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Are you a researcher? Does it seem like it would be an uphill battle to carry out your research on the minimal funds you have available? There is great news for you. Luckily, the call for HEC Accreditation of Pakistan-based Research Journals for the years 2021-2022 is now open.
Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan is the law regulator that facilitates institutions of higher learning. Additionally, it serves as an engine of the socio-economic development of Pakistan.
And, of the many services and programs that HEC provides, HEC is also engaged in research and development. Particularly, HEC is actively carrying out the following innovations to improve the quality of research and development in Pakistan.
- HEC Recognized Journals
- Research Grants
- HEC Research Awards
- Research for Innovation
- HEC Digital Library
- Scientific Review Panels
- Capacity Building Initiatives
The main highlight of all of them is the availability of accreditation that is recognized by the state for journals made by the nation’s excellent researchers and students.
Specifically, through the HEC Accreditation program, HEC hopes that it can boost the research interest of the younger generations.
So, this is a great opportunity if you have been waiting for the best moment to publish your scientific paper. However, to find out what you should prepare to be considered, you can learn from the following guide on HEC Accreditation.
HEC Accreditation of Pakistan Research Journals: A Program Overview
To raise the quality of Pakistan-based research journals, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) made a major policy shift in July 2020. In fact, it is geared towards a more transparent, rigorous and focused system for:
- Accreditation of research journals
- Monitoring research journals
- Capacity building
- Funding of research journals
Thus, based on this revised policy, HEC launched an online system called HEC’s Journals Recognition System (HJRS) to facilitate the research community.
Particularly, HEC encourages and facilitates the following entities which are having a mandate for research in publishing journals of meaningful research:
- Universities/higher education institutions
- Departments of faculties of such entities
- Registered research institutions
- Non-profit academic societies
Also, HEC expects these entities to have a scientific, substantive, and systemic impact on the state and society. Typically, they have to introduce modern trends and methodologies in their research publications in innovative ways.
In short, the publications must cover the following key areas:
- Agricultural Sciences
- Arts and Humanities
- Biological and Medical Sciences
- Education and Human Resources
- Engineering and Technology
- Management Sciences
- Mathematical and Physical Sciences
- Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
Program Benefits
Later, the accredited research journals will receive funding as per awarded category, for 2 years extendable for another year, through a separate process. Thus, the limits of each category are as below:
- W-type of the journal will receive PKR 700,000 per year for eligibility funding.
- X-type of the journal will receive PKR 450,000 per year for performance-based funding.
- Y-type of the journal will receive PKR 200,000 per year for seed funding.
However, HEC Accreditation will stop the funding if the journal fails to improve quality standards. Also, it will stop the funding if the journal fails to meet quality criteria for the next level within a period of 2 years.
Yet, the competent authority may decide. Generally, it can conclude reasons to extend or cancel the funding for another year. Nevertheless, it has to be done with close monitoring of the journal’s performance.
Eligibility Requirements
Please refer to the following requirements to qualify for the HEC Accreditation.
- The journal must be a Pakistan-based/local research journal owned and published by a registered entity. Thus, it could be a university/HEI or a department of faculty of such an entity, or a registered research institution, or a registered non-profit academic society with a mandate for research.
- In all such cases, the publisher should have a formal governing body, which must approve the publication decision. In this case, “Registered” means registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), or the Registrar of Societies.
- Mere registration would not be sufficient. Rather, the proper research mandate of the owner entity is a must for accreditation of research journals.
- All the existing Pakistan-based research journals irrespective of their existing category in HJRS will also have to apply afresh through HEC’s online portal.
- The journal should not have been on a blacklist of the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) or Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
How to Apply for the Research Journals’ HEC Accreditation
The application can be done online. For this reason, participants must submit their applications through the “Accreditation of Research Journals” tab of HEC’s Research Management System.
Before submitting an application, please read the following points carefully:
- The journal should be fully eligible for accreditation in the applied category as per HECs Policies and SOPs. Also, it must be meeting the specified criteria.
- The journal should not have any misstatement or misrepresentation in the provided information/data/record/documents which may lead to serious action against the journal’s administration.
- An accredited research journal can be de-recognized, if it is established/proved at any later stage that: a) The applicant had provided any fake document/information for seeking accreditation or b) The journal was not fully compliant to the minimum criteria as laid down by HEC or failed to meet international standards of scholarly publishing or c) The journal is involved in any unethical/ predatory practices or d) The journal has ceased to fulfill HEC’s requirements in whole or in any particular field.
Closing Date
The applications should be submitted latest by March 31th, 2021. Most importantly, there will be no extension in the deadline.
Thus, the committee will not process applications incomplete in any respect or received other than the above online portal.
Particularly, the evaluation process of the applications of research journal will involve the following steps:
- Initial screening of applications by HEC Accreditation to determine the eligibility as per criteria in vogue.
- Technical assessment of applications, meeting eligibility criteria by independent expert evaluators.
- As an editor, you will receive information on the decision through your email addresses. Lastly, the final status of your journals will be available on HEC Journal Recognition System.
Contact Details
Do you have any questions about the HEC Accreditation program? Send your queries to:
Research Publications
(Research & Innovation Wing)
Higher Education Commission, H-9, Islamabad
Phone: 051-90401904
Email: hjrs@hec.gov.pk
Official Website of HEC Accreditation
You can access all information on HEC Accreditation of Pakistan Research Journals Financial Support at HEC’s Research Management System.
