The Research University Monitoring and Evaluation Office, which was established within the Rectorate after Atatürk University received the title of Research University, keeps track of each indicator in the Research Universities Performance Criteria and shares it with the university's senior management and the public.

The data of Journal Citation Reports (JCR) 2023, which is a valuable resource in the academic world for determining decisions regarding journal selection, article publishing strategies and evaluation of research performance, was published at the end of last June.

In measuring the Performance of Research Universities by YÖK, the universities' "Scientific Publication Rate in the Top 50% in the Incites Journal Impact Value" is compared. According to the published JCR data and the calculated journal impact factor (JIF), the InCites Benchmarking & Analytics research platform transferred the quarterly (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) information of the journals in 2022 to the database on July 28, 2023. With this latest update, the Research University Monitoring and Evaluation Office Coordination conducted a comprehensive study using the Web of Science (WOS) database and the InCites research platform.

Stating that the 2017-2022 Research Universities Academic Publication Performance Report was shared with the university senior management, Research University Monitoring and Evaluation Office Coordinator Assist. Prof. Dr. Erol Üzan said: “In the report, Atatürk University's research performance was evaluated on a publication basis according to various indicators also used by international ranking organizations. Among these, different indicators were used, such as academic publications being published in journals in the quarter bracket (indexed by JIF) according to the journal impact value, being in the top 1% (Top 1%) and top 10% (Top 10%). With the high performance of Atatürk University in the field of academic publications in recent years, it has achieved great progress in all indicators, especially the number of publications."

The data set created from the WOS database for article and review type publications published in journals within the scope of SSCI, SCI-Expanded, A&HCI was transferred to the InCites research platform by the office and a detailed analysis was carried out. It was stated in the report that the number of articles and reviews in Atatürk University's WOS database increased from 935 in 2017 to 1603 in 2022, and the total number of publications in selected indexed journals increased from 767 in 2017 to 1282 in 2022, showing a steady increase over the years. Stating that Atatürk University achieved consistent growth in academic output between 2017-2022, Rector Prof. Dr. Ömer Çomaklı noted that it has been proven that Atatürk University has a strong academic performance in terms of the number of publications.

Rector Çomaklı stated that it was observed that the number of articles and review publications published in journals indexed with the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) between 2017 and 2022 increased continuously, reaching 1241 in 2022 from 748 in 2017: “This high number of publications in prestigious journals indicates that the university demonstrates the importance it attaches to quality research and its ability to contribute to the scientific community with high-impact publications," he added.

Out of a total of 1241 publications published in journals within the scope of JIF in 2022, Atatürk university's 29 publications were in the top 1% and 175 were in the top 10%. It ranked first among all research universities in the number of publications in these two categories. Rector Prof. Dr. Ömer Çomaklı said that the New Generation University Design and Transformation Project, which was initiated in line with the YÖK vision, continues to bring success, adding “In particular, the university achieved an exceptional position in both the top 1% and the top 10%, which demonstrates its importance in academic endeavors. These numbers underline our university's commitment to producing high-quality research that contributes significantly to the academic environment. Such notable achievements are testament to the institution's commitment to cultivating a culture of excellence in research and its quest to advance knowledge across diverse disciplines. Ataturk University is solidifying its reputation as a leading academic institution at the forefront of research and scientific contributions."

It was stated in the report that while the total number of publications in the journals in the quarters according to the journal impact factor (JIF) in Atatürk University's publications showed a positive growth trend, a trend change was observed in the percentage distribution of publications over the years. While the total percentage of publications in Q1 and Q2 journals increased, the total percentage of publications in Q3 and Q4 journals decreased.

Rector Çomaklı: “These Data Show the University's Strong Presence in Top-Level Journals, Highlighting Its Research Excellence and Recognition in the Academic Community.”

It was stated that the number of documents published in Q1 journals increased by 208%, from 124 in 2017 to 382 in 2022, while the number of publications in Q2 journals increased by 155%, from 149 to 379. The report states that researchers have focused on publishing in high-impact journals in recent years, and while the total percentage of publications in Q1 and Q2 was 36.5% in 2017, this value approximately doubled and reached 61.32% in 2022, and the percentage of publications in Q3 and Q4 was 36.5% in 2022. It was stated that it decreased from 63.5 to 38.68%. Touching on the importance of evaluation meetings with unit managers and academics, Rector Çomaklı said: “This change in trend emphasizes the ongoing efforts to increase the quality and impact of research outputs. Atatürk University demonstrates strong academic performance, with a significant number of publications in JIF journals and a significant presence in top-ranked journals (Q1, Q2). The university's commitment to disseminating research findings in reputable journals demonstrates its commitment to advancing knowledge and contributing to the academic community. In addition, Atatürk University's publications in all quarters (Q1 to Q4) demonstrate a balanced approach to the dissemination of research and a desire to contribute to various academic fields. These results confirm Atatürk University's position as a leading institution in academia and highlight its potential as a valuable source of knowledge and innovation."

Thanking the Research University Monitoring and Evaluation Office for the presented report, Rector Çomaklı stated that these data are an important tool for monitoring and evaluating the academic publication performance of the university and expressed his satisfaction that these developments were shared with the public and presented in accordance with the principle of transparency and accountability.

Stating that they will continue their work as a Research University without slowing down, Rector Çomaklı said: “These achievements of Atatürk University prove that the institution plays a leading role in research and provides scientific contributions. In this context, I would like to thank all our academic staff who contributed to this important change. Such academic superiority shows that the university has a respected position within the broader academic community and strengthens its reputation."

CORPORATE COMMUNICATION DIRECTORATE - 07.08.2023