Environment for nursing scholarship and journal impact factors in Taiwan.
Universities are seeking objective measures to assess their faculty members' research output in order to improve their national and international standing. Despite concerns, many have adopted the impact factor of journals for this purpose. The objective of this study was to explore the conditions that have been created within Taiwan as a result of such national and institutional policies. A case study design was used. Information was sought from five senior faculty members, who responded to a questionnaire with items derived from the literature. A key participant provided context within the country. The data were summarized and described. The respondents confirmed the presence of governmental and university policies for publication in high-impact factor journals; they saw some positive aspects, yet described the obstacles faced by many scholars, felt that the policies led to competition rather than cooperation, and viewed national, compared to international, publications in opposing terms. The findings are discussed within the context of current nursing literature. It is recommended that, where impact factors are used, they not be the only quality measure. A larger and more representative study is also recommended.
Ketefian
Shaké
S
School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. ketefian@umich.edu
Dai
Yu-Tzu
YT
D006801:Humans; D055811:Journal Impact Factor; D015399:Nursing Research; D011640:Public Policy / Q000639:trends*; D011643:Publishing; D012579:Schools, Nursing; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States