Side-effects of Impact Factor in Indian Science

Indian science is increasingly gaining pace. Hundreds of research laboratories, institutes and university departments are producing new science every day. Every scientist is trying to publish his/her research in high impact factor journals, mostly published from the West. High impact factor is increasingly and apparently being accepted as a trademark of high quality research the world over. However, this ‘impact factor’ thing has nothing to do with the actual impact and utility of the science being reported in such journals.

Irrespective of the actual utility, research publications in the so-called high impact factor journals is increasingly becoming the basic criterion for recruitments, promotions and awards/honours in the Indian science institutions. In certain institutions, it is the only most important deciding factor for recruitments, promotions and recognitions of scientists. This trend is actually very disturbing. Now, scientists usually try their best to refrain from all over activities which do not have impact factor. For example, they don’t like to report their research in zero or very low impact factor Indian journals. If they do so, their papers don’t get any value for promotions and recognitions. This, in turn, makes the future of Indian journals highly vulnerable. They don’t write for popular magazines and newspapers for the benefit of the general public. They don’t wish any more, as earlier, to educate the tax payers about their research and its implications on the society. They don’t want to engage with the visitors in their laboratories, as involvement in such activities is not considered for any promotions, incentives or recognitions. They don’t want to waste their time in facing the media while simplifying their science to them. Such public and media involvement activities have no impact factor and so are not so attractive to pull out our scientists from their ivory towers.

Scientists are not showing any interest in taking their research to the masses who are the ultimate users of their science simply because our science policies and the science administrators are not paying any heed to the end-users/consumers of science. This misleading trend has created a callous behaviour in our scientists towards the society. They are increasingly becoming cut-off from the society and so the gap between science and society is now widening at a faster pace. Science popularization is of no use to our self-centric, promotion-oriented and recognition-hungry scientists.

Seriously, when a scientist’s capability and performance is being measured in terms of impact factor, then why he/she should waste time in activities without impact factor. I fear how science administrators can measure scientists’ performance with a simple statistical entity like impact factor. It is making our scientists socially irresponsive and irresponsible.

Scientists are devising new ways for getting more papers in high impact factor journals. Be it publishing the same research in smaller and different fragments or unnecessary self-citation or citing the papers unwantedly from the high impact journals on advice of their editors or face rejection of their paper. All their energy and capabilities are being focused on how to publish more in high impact journals and not in doing research that can have high impact in terms of utility to the society. This trend is also leading to exaggeration of claims or unreplicable results.

There is a need to think beyond impact factor and make the evaluation system of scientists in the Indian science more realistic based on a holistic approach where scientists are not pushed to become factories producing papers meant for publication in high impact factor journals but are considered as socially responsible and responsive personalities doing real science for the benefit of the society.

© Abhay S.D. Rajput, 2012

Public Relations for Indian Science Institutions

Indian science is a victim of lack of proper public relations (PR). The concept of public relations in science has not got any significance in the country. India’s research and development (R&D) institutions are not equipped properly with the sophisticated tools of PR. The power of PR tools is not being fully and seriously explored to promote Indian science in the media and in raising the public understanding of science.

Lack of PRs is evident from the fact that almost none of the R&D institutions in the country has resources for the media and the public on their websites. Forget about the engagement in interactive and participatory events with the public/media. At random, a visit to the websites of these institutions will reveal the truth.

Most of the S&T institutions in the country, if not all, do not have dedicated PR professionals for taking science to the public directly or through the media. Scientists themselves rarely involve in PR activities. This creates a void in the communication process between science and the society. Science done in the publicly funded laboratories should percolate down to the masses in the way, format and language they can understand. Scientists keep themselves busy in peer-to-peer communication, be it writing research papers or reports, presenting papers in conferences, seminars, symposia, etc. They get little time (and interest) for communicating their science down to the public.

Therefore, there should be a mechanism for communicating science done in our laboratories to the general public in easily digestible packages. People pay tax and their tax money is used in funding scientific research. They have every right to know what science is being done out of their money paid as tax.

