This topic affect everyone of us.. but sorry state is that we like more to repent (and finding the excuses) instead of finding the solution.
Thank you all for contributing your views. While this topic should have got high number of response (we expected) but not so much. I was waiting for the members to contribute their thoughts first.
My thoughts and views on this topic cover my experience with the journals contents, their publication and their availability.
Hi !!!!
I have been working with one of the Indian journals for last one one year. The main problem areas regarding the low impact factor of Indian journals are:
1. Only the junk is published in Indian journals by the researchers, which has been rejected by most of the foreign journals.
I don't agree on this point that only junk is published in Indian journals... I was checking the contents published in Indian Journal of Chemistry Sec B (a journal by NISCAIR)... there were good number of articles that have highly relevant contents (large number of articles were from renowned chemists who are member of editorial board) but ofcourse also there are large number of articles that are not so relevant.
I had a chance to interact with Mr. Hotchandani (ex- editor in chief of IJC B) during the publication of one of my colleague's article in that journal. We were there for the submission of revised final manuscript for publication. Few points that I remember even today of that conversation:
1. Eventhough your paper is accepted for publication, it is going to take more than 9 months to come in the print form and article page number etc will be assigned in nearly one month. This is because there is limitation of number of pages in a issue (nearly 100 pages per issue).
This point has severe impact. At that time articles covering the microwave reactions were not finding place in most of the foreign publications. But I observed that most of the articles in next one year issues of IJC B were from this field only (while is has lost its relevance already). In such a situation, you will not get any citation for these articles anywhere.
2. Second point he was unhappy that there is very large backlog of papers.. he has sent large number of articles for reviewing to senior scientists but they are not reviewing those and sending back. He has not received response for some of that for last six month.
This is another point which affect the citation and publication. First - Does it really take six month for a scientist to review a article (and that is of his field and he/she has agreed to review that). Second- If it is going to take six month to get a decision about someones article then he will think twice before sending a good article for publication in that journal. Third-It is really a high delay in publishing.
On this point I just can say is that Journals should include young scientist, researchers and lecturers in reviewers list (expectedly you will get a faster response).
3. I asked him-"Sir why there are so many articles that are in queue of publishing, queue of reviewing". His answer was that very few article that are rejected. Reason being we want to publish everyone's article/contribution.
Yes there are very few rejections... this really affect the content writing. Then most of the authors write their article in not so good language (appear they have written just sake of getting one article). See the content writing when the same author wish to publish that same article in some other journal (really you will see a difference). When article is not well written then how could you expect the attraction/attention of readeship and subsequent citation.
4. He pointed on writing material as well (I donot remember exactly on that point but that is some covered in point 3 above). He has hinted on the mind set while writing a article for indian journal.
It was nice meeting with him in his office in NISCAIR. He was about to retire at that.
