QUT ePrints Update

Importing Records from Research Master into QUT ePrints

By the end of the year, the Government expects every University in Australia to have institutional repository records for all of their publications for 2003-2007. If possible, the records should have open access fulltext copies attached. This is part of the Government’s ‘Accessibility Framework’.

QUT  has a head start in that QUT ePrints already has well over 14,000 publications listed (over 8,000 have open access fulltext attached).  However, there are still a large number of 2003-2007 publications by QUT academics that have NOT been deposited in QUT ePrints.

In order to achieve full coverage within the tight timeframe, the Library will be “Importing” the bibliographic details for these missing publications from the Office of Research’s Research Master database to create basic eprint records.   Unlike the records created when a paper is deposited by the author, the imported records will not have abstracts or fulltext copies attached – but at least the bibliographic details will be ‘Google-able’.

The Office of Research is currently gathering details of Pre-QUT Publications by academics who have joined QUT since 2003.  Forms to report these pre-QUT publications were recently distributed to Schools by the Office of Research (the information is needed for ERA).

The Library will arrange another bulk import in a few months time to create basic records for any of these Pre-QUT publications not already in QUT ePrints.  Pre-QUT Publications form

Implication: There is no need for Schools to employ administrative staff to create basic (i.e. no fulltext) eprint records for pre 2008 publications.

Note: This is an exceptional, one-off situation, driven by the need to comply with external timeframes. Remember that for new publications (2008 onwards), the University expects all academics to report all of their research-related publications via QUT ePrints .  The ‘accepted manuscript’ version should be deposited by one of the authors (or a person to whom they have delegated the task) – as per University policy  – before the accepted manuscript version is lost.  This is the version that incorporates any changes made following  post-peer review but not yet copy-edited or formatted by the publisher.

Australian Research Council (ARC) : Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) Initiative : Ranked Journal Lists of Publications used by Australian Researchers: Comments Needed by 31 July 2008

The ARC, on behalf of the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) Initiative, have released ranked lists of journals in 22 subject areas according to four tiers (as described below).
(NOTE: The ERA initiative will use a range of indicators and other proxies to support the evaluation of research excellence. One of these indicators is discipline-specific tiered outlet rankings.)
The journal lists are available at http://www.research.qut.edu.au/data/quality/qutonly/rankings.jsp
These ranked journal lists were compiled by the Learned Academies and Discipline Bodies in Australia (http://www.arc.gov.au/era/consultation_ranking.htm) at the request of the ARC.

Feedback including amendments and additions should be emailed to era@qut.edu.au by 31st July 2008 using the Amendments and Additions Form also available at http://www.research.qut.edu.au/data/quality/qutonly/rankings.jsp

More information about the ERA is available at http://www.arc.gov.au/era/

What can the library do?

Gather supporting evidence for ‘justifications’ for challenging a current ranking and/or suggesting titles to be included in the list. e.g.  impact factors, circulation figures, journal citation data etc. Please be in touch!

A*= top 5% of journals in a discipline – Typically an A* journal would be one of the best in its field or subfield in which to publish and would typically cover the entire field/subfield. Virtually all papers they publish will be of a very high quality. These are journals where most of the work is important (it will really shape the field) and where researchers boast about getting accepted. Acceptance rates would typically be low and the editorial board would be dominated by field leaders, including many from top institutions.

A= top 6-20% of journals in a discipline- The majority of papers in a Tier A journal will be of very high quality. Publishing in an A journal would enhance the author’s standing, showing they have real engagement with the global research community and

that they have something to say about problems of some significance. Typical signs of an A journal are lowish acceptance rates and an editorial board which includes a reasonable fraction of well known researchers from top institutions

B= top 21- 50% of journals in a discipline-Tier B covers journals with a solid, though not outstanding, reputation. Generally, in a Tier B journal, one would expect only a few papers of very high quality. They are often important outlets for the work of PhD students and early career researchers. Typical examples would be regional journals with high acceptance rates, and editorial boards that have few leading researchers from top international institutions

C= top 51-100% of journals in a discipline -Tier C includes quality, peer reviewed, journals that do not meet the criteria of the higher tiers.