University of Dodoma (Udom) now withdraws academic journals

Dar es Salaam. The University of Dodoma (Udom) has withdrawn and stopped the publication and circulation of its seven academic journals after establishing that they fall short of the standards required for the university to achieve its vision.

This is according to a statement circulating on social media, issued by the deputy vice chancellor, Prof Alexander Makulilo, on October 22 - and which revealed that the decision was made during the university’s Senate seating held on April 16 this year.

During the meeting, it was revealed that the journals were lacking quality in line with international standards.

“In its 72nd meeting held on October 21 this year, the Senate received a report from a team commissioned to investigate - and which established that the quality of the journals had deteriorated. The Senate agreed to abolish the publishing and circulating the seven journals,” the report reads in part.

The abolished journals include the Journal for Health Sciences, Journal of Social Sciences, Journal of Natural and Earth Sciences, Journal of Business and Economy, Journal of Education, Journal of Informatics and Virtue Education as well as the Journal of Humanity.

The Senate has also directed all the university’s academic departments to prepare proposals for establishing new journals based on international standards, and submit them to the Senate for consideration. The decision has left several unanswered questions including the ability of academicians who were promoted on the basis of publishing their researches in the suspended journals.

Professor Makulilo admitted issuing the letter, but said it was based on Senate recommendations - and would not comment further on the matter.

“We are in the process of removing all the journals from publication. This is the Senate’s announcement and I copied the letter to all heads of department,” he said.

Asked whether suspension of the journals would affect the employment of some of academicians, he said “The mandate of the Senate is different from employment matters. The issue of employment needs another seating,” he said.

Commenting, the Political Science lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam Dr Richard Mbunda, said the decision might create stigma among those who published their research in the suspended journals.

“It’s true that the decision targets to improve standards. But, what I am seeing here is that it may create a stigma,” he said.

Other academicians from the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) who spoke to this paper on condition of anonymity said there are some academicians who were demoted because their researches in the journals lacked quality.