Construction and standardisation of an instrument measuring lecturers’ persistence to publish in Scopus-indexed journals

Abstract

Academic publishing is a critical aspect of research, contributing to knowledge dissemination and career advancement. However, there is a paucity of standardised instruments for assessing academics' persistence in publishing. This study developed and validated the Persistence to Publish Questionnaire (PPQ) as a valid and reliable tool for evaluating academics' persistence to publishing in Scopus-indexed journals. The PPQ was developed through a rigorous process, including item generation, content validity assessment, pretesting, and pilot testing of items. A sample of academics (n = 262) from various disciplines across two public universities in Cross River State participated in the validation process. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were conducted to determine the instrument's factor structure and evaluate its fit. The results from the analysis revealed that the PPQ is a multidimensional instrument with five underlying factors -persistence in manuscript preparation, manuscript submission, handling revisions, dealing with rejections, and publication delays. The PPQ exhibited strong reliability in terms of internal consistency, with Cronbach's α values ranging from .89 to .99. McDonald's ω and splithalf reliability corrected with the Spearman-Brown prophecy formula (rtt) results further supported its reliability. Construct validity evidence showed both convergent and discriminant validity, confirming that the PPQ effectively measures persistence to publish. The PPQ represents a valuable contribution to the field of academic publishing. It offers an opportunity for researchers and institutions to assess the degree to which academics are willing to publish, empowering researchers and institutions to identify areas of improvement and provide targeted support. This tool holds promise for enhancing research productivity and quality within the global academic community.

Development and Validation of the Perception of Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration (PIRC) Scale

“…The aim was to determine the model that best captures the relationships between variables and provides the most accurate representation of the data (Ganesh & Srivastava, 2022). Various fit indices were also used to determine which theoretical framework best explained the relationships among latent constructs and observed variables (Owan et al, 2023c).…”

Evaluation of a research training workshop for academic staff in tertiary institutions: A Kirkpatrick model approach

“…Consequences of the development of these situations in Nigeria include low research quality, researchers and institutions having a poor standing, a lack of confidence in Nigerian research, and difficulties obtaining research funds (Briggs & Weathers, 2016). African researchers are however encouraged to publish in prestigious publications, including in Web of Science and Scopus (Owan et al, 2023;Alordiah et al, 2021).…”

Metrics in research impact assessment and grant funding: Insights from researchers in the “Reviewer 2 Must Be Stopped!” Facebook group

“…As academia expands, the significance of research impact assessment and securing grant funding has become an intricate game, intertwining ambition, intellect, and a strategic understanding of the dynamics that govern this ever-competitive arena. Universities and research institutions across the globe strive to advance the frontiers of science, drive societal development, and address the most pressing challenges facing humanity (Owan et al, 2023;Odigwe & Owan, 2022). Central to this pursuit is the ever-increasing emphasis on research impact assessment and securing grant funding, which have become critical barometers of success in today's competitive academic milieu (Lambovska & Todorova, 2021;Owan & Asuquo, 2022).…”

“…Furthermore, the prestige of the journal where a paper is published introduces another layer of intricacy. Various indices, such as the Impact Factor (Web of Science), Source Normalised Impact per Paper (Scopus), and SCImago Journal Rank (SJR), are utilised to gauge journal prestige, each addressing specific challenges in research assessment (Owan et al, 2023). The debate over the fairness and accuracy of citation indices as measures of productivity and impact persists.…”

“…In Nigeria, research impact is considered holistically, and individuals are assessed based on its utility value in academia, with little emphasis on socioeconomic impact or innovativeness. Some universities in Nigeria now regard mere publishing in journals indexed in Scopus and Web of Science as indicators of research impact due to the international reputation of the two databases (Owan et al, 2023).…”