The Office of the Dean of Research and the Research Council held an interactive workshop titled, “Previous unpublished studies: can it be published and where?”, the third in the Research and Creativity colloquia series for the 2021-2022 academic year, on Thursday, 28 October 2021.

The workshop was attended by faculty members from Sciences, Education, Nursing and Health Sciences, and the Arts. Mr. Adnan Ramadan, the Dean of Students, Dr. Muna Matar, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Mr. Elias Juha, the Director of the Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management, also participated in this discussion.

At the beginning of the workshop, Prof. Jamil Khader, Dean of Research, invited participants to share their experiences in research projects. Participants discussed projects they have either started but did not complete or projects that were completed such as master’s thesis projects and doctoral dissertations, but have not been published yet.

Participants raised various ethical, structural, and stylistic issues that pertain to their past research projects. They lamented the fact that the graduate programs they graduate from did not prepare them for the demands of the publishing world and what publication in a journal entails.

The discussion addressed the problem of the time gap in past research and the importance of updating the literature section in these studies. Most importantly, it was emphasized that any research project, past or current, must reconsider the original contribution it presents to the field of study in light of the current literature on the topic. 

Participants also encouraged researchers who struggle to balance teaching and research to consider engaging in Action Research projects as well. There are many respected and high impact-factors AR journals in all fields where faculty can publish.

Dr. Zein Al-Awawdah, Associate Professor of Arabic, shared his experience in research and publication. He noted that research should be done not for promotion, but for the advancement of knowledge. He also discussed the different acceptance criteria that journals have and which had an impact on the type of articles he published.

Participants also focused on the process of publishing these research projects. Prof. Khader advised using credible resources such as Scimago and Resurchify to locate appropriate venues and containers (journals) where they can publish their studies. For containers in Arabic, he suggested consulting the list of credible journals that the Deanship of Research at the University of Jordan has approved. Using these credible sources can help save researchers from the trap of predatory and commercial journals.

He also recommended that researchers review the “Submission Guidelines” of the containers and prepare the manuscript according to these guidelines, before submitting the manuscript to the journal. He encouraged participants, in case their work is rejected, to revise and resubmit in credible and high-impact factor sources. 

In response to concerns about authors having the same name, Prof. Khader advised registering for an ORCID identification number that will consistently be used to identify their work.

Participants also shared their concerns about the workload and the problem of balancing teaching and research. They requested organizing one-on-one coaching sessions for faculty who need more help in navigating the tricky world of publications. Prof. Khader welcomed the idea and encouraged faculty to reach out to coordinate such sessions.