Scientific Publication in Nepal
Current trend, challenges and Future Perspectives

Dr. Arun Neopane
Editor in Chief: Journal of Nepal Paediatric Society
General Secretary: Nepal Association of Medical Editors

Geography

Ｇｒｅｅｔｉｎｇｓ ｆｒｏｍ Ｎｅｐａｌ

Mt Everest and Home of Gurkhas

NepalBirthplace of the Buddha and abode of Shiva

Ｅａｒｌｙ ｈｉｓｔｏｒｙ ｏｆ ｐｕｂｌｉｓｈｉｎｇ• Human beings have been able to communicate forthousands of years.
• Yet scientific communication as we know it today isrelatively new.
• The first journals were published only 300 years ago,and the IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results, andDiscussion) organization of scientific papers hasdeveloped within the past 100 years.
• Journal of Nepal Medical Association is the oldest
medical journal in Nepal (Estd. Sep, 1963).

The earliest scientific journals
5 January 1665

6 March 1665

Le Journal des Sçavans

Philosophical Transactions of theRoyal Society of London

JNMA – September, 1963

JNPS 1981
st1 Subspeciality Journal of Nepal• Ｔｏｔａｌ Ｊｏｕｒｎａｌｓ： ＞２０• Ｇｅｎｅｒａｌ ＆ Ｓｕｂｓｐｅｃｉａｌｉｔｙ• Ｉｎｄｅｘｅｄ ｉｎ Ｐｕｂｍｅｄ：４

Why Publish?
• To make the work permanent and madepublicly accessible the findings• Contribution to science/improve healthservices• To convince the funding body to sinkeven more money for research• Your supervisor forces youWhy Publish?
• CV enhancement• To get your name in print• Ego: Work is your epitaph• No PhD without publication• No Academic achievement withoutpublication

We value things publishｅｄ inNewspaper ｍｏｒｅ than a Scientific
Journal, in Nepal.

… its time to improve scientific community in our country.

Article Types• Scientific Paper• Systematic Review• Meta-analysis• Case Report• Case Series• View Point/Perspective• Letter to the Editor• ImagesOutline of Scientific Paper• Title• Abstract• Introduction• Methods• Results• Discussion• Conclusions• References

Current Trend• Compulsion per se• Scientific Writing• Methodology• Result• Authorship• Submission• Peer Review• Editor• Scenario MedicalSciences• Journal Mushrooming

Ｃｈａｌｌｅｎｇｅｓ

Scientific Writing• Ｖery less expertｉｓｅ• Poor writing skill• Even formatting is not properly done
• Plagiarism

Methodology• Weak study design, unplanned• Ethically poor
• Sample size and sampling error• Inappropriate use of statistical tools
e.g. p value, percentage• Validity and reliability of procedureResults• Falsifying data
• Falsifying evidence• Fabricating data
• Fabricating evidence
Read more: http://www.experiment-resources.com/scientific-falsification.html
Fanelli D. How many scientists fabricate and falsify research? A systematic review and meta-analysis of survey
data.PLoS One. 2009 May 29;4(5):e5738.

Author• Ghost author• Gifted author• Pressure author

Submission• Salami• Duplicate• Multiple

Peer Reviewer• Peer reviewing is not just simply
reading an article giving decision –but suggestions• Very less trained peer reviewerｓ• Sluggish

Editor• Limited to volunteer job• Not formal training• Lack of knowledge at various level ofmanagement• Pressure from author and higher authority• ? Editorial freedom

Scenario in Medical Sciences• Very few foundation research andpublications• No article about policy and guideline review• Most of the researches have not been
published in the journal – e.g. grants writing• Health data depends up on reports which is
not as valid as published in the journal• Negligible no of experience author, peer
reviewer and editors

Journal mushrooming• Many new medical colleges andUniversities are dying to have their own
JOURNAL• Lack of trained manpower• Considering journal as an ornament fordecoration• Universities ask article for academic
achievement, but do not support
journal officeＮｅｐａｌ Ａｓｓｏｃｉａｔｉｏｎ ｏｆ Ｍｅｄｉ
ｃａｌ Ｅｄｉｔｏｒｓ （ＮＡＭＥ）• Ｔｒａｉｎｉｎｇｓ• Ｓｃｉｅｎｔｉｆｉｃ ｗｒｉｔｉｎｇ• Ｅｄｉｔｏｒ• Ｐｅｅｒ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗｅｒ• Ｒｅｆｅｒｅｎｃｉｎｇ ｓｙｓｔｅｍ• Ｐｕｂｌｉｃａｔｉｏｎ ｍｉｓｃｏｎｄｕｃｔ• Ａｄｖｉｓｏｒｓ ｔｏ ｖａｒｉｏｕｓ ｊｏｕｒｎａｌｓ• Ｓｅｍｉｎａｒ／Ｃｏｎｆｅｒｅｎｃｅｓ？

Thank You