Environments for nursing scholarship and journal impact factor in five countries

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Health Sciences Research

Background:

• Universities globally seek objective metrics for faculty research assessment and prestige.
• Journal impact factors (IF) are widely adopted despite concerns.
• Policies regarding publication in high IF journals vary across academic institutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the impact of policies on faculty publishing in high IF journals on nursing science development in five countries.
• To compare countries with and without mandatory IF policies.

Main Methods:

• Multiple case study design involving Brazil, Taiwan, Thailand (Group A: IF policies) and the UK, USA (Group B: no IF policies).
• Data collected via questionnaires from senior faculty members in each country.
• Human subject review board approval obtained; all communication was electronic.

Main Results:

• Differences observed in policy implementation and purpose between Group A and Group B countries.
• Similarities and differences noted across countries regarding research hurdles, scholar behavior, and publication strategies (local vs. international).
• Variations in how countries viewed their scientific output and internationalized their journals.

Conclusions:

• Taiwan demonstrated success in scholarship development within Group A.
• Group B countries achieved scientific progress without mandatory IF policies.
• IF policies are not necessary motivators; qualified nurse scientists and resource availability are critical for science development.