Academic dishonesty in higher education has become a global problem, prompting university administrators to prioritize academic integrity. This issue has grown alongside the increase in tertiary institutions. In Bangladesh, as the number of universities has risen, so too have the challenges to maintaining academic integrity.
Most universities appoint or promote faculty members based on their academic record and number of publications, a practice consistent with leading universities worldwide. In the US academic sphere, the adage “publish or perish” underscores the necessity of publishing to secure an academic position.
This publication culture is tied to the transition of universities from teaching-focused to research-oriented institutions. With the concept of a knowledge society gaining traction, research and knowledge generation have become key objectives for universities globally.
Bangladesh is no exception. However, the degree of academic dishonesty varies. It is crucial to emphasize that publication alone is insufficient; universities stress quality publications in peer-reviewed journals. Different universities use weightage systems, rewarding publications in higher-tier journals more than those in lower tiers. For example, some universities explicitly require Scopus-indexed journals, which are categorized into Q1, Q2, and Q3 based on criteria like citation index and impact factor.
In Bangladesh, there is significant value placed on "international" journals. However, the definition of an international journal can be ambiguous. Does it mean a journal published overseas, or does the inclusion of the word "international" suffice?
This ambiguity is exploited by some commercial journals that use the title "international" to attract submissions. Genuine international journals are typically published by reputable academic institutions or associations, such as International Sociology by the International Sociological Association.
Prestigious journals are recognized across various disciplines. For instance, Physics Letters A or Physicas Letters B are internationally recognized journals without the prefix “international.” The American Historical Review and Past and Present are leading history journals, while World Politics holds high prestige in political science. The Economic and Political Weekly of Mumbai is notable in social sciences, publishing works by prominent scholars like Amartya Sen, Rehman Sobhan, and Joseph Stiglitz. High-quality, left-leaning journals like History Workshop from Oxford University Press or Critical Sociology (earlier called Insurgent Sociologist) also contribute to academic debates.
Assessing the content and quality of articles is essential. Practices like syndicate formation, where multiple authors collaborate on a single paper, raise questions about individual contributions. Similarly, letters to editors, although published, are not considered equivalent to research articles.
Opportunity theory in criminology suggests that crime occurs when opportunities arise, and without proper safeguards, people may be tempted to commit dishonest acts. This theory is relevant in academic publishing, where lax standards can lead to dubious practices.
There is a journal called British Journal of Arts and Humanities. You would expect -- unless you check -- that it was published from a British university with editors from Britain, with a broader international board or editors. For example, The British Journal of Sociology, with four editors (two from LSE, one Oxford, and one Cambridge), one book review editor and 17 members of the editorial board who are highly regarded sociologists of which 14 are from the UK and three from the US. So, the journal title is justified.
Now consider the British Journal of Arts and Humanities which has an Editor-in-Chief affiliated with a University in New Jersey, US, and from his name you can guess that he is one of the successful Bangladeshi diaspora academics. The journal has 12 deputy editors-in-chief of which nine are from Bangladesh, two from India, and one from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA); 13 associate editors, of which 10 are from Bangladesh, one from KSA, one from Ethiopia, and one from the UK (a music/guitar instructor). The journal also has 13 editorial board members of which eight are from Bangladesh. In all 37 academics are involved with this “British” journal of which 27 are from Bangladesh based in mostly various Bangladeshi private universities and few of them are from the public universities as well.
One may consider it as a matter of national pride or a source of concern as to why a so-called British journal published online from Los Angeles, with so many Bangladeshi academics involved. Yes, you can call it international but why British?
The journal publishes articles from various disciplines ranging from sociology to art history and charges a small publishing fee ($150 for the developed and $75 for the developing countries) which you can pay by Bkash as well other than Paypal, etc.
The same publishing company publishes Canadian Journal of Business and Information Studies. The editor-in-chief is a retired professor in the US with a name that is common in Bangladesh (another proud diaspora academic, I guess). Of its 16 deputy editors-in-chief there are 12 Bangladeshi academics. The rest are from KSA, South Africa, Bahrain, and China. Of 16 associate editors, nine are from Bangladesh, and of 12 editorial board members, seven are from Bangladesh. Surprisingly, there is not a single Canadian academic involved in the journal and yet the journal is called “Canadian” journal. I wonder why?
Could it be that Bangladeshi scholars are in high demand internationally or is it a case of academic entrepreneurship at work invading the academic world?
