Academics and researchers have undergone a one day training workshop aimed at enhancing skills that will make their publications more competitive in the global academic arena.
The workshop was organised by the Midlands State University Library Services Department and facilitated by Springer Nature, a publishing house which publishes over 3000 journals and 12 000 books annually. The one day workshop attended by academics, researchers and non-teaching staff members was held at the University Main Campus in Gweru, on Monday the 2ndof July, 2018.
Delivering his presentation, Springer representative Mr Phillip de Kock, said researchers from other institutions will be able to find the content by local authors if they decide to publish with his organisation, whose quality is recognized by Nobel laureates.
He added that Springer is currently the largest open access publisher with about 600 journals while online platforms have over 250 million downloads every year.
‘The topic of this workshop is how to be more than just an author— and how to be an effective communicator. Your goal should not only be, to be published, but also to be widely read in your field. It is in this way that you have impact and influence in the advancement of your field. When your papers have more impact, they will be more highly cited. You will build your reputation worldwide, and that of your institution. You will establish new international collaborations. All of which, will help you advance your career,’ he explained.
Midlands State University Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research and Academic Affairs, Professor Doreen Moyo said the workshop which is expected to improve the rankings of the institution on the global academic landscape, comes at a time when the University is prioritising quality research that will generate new knowledge to stimulate socio-economic development in local communities.
‘Gone are the days when academics published findings in fly by night journals that have no rigorous peer review but charge exorbitant page fees. It is important for academics to publish with highly credible, high impact journals such as Springer. These journals are highly competitive and accept papers of high quality. To publish in these journals, good research methodology and use of appropriate statistical software cannot be over emphasized,’ said Prof. Moyo.
Currently, the University sets aside 5% of its annual budget for research activity, with the allocation expected to increase as the University moves to become a leading research intensive institution.
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