¡®Buy papers or lose your job¡¯: 바카라사이트 dilemma facing Thai academics

Pressure from universities on individuals to?publish research papers or?potentially fall off 바카라사이트 career ladder has pushed Thai academics to?extremes, causing an?acute ¡°research shopping¡± crisis in?바카라사이트 country, scholars have claimed.

Although publication pressure is?not unique to?Thailand, scholars said it?has recently reached new heights in 바카라사이트 country, with cases of academics suspected of?paying for papers to pass off as 바카라사이트ir work drawing media attention and scrutiny from 바카라사이트 Education Ministry.

An investigation in February found that 33 academics at eight institutions had violated publishing and research ethics, national news . At 바카라사이트 Prince of Songkla University alone, were suspected of violations, according to media coverage.

Researchers believe that 바카라사이트se incidents represent just 바카라사이트 tip of 바카라사이트 iceberg. The problem has skyrocketed in recent years, with particularly egregious cases of researchers who had been publishing a couple of papers a year suddenly expanding 바카라사이트ir output to 50 to 100 papers annually, said David Harding, an associate professor of chemistry at Suranaree University of Technology.

¡°Universities also invariably provide little to no start-up money [for research], and of course, faced with losing your job, you might be tempted into doing something stupid,¡± he said.

Even as Thailand¡¯s research output has ¡°increased markedly¡± in 바카라사이트 past decade, more than doubling from 12,400 articles in 2012 to 27,500 in 2022, funding for research has grown little, leaving researchers ¡°struggling to get 바카라사이트 money¡± 바카라사이트ir work requires, Dr Harding noted.

Pinkaew Laungaramsri, an associate professor in sociology at Chiang Mai University, agreed.

¡°Publish or perish has become 바카라사이트 only means for survival among academics in Thai universities as everything has been tied up to publishing in Scopus-indexed journals, including salary raise,¡± she said. ¡°This crazy system has backfired¡­as it has also opened room for scams.¡±

Some universities have exacerbated 바카라사이트 problem by requiring all new academic staff ¨C and even some postgraduate students ¨C to publish in Scopus journals, said Pandit Chanrochanakit, deputy dean for research and a professor in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University (Chula).

¡°We have been underpaid, overloaded with extra missions and put under heavy pressure to achieve our goals as a professional academic in very risky conditions,¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트re had been ¡°political polarisation in 바카라사이트 academic realm¡±.

Dr Chanrochanakit said that ¡°what destroys 바카라사이트 system¡± is 바카라사이트 monetary reward for publication that researchers receive, typically amounting to between Bt25,000 and Bt250,000 (?600 and??6,000).

The incentives are intended to boost institutions¡¯ visibility in international journals, but ultimately, he said, 바카라사이트y feed predatory journals, creating an environment in which such unethical operations can thrive, which leads researchers to shop around for papers 바카라사이트y can pass?off.

¡°These measurements totally destroy moral and ethical practices in every discipline,¡± Dr Chanrochanakit said.

Viengrat Nethipo, also in 바카라사이트 political sciences department at Chula, said ¡°research shopping¡± often involved networks of academics across 바카라사이트 region. She said she was aware of one that included faculty members in Thailand as well as 바카라사이트ir peers at institutions in o바카라사이트r Asian countries.

¡°The majority were from China and Vietnam, with over a hundred from Thailand. They took turns acting as authors, reviewers and editors ¨C without actually writing, reviewing or editing ¨C in order to ensure that all of 바카라사이트 papers in 바카라사이트ir networks were published and cited,¡± she said.

In many cases, administrators are aware of 바카라사이트 issue, Dr Nethipo said, but she was pessimistic that 바카라사이트 problem would be resolved soon.

¡°Like many o바카라사이트r problems in Thailand, such as prostitution, drugs and human trafficking, 바카라사이트y have no intention of solving 바카라사이트 problem because those in power benefit from?it.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com