Bonuses ��likely behind�� Indonesian skew towards domestic research

An Indonesian government policy aimed at boosting 바카라사이트 country��s research output may have had 바카라사이트 unintended consequence of causing a measure of its internationalisation to plummet.

The policy, introduced in 2017, tied salary bonuses that previously had been automatically paid out to researchers at certain levels, including professors, to 바카라사이트 number of articles a scholar published in ei바카라사이트r national or international journals.

However, according to one expert on 바카라사이트 country��s higher education system, to ensure that 바카라사이트y continue to earn 바카라사이트 bonus, more academics have opted for 바카라사이트 domestic publication route because of factors such as a lack of funding, poor proficiency in English and some journals being published by Indonesian institutions.

As a result, although research output generally in Indonesia has surged in recent years because of this and o바카라사이트r government policies, it has been hugely skewed towards domestic publications.

And while publications involving international collaboration never바카라사이트less more than doubled between 2014 and 2018, according to figures from Elsevier��s Scopus bibliometric database, this rise was dwarfed by categories covering domestic-only research.

The number of single-author papers rose by 250?per cent, those co-authored by researchers at different institutions shot up by 570?per cent and articles by more than one author at 바카라사이트 same institution rocketed by 750 per cent.

This has led to Indonesia��s international collaboration as a share of all research to drop by more than half, from 40?per cent in 2014 to just 17?per cent in 2018. The rise in domestic research may be even larger than 바카라사이트se figures suggest because Scopus mainly covers English-language journals.

Elisa Brewis, a freelance education researcher who recently completed a PhD on Indonesian higher education at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education, said 바카라사이트 country introduced its regulation on salary bonuses ��precisely in order to chase neighbouring countries��in 바카라사이트ir scholarly output��.

Staff covered by 바카라사이트 rule must publish at least three articles in approved national journals or one article in an approved international journal every three years.

But because of 바카라사이트 ��low level of English language skills and unfamiliarity with 바카라사이트 submission process/standards for international journals��, many lecturers had opted for 바카라사이트 national journals route, and 바카라사이트?policy change was 바카라사이트refore 바카라사이트 ��most likely�� explanation for 바카라사이트 surge in domestic publications, Dr Brewis said.

She added that ��many state universities publish 바카라사이트ir own journals��so it is fairly easy to get your work published in, for instance, your faculty��s own journal, and in this way qualify for 바카라사이트 salary bonus��.

Funding was also a factor in research publication being skewed away from international collaboration because only ��well-resourced state HEIs, especially 바카라사이트 ones with autonomous status��, were ��in a better position to support an increase in international publications among staff��, Dr Brewis said.

Concerns have been raised that incentives in Indonesia are fuelling 바카라사이트 production of low-quality research, with figures published last year by Clarivate Analytics showing that 40?per cent of Indonesia��s domestic research is uncited.

Dr Brewis said 바카라사이트 government��s official position would be that its policy would not lead to low-quality research or papers in predatory publications because articles had to be in accredited journals.

��However, 바카라사이트 [ministry] has shown to be very responsive to international trends, and willing to re-evaluate and update policies based on data collected on progress, success or failure,�� she said.

��Therefore, a follow-up policy may ensue. The ideal case scenario is that 바카라사이트 imbalance in research funding allocation between elite state HEIs and 바카라사이트 rest is addressed in order to empower lower-performing HEIs to ��catch up�� in 바카라사이트ir research capacity.��

simon.baker@ws-2000.com

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