The Value of Applied Research and Alternative Publishing

Ask a crusty old academic and he/she will tell you that unless research is in a peer-reviewed journal it has no value and should be discarded as “junk” work. In contrast, talk to a seasoned CEO and he/she will tell you that if university research has any value in the market it will need to be applied to solve business problems. This divergence of thought and perspective is changing the way universities and corporations disseminate and use information.

There are some academic traditions that unnecessarily restrict the value of education and hinder the growth of the business community. Corporations are end users of information that apply research build products, enhance services, and improve operations. Failure to see the value of alternative methods of conducting, publishing, and using research beyond elitist journals defeats the purpose of academic studies.

CEO’s, executives, and consultants rely heavily on information to make strategic decisions. They obtain ideas   online, databases, libraries, magazines and personal knowledge. Few have direct access to university libraries and expensive subscription journals. When was the last time you saw a copy of a scientific journal on a CEO’s desk?

Assuming that the CEO understood academic jargon, it is still doubtful the company would be willing to pay the costs associated with high-end academic journals. There is a growing crisis where academic knowledge is becoming restrictive and inflexible reducing the amount of potential users (Stemper & Williams, 2006). Most businesses won’t have access to groundbreaking research until it is widely available in the market.

The value of research is not based on the quality of the journal, but a number of times the research is used and applied to problems. It is possible that university research agendas include pushing for business application and measuring a number of times it has been quoted by others (“Applying Research”, 2004). Companies are willing to support universities that create useful informational products.

Improving innovation in business relies on ensuring that the information from academic research is making its way into industry. Reducing bottlenecks and restrictions improves information flow, and increases the likelihood it will reach intended audiences. Open-access journals and alternative publication sources create a more direct connection to industry and should not be discarded based on tradition. The value of academic research is in its usefulness and its ability to enhance industry innovation versus the type of journal it originated. 

Stemper, J. & Williams, K. (2006). Scholarly communication: turning crisis into opportunity. College & Research Libraries, 67 (11). 

“Applying Research”. (2004). Applying research and building value: business faculty at work. Georgia Trend, 20 (3).

 

Call for Papers: International Conference on Sustainable Development in Business Tourism and Sciences at Boston

Date: June 11^th & 13^th, 2015
Boston, United States of America

Website: http://www.icbtsconference.com/14613191/call-for-paper

Welcome to ICBTS2015 the best workshops for academic researcher Lecturer student in presenting discussion share idea in new research for development our works focus on business marketing finance banking tourism hospitality social science & technology.

Full-length papers, topics of paper, reviews, research-in-progress papers, case studies and /or abstracts,  relating to all areas of Accounting, Banking, Business, Finance, Economics, Investment,  Management, Marketing, Business Ethics, E-Commerce, Tourism management, Tourism strategy, Tourism Development, Hospitality, Hotel management  and all other areas of Business Studies and Tourism studies and Hospitality Studies are invited for the above international conference. An author can present up to two papers. This Conference supported by International Journal of Business Tourism and Applied Sciences (index list in Paris, France) Vol. 3 No.2 

Call for Papers: 3rd International Conference on Management, Economics and Finance

Abstract Submission: August 29th 2014
Location: Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia

3rd International Conference on Management, Economic and Finance (ICMEF 2014) is a traditional conference for scholars of Management, Economics and Finance studies, welcoming participants from around the world, with broad and diverse research interests. Among the many topics related to Management, Economics and Finance, the special focus of the conference is on social responsibility, professional ethics and management. Issues of ethical Management, Economics and Finance, social and environmental sustainability and cohesion of organizations, fair remuneration of workers and management have become prominent.

The aim of the conference is to present and discuss research that contributes to the sharing of new theoretical, methodological and empirical knowledge, and to better understanding. Papers related to issues of intercultural dialogue and multicultural societies are also welcome.

Web address: http://www.internationalconference.com.my

Spam Papers Make their Way into Academic Journals

Great research and strong academic papers often get rejected from journals because they do not fit the editor’s interests or are not from the right credentials in terms of university affiliation or brand of degree. When good papers are rejected and gibberish papers make their way through the system into public consumption that is even more concerning. A computer scientist by the name of Cyril Labbé ran a program to detect spam SCIgen papers in academic journals and found 100 published between 2008 and 2013 by the Electrical and Electronic Engineers and Springer(1). 

The purpose of SCIgen is to publish spam papers and send them to conferences to determine whether they are bogus (2). In this case their papers were in many different locations indicating that some of the conferences and publications were accepting papers that they were not readable and had no contribution. The editor process was lacking and papers were accepted wholesale without a review. 

Journals should be selective in what they accept but should also accept papers with important content regardless of university affiliation. They should not accept gibberish papers that were not vetted, edited, or reviewed. This diminishes the quality of the journal, its scientific contribution to society, and damages the institution of scientific publication. 

In traditional journals candidates submit scientific papers for inclusion. The cost is shouldered by the publisher because they have a significant readership and advertisement base to cover the expenditures. They are highly selective and follow a model that you may find similar to the book publishing industry. Only the best papers make their way into the journals. 

A problem is the definition of what the best papers are. Are these the ones with the most scientific impact or greatest societal benefit? In some cases yes and in others no. Often these publishers only accept papers from heavy research institutes that have a history of research. New ideas outside of those institutions are discounted and often rejected based on perception and not necessarily quality. This leaves them as gatekeepers to public knowledge. 

An alternative way to publish is through journals that require authors to pay a few hundred dollars for inclusion. This may exist because the publication is not widely read, it is part of their business model, and/or it provides those from less esteemed universities to publish works. However, when such journals don’t check the publication at all they are simply working on their business model for the money and add little scientific value. 

Whether a journal is traditional or non-traditional the quality should be maintained. That quality should depend on the objectives of the journal and their approaches to obtaining readership. The quality of the journal is based on the quality of the papers they accept. That doesn’t mean they should be exclusive to certain universities but should be open to high quality papers from a variety of backgrounds. Both traditional and non-traditional journals will need review their editorial process to focus on readership growth through quality work.