Publication Forum invites the research community to participate in the re-evaluation of levels 2 and 3. The re-evaluation will be carried out in 2022.
The Publication Forum Expert Panels classify scientific publication channels at levels 0-3. Level 1 is the basic level which includes most of the publication channels in the classification. The Panels can upgrade the leading publication channels to levels 2 and 3 within the panel-specific level quotas. Levels 2 and 3 are re-evaluated every four years, next time in 2022.
Research community is encouraged to make proposals to support the evaluation work of the Panels. Members of the research community can participate by proposing amendments to the current levels of publication channels. Proposals can be made through the JUFO portal. Proposals submitted by the end of March 2022 will be taken into account in the first phase of the re-evaluation. The Panels will prepare a preliminary classification in April-May, and the classification will be finalised during the autumn.
The Panels wish to have well-reasoned proposals in which the relevance and impact of the publication channel is considered in relation to level 2 and 3 publication channels in the same field of research. Nor should the reasoning be based solely on impact factors such as the Journal Impact Factor. Because the Panels can classify only a limited number of publication channels to levels 2 and 3, suggestions for downgrades are also useful.
In addition to the re-evaluation of levels 2 and 3, the Panels evaluate continuously new, previously unclassified publication channels to level 1 or 0. New additions can be proposed in the JUFO portal.
Publication Forum classification
Publication Forum is a classification of publication channels created by the Finnish scientific community to support the quality assessment of academic research. 23 discipline-specific Expert Panels are responsible of the evaluation of publication channels. The Panellists represent all Finnish universities and part of the public research institutes. The Publication Forum classification is used as a quality indicator of the research output produced by universities within the university funding model established by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Scientific and other publications account for 14% of the basic funding to universities.
In the Publication Forum classification, scientific publication channels are evaluated on the basis of their scientific quality to level categories 0-3. Most of the publication channels belong to the basic level of the classification, i.e., level 1. To be accepted level 1, a publication channel needs to be specialised in scientific publishing, the entire manuscripts need to be subject to peer review, and an editorial board should constitute of experts in the field. However, the Panels need not award Level 1 to publication channels formally meeting the criteria if they are local, or if their scientific quality is questionable.
The Panels can upgrade a limited number of the most appreciated publication channels to levels 2 and 3. The combined publication volume of the series rated to levels 2 and 3 can be maximum 25% of the aggregate publication volume (levels 1–3) assigned to the Panel in question, and level 3 10%. The purpose of the quotas is to balance the JUFO classification between different main fields.
Read more about the classification criteria and level quotas.
Image: Pixabay, Pexels. Modified.
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