Annual submission of research output to the
Department of Education
Current cycle: 2007 count for outputs published in 2006
The publication count exercise is the annual compilation of the University's research output which is submitted to the national Department of Education (DoE) forthe allocation of the research output government subsidy to the institution.
Each department is responsible for collecting and capturing data for the publication count as well as the annual research report. Below is detailed information on the publication count process, partly extracted from the DoE’s policy on measuring research output of public Higher Education Institutions (available from the Research Office web site).Please note that all outputs in the recognised categories must meet the criteria of accreditation in order for these to qualify for inclusion in the publication count.
- Content
- Accredited/approved journals
- Books
- Conference proceedings
- Author affiliation
- Loading of publication data on IRMA
- Submission of hardcopies
- Deadlines
- Research Office Contacts
- Flowchart of the publication count process
Updated: 28July 2006
Accredited/Approved Journals
- DoE Definition of an accredited/approved journal
Journals refer to peer-reviewed periodical publications devoted to disseminating original research and new developments within specific disciplines, sub-disciplines or field of study. These include original articles, research letters, research papers, and review articles. However, only approved journals are subsidised (see below).
- Lists of accredited/approved journals
For purposes of subsidy, only journals appearing on the following indices or lists are recognised:
- The Sciences Citation Index of the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI)
- The Social Sciences Citation Index of the ISI
- The Arts and Humanities Citation Index of the ISI
- The International Bibliography of Social Sciences (IBSS)
- List of approved South Africanjournals (excel format)
Note: The South African journals are subject to an annual review.
- Submission of hardcopies
Please supply the following information and hardcopies for accredited/ approved journal articles:
- A photocopy of the first page of the article, containing the following: name of journal, volume, year of publication, title of the article, page numbers, name(s) of author(s) and proof of author affiliation to UCT (see Author Affiliation).
- If the information listed above is not published on the first page, please copy the relevant pages with the required information (usually at the back of the article).
- Highlight the above information on the hardcopies, as per the example below.
Example of a journal article
Journal of Theoretical Biology
Volume 236, Issue 1 , 7 September 2005, Pages 60-72
Metabolic setpoint control mechanisms in different physiological systems at rest and during exercise
A. St Clair Gibsona, b, , J.H. Goedeckea, b, Y.X. Harleya, b, L.J. Myersa, b, M.I. Lamberta, b, T.D. Noakesa and E.V. Lamberta, b
a Brain Sciences Research Group, MRC/UCT Research Unit of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Sport Science Institute of South Africa, P.O. Box 115, Newlands 7725, South Africa
b MRC/UCT Medical Imagining Research Unit, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town and Sport Science Institute of South Africa, Boundary Road, Newlands 7700, South Africa
- Journal articles not subsidised
The following types of articles appearing in journals are not subsidised.
- Correspondence to the editors
- Abstracts or extended abstracts
- Obituaries
- Book reviews
- News articles
- Advertorials
- Editorials
- Journals not on accredited lists
International Journals
All motivations for journals published outside South Africa, which do not appear on the ISI or IBSS indices, should be sent directly to the editorial offices of the ISI or IBSS for possible inclusion on their lists. The following are links to the journal selection processes of these Institutes:
- ISI selection process:
- IBSS selection process:
South African Journals
To motivate for the addition of a local journal to the list of South African journalsaccredited by the DoE, please complete the relevant form on IRMA ( or contact the Research Office for an electronic copy of the form and the criteria used for accreditation.
- Calculation of Units
A research article published in an approved journal will be subsidised as a single unit, if all the authors are affiliated to the claiming institution. In the case where authors are affiliated with two or more institutions, the subsidy is shared between the claiming institutions.
Books
- DoE Definition of a Book
Books refer to peer-reviewed, non-periodical scholarly or research publications disseminating original research on developments within specific disciplines, sub-discipline or field of study. Only books that meet specified criteria are subsidised. Examples of different types of books include monographs, chapters and edited works.
- Criteria for subsidising books
(a)The purpose of the book must be to disseminate original research and new developments within specific disciplines, sub-disciplines or field of study.
(b)The book must be peer-reviewed as a research output and supporting evidence provided in the book or from the publishers (see Book Publishers).
(c)The book must have an International Serial Book Number (ISBN).
(d)The length of the book must be a minimum of 60 pages, excluding references, bibliography, appendices.
(e)The target audience of the book must be specialists in the relevant field.
(f)In the event that the book is published in a language other than English, the author must submit a summary of the entire book in English (minimum of one page). Similarly, any supporting evidence or documentation must also be provided in English.
(g)The minimum contribution from a book that will be considered for evaluation will be a complete division of a book such as a chapter.
- Submission of hardcopies
Please supply the following information and photocopies (bound) for books that meet the criteria set out above:
- Chapters in books: copies of the front and back covers, ISBN, table of contents, lists of contributors & their affiliation, preface, introduction, foreword, peer-review statement from the book or from the publisher (see Book Publishers) and all chapters by UCT authors.
- Books: Same as above, except that three or more chapters should be photocopied, e.g. first, middle and last chapter.
