Union decries 'publishing chaos'
Iraqi academics union questions legitimacy of university rankings, warns of research paper fraud
BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Academics Union is raising questions on the validity of university rankings, describing many organizations that rate institutions as “illusory” and commercially motivated.
The union also revealed the existence of nearly 600 offices, operating inside and outside the country, that engage in academic fraud, including ghostwriting research papers and dissertations.
Union head Muhanad Al-Hilal told Al-Sabah newspaper that most rankings Iraqi universities pursue are “largely commercial and illusory,” often pressuring faculty to publish on their sites. He noted that well-known global ranking organizations such as ShanghaiRanking and Times Higher Education, among others, were exceptions to the union’s complaint.
As a result of growing competition among Iraqi universities to rank high on various websites, Al-Hilal further noted, “Faculty members are often forced to turn to offices that commit academic fraud in research and thesis writing.” Those agencies are aware of the pressures on faculty members, Al-Hilal noted, adding that agents have targeted Iraqi researchers and postgraduate students specifically.
Al-Hilal and union members have criticized the higher education ministry for promoting a focus on rankings and want to see the government prioritize and verify specific organizations.
They are further calling for academics and researchers to do their part to scrutinize current methods and find a reliable and successful alternative to what they describe as the “chaos of publishing.”
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