Science policy makers and science administrators should ensure that in every institution or laboratory, there is a PR shell or at least a PR Officer (PRO) who can act as a mediator between scientists and the society. There should be provisions for recruiting PR specialists in science or science communicators for this purpose. Every laboratory/institution should have at least one PRO or Science Communicator who is trained to professionally deal with the public and the media while simultaneously presenting science in various possible formats by using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to the end users and feeding the media with the much needed Indian science news and views in the local, national and international media/press.

It is worthy to mention here that National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, is running M.Sc./PGD courses in science communication/science journalism at different universities in the country where science graduates are being trained professionally for communicating science to the different stakeholders. These professionals can better act as a link between R&D institutions and the society/media. But unfortunately, such courses are being run in a void as there are no provisions for absorbing the pass outs in our R&D institutions. Creating trained professionals without creating employment opportunities is ironical and pathetic. Recruitment rules in our R&D institutions are still old not recognizing science communication degrees for employment. Further, there are no positions like PROs and science communicators. Policy makers and science administrators should look into this matter urgently.

In our local and national media/press, we hardly find any Indian science stories. No or little coverage in the media does not mean that no news worthy science is being done in the country. In fact, many science stories which may have international value simply remain buried in the research libraries just because of poor (or no) PR skills. Scientists are gagged from speaking to the media. And professional PR services are not available in most of our R&D institutions.

In this age of publicity and branding, Indian science institutions should now wake up and take on PR issues related to science seriously. Provisions should be made for continuous and regular feed of Indian science stories in the local, national and international media so as to reach the maximum possible audience. Exposing the Indian science to the various media will attract people to realize the advances being made in the Indian science. This exposure will, in turn, bring fame and honour to Indian science and the institutions.

Hiring appropriate PR and science communication professionals in our R&D labs and institutions is the need of the hour. This will bring the Indian science to the forefront and will bring the much needed visibility to Indian science on the local, national, regional and international platforms.

 © Abhay S.D. Rajput, 2012

Monsoon Delayed

I don’t know

When and how Monsoons get delayed.

But for this, Games

In the Ocean-atmosphere are certainly played.

Model’s prediction

Shows anomaly and much deflection.

Is it a co-incidence

Or just a climate change’s reflection.

Whatever be it

For sure, farmers are going to suffer.

Many suicides

And governments have ex-gratia to offer.

Predictions go wrong

Why not proper messages are relayed.

Whatever the forecast

For sure, monsoons are getting delayed.

© ABHAY S.D. RAJPUT, 2012

The Monsoon Riddle

Predicting monsoon

And the pre-showers.

Computer models

And the observation towers.

Land-ocean

And the ocean dipole.

El-Nino La-Nina

Also play a role.

Pacific warming

And the cooling as well.

Sometimes active

Others the break spell.

Efforts made

Understanding the complexes.

Unpredictability

Is what which perplexes.

Onset dates

And the arrivals are fixed.

With fluctuations

All precision gets nixed.

Unforeseen

Factors just pop in.

Amongst wets

Droughts drop in.

What to say

Of this monsoon riddle.

Wrong it goes

Even when right we did all.

© ABHAY S.D. RAJPUT, 2012

ROLE OF SCIENCE JOURNALISM

Rapid scientific advances and technological changes have pervasive effects and many repercussions on social structures and the daily life of individuals. These S&T advances and/or changes have raised both expectations for increased well-being and concerns about the possible risks associated with new technologies and their adverse effects on the lifestyle, culture, economy and environment. It has also raised some ethical and moral questions about the pursuit of science. There are mal-practices (pseudoscience) in the name of science. In such a context, social acceptance of new avenues for scientific research increasingly requires a permanent dialogue with an informed civil society. This calls for efforts aimed at a better understanding of S&T related issues by the public. Science journalism is to play a great role in this regard. It offers opportunities to learn about scientific advances throughout one’s life but in an informal setting and can promote scientific awareness and scientific temper among the masses and can serve for the cause of science popularization. No doubt, presently it’s in the formative stage in developing countries like India. But it has miles to go ahead and has many roles to play. Here are some important ones:

a)      To inform policy-makers and the public about science.

