Twelve Years Later: Second ASSAf Report on Research Publishing In and From South Africa

Cite: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2019). Twelve Years Later: Second ASSAf Report on Research Publishing In and From South Africa (2018). [Online] Available at: DOI:10.17159/assaf.2018/0030The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) released its second major Consensus Report on a commissioned study of Research Publishing in South Africa in 2006, with detailed data analysis and a 360-degree view of the topic, including the impact of new technologies on the dissemination of research results and the world-wide open access movement. A second Consensus Report on scholarly books followed in 2009. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) endorsed the two reports and requested the Academy itself to oversee the implementation of the recommendations, and has funded the Academy’s Scholarly Publishing Programme (SPP) ever since. The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has supported the projects of the SPP in various relevant areas. Much has been achieved even though much remains to be done. In 2016, the Academy commissioned Professor Johann Mouton and his colleagues of the Centre for Research on Evaluation of Science and Technology (CREST) at Stellenbosch University to do a thorough, largely bibliometric study of scholarly publishing in and from South Africa (SA) in the period 2005 – 2014, with all forms of peer-reviewed scholarly publications included, whether in journals, books or conference proceedings. The group has become extremely well versed in the appropriate methodologies, using reliably indexed databases and cooperating with partners who have developed special techniques for sharpening the focus of standard parameters such as citation counts and rates over time, demographic shifts in authorships and indicators of collaboration. The study was completed in 2017, and submitted to the Academy. Amongst a large number of interesting and relevant findings were disturbing indications of predatory publishing and questionable editorial practices. As the period studied by the CREST team coincided almost exactly with the period that has elapsed since the data-gathering for ASSAf’s above-mentioned first report, the Academy has decided to publish a second report on scholarly publishing in SA, to include concise but essential summaries of the two earlier ASSAf reports (Chapters 1 and 2); a review of the work of the SPP in the research publishing system over the past 12 years (Chapter 3); an analysis of the problems of access on the part of South African researchers to the problematic international commercial research literature (Chapter 4); the concise version of the new CREST report (Chapter 5); a consideration of the threat posed by predatory publishing and questionable editorial and authorship practices (Chapter 6); a discussion of the main issues and unresolved problems still remaining in the system despite its generally good progress (Chapter 7); and a set of headline recommendations for the future (Chapter 8). The Academy believes that the formation of public policy should involve a longitudinal understanding of how systems behave over time periods that are sufficiently long to reveal both the trends and the underlying causes. We see no reason in this new analysis to depart from our original conclusion, that the highest possible quality of scholarly publishing within a country is important, but that only open access publishing of local journals will ensure the wide dissemination of their important content, with all the benefits that that will bring. This standpoint is not at variance with the other conclusion that South African researchers should also actively contribute to the international literature and participate as fully as possible in the world’s knowledge system.Department of Science and Technology (DST) Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET

Evaluating the effects of road hump on speed and noise level at a university setting

This study is carried out to determine the effectivness of road humps to reduce the traffic speed and traffic noise in institutional area. The difference in hump profiles in terms of height, width and length are the main factors in determing the effectiveness of road humps. The difference in the profiles of the road hump will cause changing driver behaviour of the users especially when approaching the road hump. The road humps with different design profiles are selected to measure the speed and noise level of the vehicles at, before and after each of the selected road humps. Radar speed gun and noise level meters are used to measure speed and noise level of the vehicles at each of designated points along the major circular road in IIUM. The changes in speed and noise level at different selected points at each of the different profiles of the road humps are the expected findings of this study

Evaluating the effects of road hump on the speed of vehicles in an institutional environment

Vehicles travelling at speed above the permissible speed limit have jeopardized the safety of road users. The concern is greater at institutional environment whereby most road users travel by walking. Road hump is considered as an efficient traffic calming measure in reducing the speed of the vehicle. This paper investigates the effects of different road hump dimensions in decreasing the speed of vehicles at the main road of International Islamic University Malaysia. Six (6) road humps with different design profile were selected. The design profile and spot speed of the vehicles at all six (6) road humps were measured. The speed of vehicles at the road hump was analyzed by using descriptive analysis and t-test. The findings of this study suggest that road hump is effective in lowering the speed of vehicles in an institutional environment. The dimensions of road hump, especially height, influence significantly the speed reduction of vehicles

Advancing Climate Change Research and Hydrocarbon Leak Detection : by Combining Dissolved Carbon Dioxide and Methane Measurements with ADCP Data

With the emergence of largescale, comprehensive environmental monitoring projects, there is an increased need to combine state-of-the art technologies to address complicated problems such as ocean acidifi cation and hydrocarbon leak detection

Interpretation\u27s Contrapuntal Pathways: Addams and the Averbuch Affair

In March 1908 the Chicago Police Chief shot Lazarus Averbuch, a young, Russian Jewish immigrant, claiming self-defense against an anarchist plot. Jane Addams refused to join the public\u27s outcry of support for their chief, declaring that she had the obligation to interpret rather than denounce the incident. Her analysis of Averbuch\u27s killing, given in her essay, ““The Chicago Settlements and Social Unrest,”” provides a focal point for seeing how interpretation functions as a unifying theoretical category for Addams, bringing together her activism, her style of writing, and her philosophy of social change. Addams\u27s conception of interpretation is multi-faceted and dynamic; the interweaving lines of contrapuntal music give a fitting metaphor. I analyze the essay\u27s presentation of interpretation in terms of three contrapuntal voice-lines: as dramatization, as mediation-advocacy, and as reconstruction

How to Write a Good Paper in Computer Science and How Will It Be Measured by ISI Web of Knowledge

The academic world has come to place enormous weight on bibliometric measures to assess the value of scientific publications. Our paper has two major goals. First, we discuss the limits of numerical assessment tools as applied to computer science publications. Second, we give guidelines on how to write a good paper, where to submit the manuscript, and how to deal with the reviewing process. We report our experience as editors of International Journal of Computers Communications & Control (IJCCC). We analyze two important aspects of publishing: plagiarism and peer reviewing. As an example, we discuss the promotion assessment criteria used in the Romanian academic system. We express openly our concerns about how our work is evaluated, especially by the existent bibliometric products. Our conclusion is that we should combine bibliometric measures with human interpretation. Keywords: scientific publication, publication assessment, plagiarism, reviewing, bibliometric indices