|
|
||||
|
Published by : PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL PUBLICATIONS |
||||
|
ISSN 1681-715X |
||||
|
||||
|
- |
||||
|
BRIEF COMMUNICATION |
||||
|
- |
||||
|
Volume 23 |
April - June 2007 (Part-II) |
Number 3 |
||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
Published by : PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL PUBLICATIONS |
||||
|
ISSN 1681-715X |
||||
|
||||
|
- |
||||
|
BRIEF COMMUNICATION |
||||
|
- |
||||
|
Volume 23 |
April - June 2007 (Part-II) |
Number 3 |
||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
A nudge should be sent to all researchers
Younis A. Skaik1
Pak J Med Sci May - June 2007 Vol. 23 No. 3 441-442
1. Younis A. Skaik,
Laboratory Medicine Department,
AL-Azhar University-Gaza,
Res: 16/46 Omar AL-Mokhtar Street,
AL-Rimal, Gaza,
PALESTINE.
Correspondence
Mr. Younis A. Skaik
Email: y_skaik@hotmail.com
* Received for Publication: March 2, 2007
* Accepted: March 16, 2007
I do believe in the proverb which says “every why has a wherefore”. So, the curiosity leads me to ask a simple question to a wide spectrum of academics, who carry a different academic degrees, ranging from bachelor of science (BSc.) to a full professor. My question was simple “have you ever published a paper? and if so, are you going to publish more and more?”. Using a special stethoscope, I have tried to explore the reasons behind the research atrophy in a flammable city (Gaza). The sounds which pass through the stethoscope can be divided into two main categories, according to the academics responses:
1. Professors responses: “Definitely, we did publish papers during our academic life and that’s why we are professors now”. I will call most of the professors replies on the second part of my question as “Color killer”, and I will explain that later. Some professors said” we have become professors now hence no need to publish more papers. Others said, no more promotions, so there is no incentive to supervise postgraduate students. It is the time now to take long break, relax and to forget our long scientific journey, which was bombarded with many obstacles. “These senior’s replies are enough to kill the junior’s hopes “colors”, and that’s why I called the senior’s replies as color killer. Few optimistic professors’ replies were collected. “Yes, we are still supervising and we are going to publish more and more papers as long as we are alive”. Another bold category of professors declared,” we would like to carry on our research, but we don’t have well equipped laboratories. In addition, we don’t have postgraduate students, and we also don’t have enough funds to produce high class original research. Traveling abroad to one of the developed countries is the only way to do some original research. However, it is not a good sensation to leave our homelands, our families and we hate the playback button, which remind us with our obstacles when we were there for our postgraduate studies.”
2. Bachelor, Master (MSc), Assistant professor and Associate professor: I will mention the responses of the academics in the following points.
1. No faintest idea what research or paper means.
2. No promotion or incentives if we published a paper.
3. Shortage of recent books and journals.
4. We do not have enough time because we have a lot of commitments.
5. Lack of financial resources.
6. We can’t use the computers, we are (50s) years old.
7. The general conditions in which we live are not suitable for researchers.
8. We don’t have sophisticated instruments and other facilities to produce a highly quality original article to be published in international journals.
9. I am an Arab and still junior, they will not accept my paper in an international journal. It is only possible if my co-author is from a developed country.
10. The life cycle of a scientific paper to be published is very long.
11. Do doctors read my paper and take my results seriously?
12. My results were negative, and the null hypothesis was approved.
13. No projects, my specialization has been researchly killed.
14. My dream is only to be a doctor.COMMENTS
The researchers of different academic levels have been found to be infected with a group of unwelcome viruses. Some examples of these viruses with the corresponding symptom are shown in (Table-I). There was an agreement between the diagnosis of our local viruses and other regional viruses.1-3
NUDGES TO ALL RESEARCHERS
1. All medical researchers should believe in their first role and their responsibility of keeping people in a good health, and should eliminate all the viruses they carry. As “the best index to a person’s character is how he treats people, who can’t do him any good or who can’t fight back”.
2. Practical suggestions in writing a paper4 and a beginner’s guide to research5 is a good starting point to all researchers who don’t have an idea about research.
3. Any medical research should be useful for the public and not for personal pleasure.
4. Reduction in the postgraduate fees to enable students to become keen on learning the skills of research to communicate with the senior researchers, to keep up the next generations in a high quality of research skills.
5. A modest self budget within each faculty should be adapted.REFERENCES
1. Fernandez AR. Publication and promotion: Call for breaking link. J Postgraduate Med 2004;46(3):63.
2. Ravikiran HA. PG Thesis: Idealistic versus realistic. Ind J Pediatrics 2006;73(4):373-4.
3. Jawaid SA. Proceedings of 2nd regional conference on medical journals held at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Pak J Med Sci 2004;20(4):403-14.
4. Jyotirmay B. Practical suggestions in the writing of a research paper. Ind J Ophthal 1998;46 (4):247-50.
5. Jethwani KS, Kanodra NM. A beginner’s guide to a research-II. J Postgraduate Med 2006;52 (1):65-7.
HOME | SEARCH | CURRENT ISSUE | PAST ISSUES
Professional
Medical Publications
Room No. 522, 5th Floor, Panorama Centre
Building No. 2, P.O. Box 8766, Saddar, Karachi - Pakistan.
Phones : 5688791, 5689285 Fax : 5689860
pjms@pjms.com.pk