b)      To make aware/educate the masses about S&T advances and their implications.

c)      To make the public appreciate the benefits of science in long term.

d)     To familiarize the public and the government about the pseudoscience and science frauds.

e)      To develop scientific temper among the masses, especially children.

f)       To motivate and inspire the young minds to take up science as their career.

g)      To help making the practice of science a fair play and in the direction of development and global prosperity.

h)      To improve the standard of lifestyle.

i)        To eliminate the blind-faiths, superstitions and ignorance still existing in the society.

j)        To generate support of government and the public for science.

k)      To highlight the problems of public, etc. for scientific resolution.

l)        To inform the public and government about the implications of S&T or R&D.

m)    To break the monopoly of scientists on the practice of science.

n)      To advocate the appropriate sides in the scientific issues/controversies.

o)      To make a platform for open discussion and debate on any scientific issue or development.

p)      To make the available scientific knowledge ready for public consumption.

q)      To initiate public debate on emerging issues of scientific importance which are relevant to the people and are of their immediate concern so as to enable them to take informed decisions to lead their life in a democratic society.

r)       To improve the scientific literacy.

s)       To help people developing scientific reasoning/thinking.

t)       To make science easily accessible to the public in a jargon-free and comprehensive language.

u)      To commonise the scientific culture and the scientific methodology among the public for use in their day-to-day life.

v)      To educate masses so that they can have a say in policy-making on S&T and the related issues, in adopting new technologies or funding R&D.

w)    To equip the public with the tools of scientific knowledge so that they can make better decisions at personal level to make life better and easy.

x)      To generate science literate and aware citizenry.

Handbook of Science Journalism

About the book

Science Journalism is gaining importance globally. If you are in this area or planning to enter this profession, then the Handbook of Science Journalism is the right choice for a brief introduction to science journalism and for theoretical and practical advice and guidance on its various aspects. The book familiarizes its readers about how to cover science in the popular press in the form of science news and other non-news formats. It is intended to be a useful companion to professional and wannabe science journalists/writers/editors, and students/teachers of science journalism or science communication. The handbook is also useful for Public Relations Officers, Documentation Officers, or Scientists in-Charge of press and publicity at S&T institutions.  

The book is available for purchase at Vigyan Prasar's website.

The Mysterious Song of Climate (A Poem)

Climate the great complex sum of
Land-ocean-atmosphere interactions.
Normal it may not sound now,
As it shows many more distractions.

The cold is colder and the hot is hotter,
The season change switch has gone wild.
If so much is so much apparent to everyone,
The change can’t be said to be only mild.

The prediction models are becoming passive,
As the climate is showing its strange, rapid dynamics.
Aerosols do ensure their chemistry pumped in,
And wild winds blow with another kinetics.

Observations, theoretics, modelling and what else,
But still forecasts and predictions go wrong.
The nature shows its ferocious nature,
While the climate is singing its mysterious song.

© ABHAY S.D. RAJPUT, 2012

Nature Rage (A Poem)

It’s the month of Feb of 2012
Snowy cover on Kashmir – the heaven.
Entire West under thick white cover
Strange! Not simple like one, two, ... seven.

December-Jan are getting warmer
Crops affected, the suffering farmer.
Cold wave extending upto March
Snow n too much snow, is not a charmer.

Experts say ‘it’s the Western Disturbances’
And blame La Nina which further enhances.
Better modeling and prediction requires
Countries to pump in much more expanses.

All that jargon which scientists use
Is nothing but only sounds as aliens.
The general masses are unaware
That humanity has to suffer in billions.

Snow and snow, and the avalanches
Frozen lakes, rivers and the tree branches.
Sufferings, pain, death and cries
With the blood of life, the humanity drenches.

Is it climate change or global warming?
Is it the harbinger of an upcoming ice-age?
Whatever! But man’s misdeeds
Certainly have invited what I call ‘Nature-rage’!

© ABHAY S.D. RAJPUT, 2012