KARACHI, April 2: A panel discussion organized by the Society of Economists, Geologists and Mineral Technologists (SEGMITE) has rejected the impact factor criteria to assess productivity of scientists, claiming this has become an instrument to discourage scientists community in the country.

The discussion was held the other day with the aim of arriving at a consensus regarding a fair and rational criteria for according productivity allowance to scientists which is acceptable to larger number of scientists in the country.

The meeting observed that impact factor was only designed to determine popularity of journals and not for assessing productivity of scientists.

Highly specialized international journals being published in developing countries have less than one impact factor while multi-disciplinary and widely-circulated Nature magazine has very high impact factor.

Prof Iqbal Chaudhry, member of productivity criteria committee, Ministry of Science and Technology, informed the meeting that impact factor was one of many points like number of PHDs supervised, amount of research grant received and booked, papers written.

He further said productivity criteria had not been finalized and this issue was open to suggestions from the scientists community.

However, majority of the participants of the panel were of the opinion that in view of the paucity of funds for scholarships/ laboratory equipments and current journals in science departments of public universities, this productivity criteria has no relevance.

It was also pointed out that while assessing productivity of scientists, due weightage should be given to the fact that university teachers gave their considerable time in taking undergraduate and post-graduate theory/ practical classes but those working at research institutes spend all their time on research activities.

The meeting was of the opinion that restructuring in the proposed criteria should be made by consulting all segments of country’s scientist community.

Prof Dr Ronaq Raza, Dean Faculty of Sciences of KU, presided over the discussion, while the panel members included Prof Dr Iftikhar Imam Naqvi, Department of Chemistry Karachi University, Prof Dr Sohail Barkati, Department of Zoology, KU; Prof Dr Fahimuddin, Department of Chemistry, KU; Prof Dr Junaid Saghir Siddiqui, Department of Statistics, KU; and Prof Dr Imtiaz Ahmad, Department of Zoology, KU. — PPI