Decolonizing Algeria’s Academic Journals

Interview with ‪Younes SAAID, Ph.D. candidate at the Université d’Oran 2 Mohamed Ben Ahmed, regarding the San Francisco Declaration of Research Assessment (DORA).

The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) was developed in the course of the American Society for Cell Biology’s annual meeting in San Francisco during 2012; what does it offer The Digital Orientalist? Recognizing a need to improve the ways in which the outputs of scholarly research are evaluated (similar to the question, ‘how can the digital humanities help decolonize Oriental studies?‘), the DORA has become a worldwide initiative covering all scholarly disciplines and all key stakeholders including academic institutions, individual researchers, professional societies, publishers, and even sources of research funding.

What follows is an interview with Younes Saaid, who serves as the Scientific and Technological Information Officer at the Centre of Research in Social and Cultural Anthropology (CRASC), Algeria. He is also a PhD candidate at the University of Oran 2 Mohammed Ben Ahmed, specialising in the Didactics of ESP. Additionally, he serves as a Crossref Ambassador for Algeria, dedicated to enhancing the visibility of Algerian research. Younes organises workshops on indexing and scholarly publishing, empowering journal editors to meet international standards and bridging the gap between local research and global platforms. He actively contributes to the field by indexing academic journals and improving research visibility. Furthermore, Younes plays a vital role in the Algerian Scientific Journals Platform (ASJP), where he promotes Algerian research and manages the Open Journal Systems (OJS) for various journals. The ASJP is an electronic publishing platform for Algerian scientific journals developed and managed by the Centre de recherche sur l’information scientifique et technique (CERIST), which indexes and provides full-text access to over 700 academic journals.

Q: Would you introduce yourself to readers of The Digital Orientalist, please?

A: The ASJP became the first platform used by scientific journals in Algeria. It serves as a Review and Editorial Accreditation System for editors, where authors can submit their work via free accounts. Articles are reviewed and published as open access without any fees. The new ASJP is being updated to support DOI assignment for articles. Additionally, a new ASJP Impact Factor for journals has been introduced to enhance their visibility and credibility.

“A new ASJP Impact Factor for journals has been introduced to enhance their visibility and credibility.”

Q: For readers of The Digital Orientalist who are not familiar with the ASJP, would you introduce the goals of the project?

A: The goals of the ASJP project are to provide a free platform for editors, authors, and readers within the Algerian scientific community, as well as to promote the articles of Algerian researchers on a global scale.

Q: Algeria is distinct in North Africa in that all institutions of higher education are public, and none are private. Bearing that in mind, is there anything specifically Algerian in the ASJP that readers of The Digital Orientalist need to know about?

A: Recently, the Algerian government approved new private higher education institutions that offer Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Although these institutions are not as large as universities, they provide officially recognised diplomas. This is a significant development in Algeria’s higher education landscape, which has traditionally been entirely public. The ASJP, as a platform, remains a key resource for the Algerian scientific community, supporting both public and newly established private institutions in promoting and disseminating research for free.

Q: Representing Algeria, 42 individuals and institutional entities have signed the San Francisco Declaration of Research Assessment (DORA), would you hazard an informal generalization about the appeal of this approach to research assessment to Algerian academics?

A: Algerian individuals and organisations may not be widely familiar with the DORA. However, the ASJP platform, which is governed by the DGRSDT (Directorate General for Scientific Research and Technological Development) under the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, adheres to strict laws and regulations. These guidelines ensure that publications on the platform meet ethical standards and are aligned with national policies. The ASJP thus plays a crucial role in shaping research assessment practices in Algeria, promoting transparency and integrity in scientific publishing.

“ASJP plays a crucial role in shaping research assessment practices in Algeria, promoting transparency and integrity in scientific publishing.”

Q: Among these, the editorial board of the Journal of Languages and Translation (Hassiba Benbouali University of Chlef) endorsed the DORA, would you hazard a further generalization about the value of this approach to research assessment?

A: Yes, it’s likely that the editorial board of the Journal of Languages and Translation at Hassiba Benbouali University of Chlef endorsed DORA in an effort to align with international standards for research assessment. By endorsing DORA, they likely aim to enhance the journal’s visibility and credibility, making it more attractive for inclusion in new indexing systems globally.

Q: As an institution, has the ASJP taken a position with regard to the Arabic Citation Index (2020)?

A: At present, the ASJP has not taken an official position regarding the Arabic Citation Index (2020). This index, which is powered by Web of Science has seen some journals express interest, with a few having signed up for it. However, to my knowledge, no Algerian journals have yet entered the index.

Q: As an institution, has the ASJP taken a position with regard to the European Union’s Concept Note Workshop on Research Excellence (1 June 2023)?

A: To my knowledge, there has been no specific action or involvement from the ASJP in relation to this workshop. However, the ASJP continues to focus on supporting the Algerian scientific community through its platform, and future initiatives may align with broader international efforts like this one.

Q: As an institution, has the ASJP taken a position with regard to the DORA’s Guidance on the Responsible Use of Quantitative Indicators in Research Assessment (2024)?

A: Registration for DORA is managed by individual journal editors, not by the ASJP platform. The ASJP serves as a platform for journal submissions and does not take responsibility for the quality of the journals themselves. The responsibility for ensuring adherence to quality standards and the responsible use of quantitative indicators lies with the editors of the journals listed on the platform.

“Responsibility for ensuring adherence to quality standards and the responsible use of quantitative indicators lies with the editors […].”

Q: As an institution, has the ASJP taken a position with regard to the Arab Citation and Impact Factor (ARCIF) (2024)?

A: Yes, the ASJP has acknowledged the significance of the ARCIF in the Arab academic landscape. Algeria leads the Arab world in the number of journals indexed by ARCIF, with the first journal ranking at 447. According to the “ARCIF 2024” report, Algeria has topped the list of Arab countries in terms of the number of accredited scientific journals. This reflects the growing visibility and impact of Algerian research in the Arab region.