Prominence in research has always been associated with Western Philippines University. In its humble beginnings as a state college, it had been actively involved in research in agriculture and fisheries in strong collaboration with other research institutions. Research outputs were then published in a local journal, “The Palawan Agriculturist,” with reviewers from within the college.
The conversion into a comprehensive university, coupled with the expansion of its programs, research became multi-disciplinary, and research outputs further advanced. The local journal had been reinstituted as “The Palawan Scientist” to accommodate publications from fields other than agriculture and fisheries.
Twenty years after its maiden publication, The Palawan Scientist had significantly evolved with significant milestones added to its feat. From the first externally reviewed volume in 2014, the Palawan Scientist received the CHED Journal Incentive Program award in 2016 and was listed in the ASEAN Citation Index and the Emerging Sources Citation Index of Clarivate Analytics the following year. Early this year, the Andrew Gonzalez Philippine Citation Index accepted The Palawan Scientist as a full member.
The international recognition and indexing of The Palawan Scientist benefit the faculty as their publications can be credited to their research performance, possibly improving their citation ratings if other researchers cite their papers. Papers published by the faculty will also enhance the research output of the university, as reported to the oversight agencies, notably the Results-Based Performance Management System and SUC Leveling.
The Palawan Scientist, as a reputable research journal, invites faculty from WPU and other HEIs and researchers from other institutions to publish their outputs in the journal. As envisioned, the peer-reviewed journal serves as a platform for disseminating and sharing relevant research information in various fields in Palawan, nationwide, and even worldwide. Hopefully, these published research outputs will lead to development initiatives that will uplift the communities and the marginalized sectors of society.
As its first editor-in-chief, I commend the editorial board for transforming the journal towards excellence and recognition. As we move forward, let us be wary of the challenges, opportunities, and threats of the advancements in digital technology and artificial intelligence to safeguard and promote intellectual property and the integrity of research outputs.
Padayon!
Noel L. Gauran
Technical Adviser, The Palawan Scientist
Professor, Western Philippines University
https://doi.org/10.69721/TPS.J.2023.15.1.x
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