- Please highlight the following on the copies: UCT authors and proof of affiliation, ISBN, proof of peer-review.
Note:
- The Department of Education establishes for each reporting year, an evaluation panel of senior professionals from the higher education community to evaluate all books and proceedings submitted by claiming institutions. This independent panel evaluates these outputs together with the relevant accompanying information individually prior to recommending the allocation of units for each book or proceeding based on the above minimum criteria.
- As a rule, research output emanating from commissioned research or contracts paid by contracting organisations will not be subsidised by the DoE.
- Books not subsidised
The following types of book publications are not subsidised:
- Dissertations and theses
- Text books, manuals and study guides
- Inaugural speeches
- Reports forming part of contract research
- Works of fiction
- Translations
- Documentation of case studies
- Book reviews
- Dictionaries
- Encyclopaedia
- Autobiographies
- 2nd, 3rd, etc. editions, unless new research is included
- Book Publishers
One criterion for books is that the book must be peer-reviewed as a research output and supporting evidence must be provided in the book or from the publishers. The Research Office has compiled a list of publishers of which we have their peer-review process on file (available from our web site). It is therefore not necessary to contact the publisher in these cases. In instances where you do contact a publisher directly, please rather request a generic statement indicating their peer-review process, rather than a specific statement relating to your publication.
- Calculation of Units
A book may be subsidised to a maximum of five units or a portion thereof, based on the number of pages being claimed relative to the total number of pages of the book, if all the authors are affiliated to the claiming institution. A guideline of a minimum of 60 pages and maximum of 300 pages will be allocated per unit or proportions and multiples thereof, if all the authors are affiliated to the claiming institution. However, where authors are affiliated with two or more institutions, the subsidy is shared between the claiming institutions.
Conference Proceedings
- Definition
Proceedings refer to a published record of a conference, congress, symposium or other meeting whose purpose is to disseminate original research and new developments within specific disciplines,sub-disciplines or field of study. Only proceedings that meet specified criteria are subsidized.
- Criteria
(a)The purpose of the proceedings must be to disseminate original research and new developments within specific disciplines, sub-disciplines or field of study.
(b)Articles accepted for publication in the proceedings must be peer-reviewed and published in full.
(c)The proceedings must have an ISBN.
(d)The target audience of the proceedings must be specialists in the relevant field.
(e)In the event that the proceedings is published in a language either than English, the author must submit an abstract of the proceeding in English. Similarly, any supporting evidence or documentation must also be provided in English.
Note:
- Where proceedings are published in an approved journal, the output will be treated as a journal article.
- Conference papers for which only the abstract or extended abstract was refereed cannot be submitted for subsidy.
- Submission of hardcopies
Please supply the following information and photocopies (bound) for conference proceedings that meet the criteria set out above:
- Copies of the front and back covers, ISBN, table of contents, lists of contributors and their affiliation, preface, introduction, foreword, all papers by UCT authors, peer-review statement from either the proceeding, the publisher, the editor(s) or the conference organisers indicating that the full papers were refereed prior to publication.
- Please highlight the following on the copies: UCT authors and proof of affiliation, ISBN, proof of peer-review.
- Conference Proceedings not subsidised
The following types of articles appearing in proceedings are not subsidised:
- Correspondence to the editors
- Abstracts or extended abstracts
- Obituaries
- Book reviews
- News articles
- Advertorials
- Previously published material
- Calculation of Units
Proceedings meeting the above criteria will be allocated a maximum of one-half of a unit (0.5) if all the authors are affiliated to the claiming institution. In the case where authors are affiliated with two or more institutions, the subsidy is shared between the claiming institutions.
Author affiliation
The DoE requires evidence that the author(s) being claimed were at UCT when they conducted the research leading to the publication. Should this not appear on the hardcopy, then the Head of Department must provide a letter to the Research Office confirming that the author undertook the research leading to the publication while working at the UCT Department.
Loading of Publication Data
Research output data must be captured on IRMA on an ongoing basis ( IRMA allows for data entry in each publication count category as well as a wide range of other categories used in the annual research report and for internal data collection. Please contact Joanne Brinkman ( or x2433) should you require login details for IRMA or training.
Submission of hardcopies
Different materials & photocopies are required for submission to the DoE, depending on the type of research output being claimed. It is imperative that data is logged accurately and that documentation is complete, in order to avoid these being returned to Departments.
Note:
- Journal submissions are audited each year prior to submission to the DoE.
- Handwritten information on hardcopies is not acceptable by the auditors or the DoE.
- An internal screening process for books & conference proceedings will be implemented by the Research Office prior to submission to the DoE.
Deadlines
The internal closing date for all hardcopies and other information to reach the Research Office isFriday, 9 February 2007.
Research Office Contacts
Sybil Kom-Mahlulo
Coordinator: Publication Count
e-mail:
Tel: 650 2892
Fax: 650 5768
Jacky Sylvester
Administrative Assistant
e-mail:
Tel: 650 2689
Website:
DoE web site:
Physical Address:
Room 1.1
Department of Research & Innovation
Lovers’ Walk
Lower Campus
flow chart of THE Pub Count process
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