact factors.
By jc, October 15, 2008 @ 4:22 pm

@Alex
points taken…thanks…however, if one publishes only in a particular journal and work is good enough to be cited and is made free online (work is more visible), the impact factor is bound to increase and that precisely is the point…i also encouraged the point of putting all the stuff “online” for free. the way now it happens is…all the good work from India goes to major international journal and is cited subsequently from there only and thus impact factor of indian journal remains where it was…
By Monika Sharma, February 1, 2009 @ 11:31 pm

This needs to be encourged and some payment (Rs 5000/- Per Research Paper to First Author only) should be maid to the researchers publishing their work in Indian Journals. A list of Indian Journals (as decided by the Indian Scientific community) may be released (may be updated continiously) for which Payments may be made. It will definitely attract the people towards Indian Journals and increse its Impact Factor.
By Nagaraja K K, June 26, 2009 @ 8:12 am

I think Monika Sharma’s ideas will definitely work. So, one should think of implementing the same to rise the impact factor of journals
By Madhu, June 30, 2010 @ 9:08 am

I also agree with Monika Sharma and I think that will work. Beside this equal weightage should be given to Indian Journals publications as International publications during any admission in Indian institutes and Universities by Indian scientists.
By C.V.M. Naresh Kumar, July 11, 2010 @ 9:16 pm

Thats a great idea.. in addition i recommend that all the indian journals should be made free online access. The submission of manuscripts should be made online. the process of reviewing the manuscript by the journals should be accelerated. There should be some sort of encouragement to the scientists abd the young researchers by selecting the best publications in a year and rewarding them.. this will necessarily encourage and boost the indain science as a whole……. One day…we will definitely rule the world of science
By Dr.E.Bhaskaran. B.E., M.B.A, Ph.D., (D.Sc), July 5, 2011 @ 1:13 pm

What you have said is right. I am interesed in getting D.Sc (Doctor of Science) in any Indian Universities. But they are insisting impact factor of 1 and above in 10 journals with average of 1.5. It is very difficult to publish in Indian Journal to get the impact factor of 10 and above. Unless there is policy by Government of India / Universities to publish only in Indian Journals there won’t be any use for the researchers. Moreover the published papers will be useful to Indian Society as they are doing research only with reference to Indian Environment. So there should be a strict policy from Government of India for Indian Journals.
By Dr.E.Bhaskaran. B.E., M.B.A, Ph.D., (D.Sc), July 5, 2011 @ 1:16 pm

What you have said is right. I am interesed in getting D.Sc (Doctor of Science) in any Indian Universities. But they are insisting impact factor of 1 and above in 10 journals with average of 1.5. It is very difficult to publish in Indian Journal to get the impact factor of 10 and above. Unless there is policy by Government of India / Universities to publish only in Indian Journals there won’t be any use for the researchers. Moreover the published papers will be useful to Indian Society as they are doing research only with reference to Indian Environment. So there should be a strict policy from Government of India for Indian Journals.

by Dr.E.Bhaskaran. B.E, M.B.A, Ph.D.,(D.Sc)
Deputy Director of Industries and Commerce,
Government of Tamil Nadu,
India.
By Anjani, September 26, 2012 @ 10:02 am

Awesome…. and really very nice suggestions..But in a democratic nation like us such changes require time. Let some rocks be thrown by ppl from west and then we’d realize we developing nations are used so much by them.